Green Building Trends: Eco-friendly products offer greener homes and offices
The move toward sustainability continues to grow, and Intown residents are finding more ways to incorporate it into their lives. Home designers and builders report that while they do get clients looking for environmentally-friendly designs and materials, it’s not yet a regular request.
“I honestly think it’s mostly due to a lack of knowledge of what products are out there,” said Rick Goldstein, Owner/Registered Architect, MOSAIC Design + Build. “As these products and practices become more advertised, I believe people will begin requesting green products more and more.”
In Atlanta, he said, it’s the Intown homeowners who seem to be much more in tune with sustainability and green practices, especially those living in the older 1920s neighborhoods, like Candler Park, Grant Park and East Atlanta.
Randy Glazer, owner, Glazer Design & Construction, said that he’s seen interest growing in the Decatur and Virginia Highland areas. “Some cities are enforcing stricter rules and regulations, and promoting energy efficient materials,” he said — and that’s helping push greener building products.
There’s a definite increase is in the desire for energy efficiency, which some homeowners equate with green, according to Goldstein. “Better insulation, a tighter building envelope, more efficient HVAC and water heating — these are more green because they decrease energy needs,” he said.
Goldstein added that almost all of his clients incorporate a recycling area somewhere in their kitchen, as it’s an easy way to encourage green practices. “We’ve also had several clients interested in the…
