Product Description

Green. It conjures images of a meadow in spring for some, and the color of money for others. What does "green" have to do with our homes? In essence, green building-or sustainable building-means being smart about how we use energy, water, and building materials so that we can live well without needlessly damaging the environment. Creating a good green home isn't just about conservation, about using less or saving more-although that's certainly part of it. It's about creating better homes that are easier on the environment, less expensive over the long term, and more delightful to come home to. That's the message Jennifer Roberts wants to share in Good Green Homes, the ultimate new guide for people who want to live in comfortable, healthy, environmentally conscious homes.

With some simple steps outlined in this book, you can save money, and do your part to help save the environment. For instance, using an energy-efficient light bulb saves you money. It also results in less demand for electricity, which in turn results in less pollution from power plants, which may help a child with asthma breathe a little easier.

If you associate green-built housing with the unconventional or the quirky-tree houses, geodesic domes, dwellings constructed of tires or soda bottles-think again. Perfect for homeowners, remodelers, renters (who might be surprised by how much is within their power to change), architects, builders, and interior designers, this book lays out seven fundamental principles of green building, illustrated with more than 150 color and 20 black and white photographs of more than twenty-five homes.

Jennifer Roberts launched two retail stores in San Francisco specializing in environmentally sensible consumer products, including household goods; and is a freelance writer and editor on topics that include energy-efficient building design and systems.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #200815 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

Review
Good green homes can be any color, and are more mainstream by the minute. Robert teaches the reader all about sustainable building for a healthier planet via tours of real-world living spaces. A good glossary is included. (Judy Walker New Orleans Times-Picayune )

Good green homes can be any color, and are more mainstream by the minute. Robert teaches the reader all about sustainable building for a healthier planet via tours of real-world living spaces. A good glossary is included. (Judy Walker New Orleans Times-Picayune )

With photograph after photograph of I-wanna-live-there domiciles to lust after, Good Green Homes is loaded with inspiration. But it's also a solid reference guide as well, complete with a glossary of terms (impress your friends by throwing around terms like "hydronic radiant-floor heating system") and a list of published and Web resources. (Liz Stevens Fort Worth Star-Telegram )

With photograph after photograph of I-wanna-live-there domiciles to lust after, Good Green Homes is loaded with inspiration. But it's also a solid reference guide as well, complete with a glossary of terms (impress your friends by throwing around terms like "hydronic radiant-floor heating system") and a list of published and Web resources. (Liz Stevens Fort Worth Star-Telegram )

From the Inside Flap
With striking photographs and compelling profiles of real homes that are making a difference, Good Green Homes celebrates the ways in which we can create places that are gorgeous, livable, and more environmentally responsible.

From a delightful cottage, an eco-friendly addition to an historic home, a trio of healthy and green city homes, an artist's studio on a wooded island, a vacation retreat in the wine country, a neighborhood of homes that are small in size but large in spirit, a resourcefully remodeled Victorian flat, and more, the homes provide an inspiring array of today's sustainable building movement.

Whether you plan to redecorate, remodel, move into a new home, or build a house from the ground up, Good Green Homes offers ideas, inspiration, and real-world advice to get you started. And it's easier than you may think. Creating a green home doesn't require adhering to a particular architectural style or following a set of rigid rules. Good green homes simply mean better homes-homes remodeled or built to save energy and resources, homes that enhance our well-being rather than sap our strength, homes that honor the natural abundance and beauty that surrounds us.

Good Green Homes lays out the principles of green building, from choosing a right-sized home to taking charge of the energy we use to selecting products that will keep our homes healthy, and more. It offers a wealth of practical suggestions for how we can start making changes that will put us on the road to a healthier and more environmentally sustainable future.

From the Back Cover
Good Green Homes is the answer to creating better homes that are healthier to live in, easier on the environment, less expensive over the long-term, and more delightful to come home to.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful, but....
This book no doubt makes a lovely addition to my coffee table. I feel so inspired and now.. how do I do it?? I was looking for more practical advice that addressed all my reasons for wanting to remodel green - protecting my family's health and our planet's natural resources and my financial savings. If the intention was to create a stunning, inspiring book - great job. If it was to really explain what green is and exactly how to do it, I think I'd look to books like "Green Remodeling" by Johnston and Master or read Environmental Building News....

Should read "GREAT" Green Homes!
First, this book is beautiful!!
Second, it really does what it says -- it shows remarkably beautiful, remarkably 'normal' looking houses that incorporate earth-friendly materials, techniques and technologies.
It is great fun to sift through for ideas about that next remodel and that someday dream home.
I hope that building professionals read it, too -- it dispells a lot of myths about what one must sacrifice in order to have an environmentally-friendly home.
This book is a great combination of lovely to look at and a fascinating reference to read. I plan to have mine out for a while, for myself and (while I've never been one for coffee table books) for any friends who come over!

Good book
Doesn't give a detailed analysis of anything, but is a great tool for people wanting a basic understanding of green building, energy efficient techniques, etc.