Michael Hurlocker

Green Philosophy: “We do what the client wants, and we always try to turn them toward the green alternative. We give them the cost options, and we let them make the choice.”

Despite a portfolio of high-performance custom homes and a reputation for technical expertise in energy efficiency, Michael Hurlocker remains slightly reluctant to call himself a green builder. “One of the problems I have with the green hype,” he explains, “is that we’ve been doing things this way for years, just because they’re better building practices.” His embrace of sustainable building reflects practical considerations rather than marketing strategy or ideology. “I don’t come into any project with an agenda,” he insists, noting that it’s the owner’s money, and the owner decides how it gets spent. “I’m a facilitator and a suggester.”

But any client who follows Hurlocker’s suggestions will end up with a very green house indeed. As the first order of business, he says, “everyone should be buying the most efficient and tightest window they can buy, and we do push that.” Next, “we superinsulate the building envelope, which for us means filling every cavity, even 2x12s. And it’s always been better to blow in insulation than to install batts.” Eliminating materials that off-gas potentially harmful compounds is another no-brainer. “We use formaldehyde-free cores in our cabinetry,” Hurlocker points out. “They cost 10 to 12 percent more, but that’s coming down rapidly.” After that comes an efficient lighting package. “Code requires fluorescent in closets, pantries, garages,” he notes, “but we push for compact fluorescents and LEDs throughout the house. And then we just take it from there. The big jump is the active solar component.”

“Unless money is no object—and with my clients it rarely is—it’s a cost/benefit type of analysis,” Hurlocker continues, and that’s where he really earns his keep. “We can give an accurate analysis on any building component,” he says. “And if we don’t know about it, I’ll go out and research it.” Active solar applications remain expensive. For the most recent system he installed, “I came up with a 19-year payback, and that included tax subsidies at about 40 percent of up-front cost.” That’s a hard sell, but a growing environmental consciousness—and Santa Fe’s new energy code, which specifies a stringent Home Energy Rating System score of 50—are making such systems more popular. To Hurlocker, that’s all to the good. “Our basic philosophy is pretty simple,” he explains. “We do what the client wants, and we always try to turn them toward the green alternative. We give them the cost options, and we let them make the choice.”

Hurlocker Homes, Santa Fe, N.M.
www.hurlockerhomes.com
Type of business: Custom builder, developer
Years in business: 26
Employees: 7
2009 volume: $4.1 million
2009 starts: 3