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Making Green Building Affordable

by Paula Dohnal

November 16, 2009

Many green products are thought of as a luxury. Hybrid cars and organic produce are more expensive than their less environmentally friendly counterparts—for some people prohibitively so. But builders interested in sustainability are starting to challenge this notion when it comes to construction.

Make It Right Foundation is a New Orleans–based nonprofit organization that is rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to building affordable houses in this area, the foundation is committed to using green materials. Executive Director Tom Darden (as interviewed in Louisiana Green Scene Magazine and featured in Monday’s Brownfields Bulletin) said of their business plan, “It’s got to be low cost. However, we can’t compromise on the quality, or the structural integrity, or on green. We have to use better materials so we can use fewer of them. We have to come up with new designs and engineering.”

One example Darden gave was the design for a new wall section that’s five times stronger than required by building code—and it accomplishes this while using 30 percent fewer materials. This is possible because of a new product called “the earthquake nail,” that conveniently also helps homes withstand hurricane winds.

“You get the same costs to build as a traditional wall section, but it’s stronger and uses green materials as its baseline,” Darden said. “There’s no reason that every builder in the country shouldn’t be using this wall section.”

Make It Right Foundation was formed to do work specifically in New Orleans, they’re realizing that these new technologies and methods should be shared. Brad Pitt is involved with the organization, as both a founder and a spokesperson, so they shouldn’t have a difficult time getting attention as they distribute this information.

Another example from the nonprofit world is Habitat for Humanity, who recently built one of their first LEED-certified homes in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Because Habitat’s first priority is affordability, their success in sustainable building sends a message: If we can do it, so can you.

Tennessee filmmakers documented the construction process, with interviews from local business owners who made the green house possible, in the film Main Street: More Than a Home. The film isn’t currently being distributed, but you can catch it as part of the Brownfields Film Series on Tuesday, November 17, at 2:45 p.m. Main Street is part of a double feature with Build Green, in which environmental activist David Suzuki showcases Canadian best practices in green building.