Source: TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
Publication date: September 18, 2006
By Andy Engel
The first time I remember hearing about green building was in the early-'70s, when a perfect blend of hippie culture and rising oil costs resulted in, among other things, houses called "earth ships" that incorporated wall systems made from old tires filled with dirt. But also, through some hits and mostly misses, that period also led to a greater understanding of energy efficiency, moisture control, and comfort, and many of today's lasting improvements can be directly tied to those early "experiments."
But due to some really bad "solar" homes, lots of failures, and dropping oil prices, the era passed–leaving behind the basis for what today we call green building that, until recently, existed only as a small niche for progressive builders.
Builders who remember the early years and who had to deal with those failures can be hard to convince of the value of green building. "Builders are a conservative bunch," says Santa Fe, N.M., builder Dave Crosby. "We can't afford failure. If something works, we use it over and over. If it fails, we never try it again."
The world has changed in 30 years, however. We understand so much more about how building systems work and are getting building science dialed-in. And that knowledge, coupled with proven new products, good design, and simple attention to detail, allows us now to build better homes that use fewer resources, are more comfort...
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