Green Building / Sustainable Design

Residential buildings account for 22% of the total energy consumption and 74% of water usage in the country. Construction wastes make up 40% of the solid waste stream.

Sustainable design ideas are changing how architecture is practiced, and âGreen buildings,â can offer dramatic advantages over conventional projects;

They use less energy
They create less construction waste
They use less water
They are more comfortable, and have better air quality
They are not necessarily more expensive

LEED is ratings system begun by the US Green Building Council, which evaluates green buildings. The system was designed to transform building practices by demonstrating that green projects are safer, more durable and more comfortable. Each project must meet minimum criteria in several categories such as energy usage, water retention and indoor air quality. A LEED building can simply be certified, or can achieve silver, gold or platinum ratings, and the house we designed in Lexington, achieved a gold rating.