Luxury Home Magazine

PacificLuxuryLiving.com | 41 Featured Properties W hen taking an evening stroll along the beach, leaving foot prints in the damp sand, feeling the caress of a warm breeze, and listening to the roar of the Pacific Ocean waves, it’s difficult to visualize what is happening in the rest of the world. It’s easy to feel so present that concerns completely escape you; however, Hawaii is affected by global actions and the islands’ ohana is recognizing the importance of progressive thinking, building, and preservation. The government and the people are working together to encourage us to make investments in our global future and start training our brains to think sustainably . Companies and individuals alike are consciously recognizing the impact that our daily lives have on the environment and are taking active steps to reduce their carbon footprints. In addition to the basics of being eco-friendly – recycling and consuming less, consider using products and materials that last longer and create less waste from the beginning. Simply put, those contributions that have a substantial impact should be sustainable. The easiest way to make sustainable structures for the future is to start from the beginning and create lasting, efficient homes and commercial buildings. Thankfully, whether you are able to construct a sustainable home from the ground up or need to make adjustments to your current residence, there are considerate options for every situation. To encourage and enforce standards for new building, the U.S. Green Building Council developed LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. According to the USGBC website, the program is aimed at providing standards and improving performance with “energy savings, water efficiency, CO 2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.” Builders, archi- tects, and other industry professionals undergo extensive and rigorous training to obtain their LEED certifications. When a professional is LEED certified you can guarantee that they fully understand the thinking behind the organization and the regulations that it enforces. Simply put, those contributions that have a substantial impact should be sustainable. Long & Associates ~ This new home was recently awarded LEED’s Gold Certification and is one of only a handful of “LEED for Homes” certified projects on Oahu. LEED Gold is a standard of excellence that measures and evaluates the numerous “green” qualities that were professionally and aesthetically incor- porated into this one of a kind home. A Design-Build project, this home answers a need for efficient, yet beautiful homes for Hawaii’s contemporary sustainable lifestyle and illustrates a new generation of Eco-conscious homes in the islands. The design is also the firm’s first of a green Signature Series, and is a tool to showcase and educate clients and the community about what is possible with a LEED design. The site sustainable practices during and after construction included a tree preservation plan, a permanent erosion control plan, a lot plan that keeps 95% of runoff water onsite, the use of non-toxic pest control alternatives, and the use of high-albedo materials in the roof and paving to reduce heat-gain everywhere on the property. A 20-Panel Photovoltaic system on the roof generates approximately 4.6 kilowatts per hour and solar domestic hot water unit further reduces energy con- sumption. Renewable woods were used for the flooring, soffit details, and cabinets. Soy-based synthetic turf putting green and outdoor shower area, plus native and drought tolerant plants, significantly reduce landscaping water use. (See Page 48) Although it’s still possible to create an efficient sustainable home without the LEED label, this program provides an excellent frame of reference, especially when individuals chose homes or builders. Another effective certification program that builders are working with is The National