On November 1, 2007, the
James River Green Building Council
invited area architects and builders to hear a presentation on the new LEED for Homes green building certification. Karl Bren of the Richmond-based consulting firm
GreenVisions
spoke for about an hour about how the new standard is being developed for homes.
The event was hosted by the Charlottesville Community Design Center, and more than sixty people attended. Bren said that was a testament to the origins of green building.
“I kind of somehow think that green building sort of oozed out of the ground of Charlottesville,” Bren said, recalling previous packed meetings held here. He said there was a tremendous need for energy efficient houses with smaller footprints. “This is the defining issue of our generation. We must be the ones who turn this around.”
Bren took the audience on a tour of the principles of the LEED certification, and how it is being modified for homes. He also addressed one obstacle – getting the public to understand that green building doesn’t mean making design sacrifices.
“Green building can look like anything,” he said. “The green is in the inner workings of the house.”
Watch the video below:
Kendall Singleton and Sean Tubbs
