| From wgba.org Residential Information A Pragmatic Green Residential Case Study For background information about this residential building project see “Urban Infill Home Greens Brownfield Remediation Site”
Pragmatic Lessons As the Kaufmann’s learned from planning their green home, an adaptable, pragmatic approach was essential to getting their project built within budget and in compliance with building codes. They made many compromises that married their idealism with the practical realities presented. The results of this compromise are that the design pragmatically integrates green and traditional building technologies and systems and creates a practical, affordable, and sustainable end result. One example of project pragmatism was a mid-course change in plan from a single structure to a development that includes a main home and coach house. Because the site is situated in a local historic district, many materials and design techniques were dictated by the local Historic Preservation Commission. As a result of the higher expenses associated with these design elements, a coach house was added to provide a source of offsetting rental income and to help the Kaufmann’s meet their goal of construction costs of $150/ft2. The rental income will assist with higher mortgage payments in the short-term, and provide for greater economic stability for the family in the long term. The Kaufmann’s hope that, by living as an example and telling their story, they can make sustainability concepts translatable and accessible to more people in
Urban Obstacles to Green Building an ideal, dream green home in the city is not a simple undertaking. Very little about the project could be handled like a “typical” home construction project, so almost everyone involved- including building contractors, lenders, insurers, civil servants, attorneys, architects, etc. – had to think outside the normal non-green box. Here are a few of the obstacles the Kaufmann’s have faced along their journey so far:
Local Zoning and Building Codes § Minimum frontage requirements result in home size that is larger than desirable, compromising the green desire to obtain a minimal footprint. § Siting requirements pushed the home to the front and directly adjacent to a building to the south, effectively blocking passive solar opportunities and limiting active solar harvesting. Bureaucracy § The Kaufmann’s have had to learn how to navigate the overlapping and complicated requirements and approval process of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of § As a result, the development process took more than two years adding significant cost and complexity to the project. Financing § Hazardous waste contamination on the site made it impossible to secure a clean “closure” ruling from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. As a result, traditional financing could not be secured for the project. § The Kaufmann’s had to negotiate an exceptional financing agreement, made possible by leveraging established banking relationships, an option not likely available to most families.
Incentives § Nearly all local, state and federal incentive programs available for green energy and related technologies are available solely to commercial endeavors, precluding the homeowners from eligibility. § Energy programs that are available to individuals in [Direct questions regarding this building project to: juli.kaufmann@gmail.com] © Copyright 2007 by Wisconsin Green Building Alliance |