"Building green," a catch-all for environmentally smart and region-specific construction, is the buzz phrase in contemporary architecture.
Unlike many environmentally-sensitive dwellings of the past - those off the grid homes one still sees around Terlingua and Taos - today's green spaces are sleek and urban, with metal siding, deep overhangs and vaulted ceilings.
A good green architect considers climate, landscape and access to raw materials. For many, building green is simply about building sensibly, using methods devised years ago, before people relied on electricity to heat and cool their homes.
Harnessing sun and shade and directing the movement of air are primary concerns.
In Houston, not surprisingly, managing the sun is a priority. A metal-sided home will reflect most of the solar heat it receives and translate to big energy savings, says architect Cameron Armstrong, who's been building metal homes in the area for more than a decade. Brick, on the other hand, keeps most of the heat it gets, and stucco is prone to mold, he says.
Window placement and the direction a house faces - part of what architects call "orientation" - is also critical to beating the heat. In a perfect world, say green architects, we'd say goodbye to tract housing oriented to face the street, and hello to homes situated to take full advantage of the weather.
David Bucek, of Stern and Bucek Architects, says Houston homes are more energy efficient when the bulk of their windows face north/south. An east/west orientation draws too much heat into your home, he says. The southern exposure is particularly important in Houston, where cooling breezes blow from the southeast in the summer.
Building a home with the proper orientation, even if it costs a little more at the outset, will save money in the long run, architects say.
"People don't always think about the lifetime costs of a house - the energy and utility bills and repairs," says area architect Brett Zamore, whose shot-trot house, based on old shotgun and dog trot prototypes, encourages air circulation. "Ninety-five percent of new homes are built by developers. Most people buy what they think is the best deal at the time."
With no national standards for building green homes, the only rules for today's green home builders are self-imposed and self-enforced.
The U.S. Green Building Council, which offers certification to commercial building projects through its LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) program, has recently started a residential pilot program. And one of the pilot homes is in Houston.
Built by Greenhaus Builders, the $1.3 million Memorial mansion should be finished by the end of April, says production manager Tommy Strong. Among the green features in the 5,200-square-foot home: Icynene, a formaldehyde-free foam insulation, and a central vacuuming system that immediately removes indoor contaminants.
Of course, some architects say that one of best ways to build green is to build small.
"Rather than an 8,000-square-foot house, build a 2,000-square-foot house," says Donna Kacmar, principal of Architect Works and University of Houston professor. "Less space means fewer materials."
In commercial properties, the green movement is "raging" right now, says Brian Malarkey, president-elect of the American Institute of Architects Houston and leader of an ecoservices group at Kirksey Architects. "Tenants are asking for it and there's a lot of competition in the marketplace."
The same kind of interest is starting to happen with green homes, say Malarkey and others.
"As green values take hold here in Houston, there are a host of architectural design features that will become more and more common," says Armstrong. "Because this process is being driven by objective economic costs, such as for energy, as well as by the growing desire for a more wholesome place to live, the city will likely change surprisingly quickly."
A TAXING ISSUE
WHAT'S A GREEN HOME WORTH TO YOU AT TAX TIME? NOT MUCH, BUT A LITTLE.
Tax credits are available for home improvements that include adding insulation, replacing windows and installing efficient heating and cooling equipment.
The maximum amount of homeowner credit is $500 during the two-year period of Jan.1, 2006-Dec. 31, 2007.
Additional credits are available for solar water heating and photovoltaic systems placed in the home between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2008. The credit is for 30 percent of the cost, up to $2,000.
WHAT'S A GREEN HOME WORTH TO HOMEBUILDERS AT TAX TIME?
Homebuilders may be eligible for a $2,000 tax credit for a new energy efficient home that reaches 50 percent energy savings for heating and cooling.
They may also be eligible for a $1,000 tax credit for a new home that achieves 30 percent energy savings for heating and cooling.
HOW THEY SEE IT
How will green values change Houston's living spaces in the next decade? Local architects believe we'll see more of the following:
Daylighting
Homes that incorporate more indirect natural light, so there's little need to flip on a lightswitch until the sun sets.
Gardens
"Jungle landscapes" close to homes. They keep the air around the house cooler; and the cooler the environment outside your home, the cooler the inside.
Larger overhangs
A 4-foot overhang over a window or extending from the roof takes the edge off of the sun's heat. (Standard overhangs are 8 to 12 inches.)
Green materials
Some, such as cork and bamboo, are renewable, replenishing themselves quickly. Others, such as formaldehyde-free insulation or photovoltaic cell solar panels, are relatively new and manmade.
Metal
Metal sided buildings reflect the sun's heat, resist rust and cost relatively little.
Shallower rooms
One-room deep homes with ventilation on at least two sides get great cross breezes and air play inside rooms.
Smaller homes
It costs less to build, heat and cool a smaller home.
Outside living
Loggias, patios and porches that extend inside space out-of-doors will remain popular.
Recycling
It can come in many forms - from remilling old shiplap siding for re-use as wood flooring, to buying architectural salvage from an organization such as Historic Houston, to working with groups such as Avenue Community Development Corp., who will move old homes.
Orientation
New homes will be oriented to their environments rather than street grids.
