Editor's Letter
The Right Direction
Homeowners are making strides toward better design in their homes and in their products

Uncertainty abounds in our country’s current real estate market, yet at the same time, homeowners are more certain than ever what they want in their homes. You can see evidence of that in our coverage of our Remodel of the Year awards.

Interestingly, our local competition entries are synched up with some national trends. The American Institute of Architects Home Design Trend Survey recently revealed that homeowners want greater accessibility (wider hallways and fewer steps), a single-floor plan, and outdoor living space and amenities. Interest in square footage and volume was down significantly. That makes sense because it requires a lot of energy to heat and cool air you’re not using; whereas if you had less space you could have better space.

So, homeowners are requesting new design options. That also extends to their products now, too.

According to the May 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey, a whopping 93 percent of Americans reportedly believe companies have an obligation to help preserve the environment. Just how “green” those companies are varies. This month, and in each issue hereafter, we will delve into the trend of going green, starting with the basics of what a true green product is versus one that is marketed as green, also known as greenwashing.

It seems everyone is talking about their greenness these days, and I am no different. I’ve seen plenty of articles that list a number of ways we all can reduce our environmental impact. Usually, one of them includes switching your incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). While this is definitely a step up from the mere 1,500 hours of light from a traditional light bulb, it’s really an intermediate step to a better solution: light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The difference between those two is 50,000 hours. Granted, there are also differences in the mood each type of light effects, but strictly environmentally speaking, LED is the light of the future. You can read more about that in our October issue.

What I’m getting at is this: It’s great that green is going mainstream, but it’s merely a blip on the ladder of what we need to be doing. I recently attended a lecture by Brad Nies of BNIM Architects that should put us all in our place. He showed an illustration of the order of environmental progression. It went like this: conventional, which is “barely legal;” green; sustainable, which is breaking even; restorative; and regenerative, which is improving the environment. It will take years to get there, for sure, but we have to, right? Let’s keep heading in the right direction.


Andrea Darr, Editor
adarr@kc-hg.com
    
Green Up!
To see sustainability in action, I recommend a visit to the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, where you can learn about wildlife and tour the environmentally friendly facility and native plant gardens.

4750 Troost Avenue
Kansas City, MO
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