A few weeks ago, CBS featured 93 Nevins as an “aggressively green” development, an example of ”one of the hottest new design trends.” View the video.
That same week, Rolf and I accompanied friends from Green Depot to a party celebrating the opening of Greenbelt, an exciting new development of two-bedroom homes in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Like 93 Nevins, Greenbelt is going for certification under the LEED for Homes guidelines. I couldn’t help noting that Greenbelt’s printed materials stated that the development had gone more slowly than it would have, had it been an off–the-shelf, quick and easy project – but oftentimes, innovation takes longer. The party was a scene. Hundreds of innovative, environmentally concerned designers, architects, businesspeople, recyclers, and other “Green Drinks” regulars –as well as a few very cute toddlers – checked out the beautifully-staged apartment, featuring the work of local Brooklyn designers and artists. We met the owners of Camilla Boutique, an eco-friendly micro-boutique at 355 Atlantic Avenue, just blocks from our own development. Kudos to developer Derek Denckla and architect Greg Merryweather.
So let’s talk about this “hot new design trend.” Green design is getting a lot more play than it did a few years ago. Why now? It’s not that green building is a completely new movement, but in recent years the incentives to build green – and the market for green products – have become more mainstream.The desire to live on an habitable planet provides a strong motivation for increasing our energy efficiency. Even hold-out skeptics are starting to acknowledge the reality of global warming and its repercussions. Then there’s the financial side. Oil prices hit a new record high today of $108 a barrel. In New York, utility company Consolidated Edison has reported a 12 percent increase in delinquencies on payment of oil bills. No wonder insulation is suddenly sexy. At the same time, innovative product designers are looking for ways to combat the effects of “mass affluenza,” by finding new ways to recycle what would otherwise just end up in landfill. If you keep your eyes open, you’ll see creative interpretations of “reduce, reuse, recycle” every day.Then there’s the healthy side of green building. As a society, we are becoming more aware every day of the toxins we risk putting into our bodies, from the mercury-laced salmon we once served as a special family meal to the exhaust of cars and buses idling outside of our children’s schools. Makes sense that we’re looking to keep toxins out of our homes.Speaking of keeping things out of our homes, we’re pleased to report that the roof went up, keeping out the seven inches of snow that fell shortly after.
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