Green Building

The green movement has impacted many areas of our lives but it has become a driving force in both residential and commercial building design and construction.

All cities are required to enforce green building standard codes, better known as CALGreen. These mandatory guidelines were passed by Arnold Schwarzennegger during his time as governor and went into effect in January 2011.


The larger the project, the more impact these guidelines will have. Some of the areas affected by CALGreen include:

• water conservation
• indoor air quality
• lighting efficiency
• insulation
• VOC emissions from products and materials

Your architect should be versed in CALGreen requirements and will work with your city's building department, Title 24 and others to ensure your addition, remodel or custom home meets or exceeds the necessary guidelines. The general contractor you choose should also be up-to-date on these rules as there are also requirements around disposal and other areas affecting construction.

As a home owner, you can incorporate green materials including sustainable flooring, recycled materials, solar panels and energy efficient appliances to name a few. 

For more information on green building, we suggest visiting the links included in this article. 

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