credit. From Traverse City, Mich., Olde World Custom Homes created a residence that was as grand as it was green earning an Energy Star grant as well as the People’s choice Award for Best Home. We also revisited Warmington Homes’ Vantage project, a solar community in California currently in its fourth phase. It is mind-blowing how many options are out there for builders and developers joining the green movement, begging the question: why not?

Our Editor-at-Large, Christine Rombouts, reports on Conservation Development and how it really is a win-win option for everyone.

The departments cover the wide expanse of latest technologies and innovations. A year ago, I had probably never associated hydronic energy with housing and yet it is now being used in radiant flooring and allows for zoned heating in each room. As someone who prefers my living area warm and lives with others who prefer it on the cooler side, this seems like the best invention since mattresses with adjustable firmness. Ashley Katz, of the USGBC, has graciously contributed a detailed article on the LEED Neighborhood Development program and I’m proud to say that she has agreed to be a regular contributor to the magazine. In other words, there is nothing happening in the green building industry that will pass this magazine by.

Kind Regards

Jenn Sherman
Editor
jsherman@penpubinc.com

Moving forward, it will become the standard in the building industry instead of just a smart option. The development and building industries are in a unique position to create more environmentally sound communities. Most of you have.

Since 2007, the industry has seen a 70 percent rise in total LEED registered and certified home building projects, on top of more than 50 percent cumulative growth in 2006.

Never the ones to be left behind, we are expanding our coverage of the green building industry by adding two additional issues of Green Homebuilder for the upcoming year. The concept is also explored in our sister publications as it applies to each magazine’s special niche. Our Spring issue of Residential Contractor focused on green remodeling, May’s Builder and Developer followed the theme of sustainability from a broader perspective and we will revisit that again in August.

In this issue we showcase a full spectrum of green living possibilities. Indigo Modern, a minimalist loft development in Tucson, Ariz., was one of the first communities to qualify for the Energy Efficiency Tax