From the Ground Up
Kelly Luckett, president of Green Roof Blocks in St. Louis, Mo., installed his first green roof in 2003 on a government building in Missouri and has seen steady growth ever since. This year, he’s started noticing less demand for cypress trees and more demand for snap peas: Luckett reports increasing requests for green roofs that also function as kitchen gardens. (He just finished installing a vegetable garden that sits over a garage of a detached home.) Whether it’s because growing your own food is thrifty, eco-friendly, or just plain satisfying, homeowners are obviously taking a cue from a foodie trend (restaurants with roof gardens) and from a longtime urban practice (community roof gardens in high-rise buildings).
Green Laws
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Green design continues marching into the mainstream. This year, solid legislative efforts have helped. Passage of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which is 30% tougher than the 2006 IECC, is a huge improvement, according to Cliff Majersik, executive director of the Institute for Market Transformation in Washington, D.C. Majersik also points to an unprecedented 37% of new homes being HERS rated, observing that “CFLs and low-E windows are no longer for a niche market, but are used widely.” In addition, the SAVE Act was introduced this fall. If it passes, it could help builders to better sell green homes: The bipartisan bill would require federal mortgage lenders to factor in energy efficiency.
