Michele Myers of M Squared Builders & Designers: Taking Green Building to the Next Level
Weston green home exterior, by M Squared
Green homes, green building, green living… Who isn’t familiar with “green” today? We know the term as it relates to techniques and materials that produce homes that consume less energy and other resources, facilitate better indoor air quality, and provide a more durable product requiring less maintenance. We’ve been hearing about green for over 10 years now; it’s not a passing fad. In contemplating where we are with green building today, no one comes to mind as more qualified to ask than Michele Myers, President of (healthy and green) M Squared Builders & Designers and both founding and current Chair of Green Home Builders of the Triangle (GHBT).
“We’ve been successful throughout the Triangle in embracing green,” says Michele. “In fact, North Carolina has more green homes certified to National Green Building Standards (NGBS) than any other state. But moving forward, we need to do more to educate the public that green shouldn’t be an option in home building, it should be code. A lot of builders still think consumers don’t really care about green, but nationwide data contradicts this… According to the March 2016 Home Innovation Research Labs™ NGBS Report, in all classes across the country, in all levels of price range, 100% of those surveyed say they would pay more for a green home.”
Since the inception of the NGBS program, the goal of Home Innovation Research Labs™ (formerly the National Association of Home Builders Research Center) has been to deliver a green building certification program that is credible, rigorous, and affordable. (Click here to see more.) The March 2016 NGBS Report goes on to say that the influential drivers for homeowners surveyed in purchasing a green home include durability, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, water efficiency, lower impact to the environment, and reduced carbon footprint.
“The difference in cost between a Bronze Level NGBS certified home and a non-certified code compliant home can be as little as 3%,” Michele continues. “Not only can you afford green, you deserve green, and you should demand green. Why live in anything else?”
Homeowners who live in green homes certainly understand and appreciate the benefits. “We have been in our M Squared home for almost two years and remain as happy as the day we moved in,” says Anne Weston. “Not only does it reflect our ‘green values’ but it proves you don’t have to live in a science experiment or a cave to live lighter upon the earth. We attended the Green Home Tour for years absorbing information on all the newest technologies and designs. We chose a mix of old tech (large overhangs and light-colored metal roofing) and new (engineered bamboo flooring, a net-zero photovoltaic system, and a hybrid water heater), and a builder who embraced them both.”
This year’s GHBT Green Home Tour takes place April 30 – May 1 and May 7 – 8, noon – 5:00 pm, at new and remodeled green certified homes throughout the area. Take advantage of what you can learn from the builders and representatives during the Tour, and let Michele’s words linger in your mind… “You deserve green and you should demand green… Why live in anything else?” For more information on M Squared Builders & Designers, visit www.msquaredbuilders.com, or call 919-620-8535.
The 2016 GHBT Green Home Tour is a free self-guided event showcasing a variety of excellent examples of certified green home construction. Each home in the tour is inspected and third-party verified, making sure each home meets the minimum certification requirements established by the National Green Building Standard (NGBS). Green Home Tour guidebooks are available at all area Whole Foods and Harris Teeter stores, HBA offices, and area Realtor® Association offices. For more information about the Tour, call (919) 493-8899 or visit www.TriangleGreenHomeTour.com, #TriangleGreenHomeTour, and www.facebook.com/GreenHomesTriangle/.
