Uniquely Green University Town Center Benderson Development Creates an Innovative Approach to Green Building

Sarasota, FL (PRWeb) December 24, 2006 -- National Developer Benderson Development, in working with Moule & Polyzoides, urbanist architects and Two Trails, Inc., green consultants, is setting a new standard for Green Building with their unique approach for integrating stores, homes and offices. University Town Center will be the mixed-use development others will reference when looking to achieve working sustainable Lifestyle Center. University Town Center will encompass 1.9 million square feet developed using the "new urbanism" approach. Included in the development will be an upscale shopping center, movie theatre, boutique stores and offices with living spaces above and affordable housing residences in a park like setting. The key to making this a Lifestyle Center is the use of "Green Spaces" strategically placed to create the overall atmosphere of stepping into a park like setting. The is over 60 plus acres of conservation area and miles of walking paths. Landscaping throughout the development will be installed in accordance to Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Guidelines.

A Lifestyle Center This is not a shopping mall, this is a destination created to provide a sense of interacting with nature while working, shopping or just relaxing. It all starts at the entrance to University Town Center, where roads have been designed to gently flow around lakes and through the natural setting. To provide monitored speed maintenance, a turn-about has been incorporated to keep traffic flowing at a manageable pace.

"Benderson Development is applying for the Florida Green Building Coalition, Green Development Certification and is exploring the possibility of LEED certification for the entire development," stated Drew Smith, Green Consultant for Two Trails, Inc. Some unusual aspects of the development will be the Trolley System, which will run using an alternative fuel and will reduce the need for shoppers to move their cars. Pedestrian walking paths and petite parks with benches and water views provide a serene setting. Shoppers and residences alike will be able to relax and take a break.

Serene Ambience Residence above shopping and offices will not be gazing on concrete roofs. Buildings will have "Green Roofs" providing additional space for gardening and relaxation. The staggered building layout adds to the diversity needed to create an interesting overall design that is pleasing while fitting into the surrounding natural environment.

Looking to the future, sustainability is the focus for all green developments. Benderson Development has added preferred parking for alternative fuel vehicles (hybrid cars) and carpooling, preferred bicycle parking areas at all buildings and showers provided in employee areas for those that choose to bike to work. The concept is that this development will easily fit into our changing environmentally conscious world. New forms of transportation can easily be adapted into the overall design of the development making this a forward thinking project developed to meet the needs not only of today but well into the future.

About Benderson Developmnet Benderson Development, one of the largest privately owned development companies in North America, has established itself as a leader in retail and power center development. Having more than doubled its size in the last 10 years, Benderson currently ranks as one of the largest strip center developers nationwide.

Website: http://www.benderson.com

About Two Trails, Inc. Two Trails, Inc. is a leader in providing Green Building Certifications. Providing LEED certifications nationwide and Florida Green Building Coalition certifications in the state of Florida. Two Trails, Inc. provides hands-on consulting to make obtaining a green building certification easy.

Website: http://www.twotrails.net

Wanting Not To Waste

New Sarasota home-building company integrates would-be tear-down house into a green new residence. By HAROLD BUBIL

REAL ESTATE EDITOR harold.bubil@heraldtribune.com

Having spent his first career in waste management, Steve Ellis wasn't about to trash a 1,000-square-foot house at 1876 Goldenrod St. Sure, other developers might have considered it a tear-down and sent it off to the landfill in metal boxes -- another 200 or so cubic yards of concrete, wood and plaster for the ever-growing pile that is yesterday's Sarasota.

But Ellis and his business partner, Grant Castilow, knew that would not be the green thing to do. So instead, through their company, MyGreenBuildings, they renovated the rock-solid old house to green standards and added 1,100 square feet to it. In the process, they minimized the amount of waste through recycling and created a house that rates, pending confirmation from the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), as the second-greenest in Florida.

"It paints the picture that taking an existing (house) and renovating it could actually get you a greener house than building new," said Drew Smith of Two Trails Inc., who performs third-party certifications of houses for the FGBC. One reason for that is saving the "embedded energy" -- the harvesting, manufacturing, distributing and constructing -- that it took to build the original house decades ago.

With features that include soy-based attic insulation, hot-water recirculation equipment and high-efficiency air-conditioning, the house scored 303 on the FGBC scale of 400. Only a model house built by WCI Communities in Venetian Golf and River Club has scored higher, in the 320s, said Smith.

Ellis had no idea the house, completed in March, would score that high when MyGreenBuildings was profiled in the Herald-Tribune's business section in November. But after just three months of construction, the numbers came back surprisingly good, said Ellis.

"That just blows me away," he said. "I totally did not expect that. It's just these extra little things we did, and it's not like it took us a lot of time. This whole entire job, we finished in three months. Our subs may have been crawling all over each other, but they loved it, they were psyched about the work and felt like they were part of something a little bit different."

They could hardly have felt otherwise, considering the Goldenrod property was posted with a prominent sign that read: "This jobsite is designated GREEN. Minimal impact to the environment. Construction & demolition waste diversion. Reduce, reuse or recycle. Recycling bins for all metals, plastic, concrete, lumber."

"They did a phenomenal job of taking an existing house and reuse materials ... and come out with a product that is probably far superior," said Smith.

The look of green

At a recent seminar on green building at Selby Gardens, Ellis asked his audience, "What does a green house look like?" The answer, he told them: "A green house really doesn't look like anything other than a house that's as nice as you want it to look."

The house's open floor plan, which seamlessly integrates with three private outdoor spaces, is testament to Ellis' belief that a luxury lifestyle can be sensibly lived in a modestly sized space.

"Not only can you have a super-efficient home, as green as it gets, but also you can live really well," said Ellis. "It doesn't have to have this massive profile. It doesn't have to be 5,000 square feet.

"Most people don't have that conception (when touring the Goldenrod house), because it lives bigger than 2,100 square feet," he added. "You incorporate the outdoors in a way that makes sense. You don't have to start from scratch and scrape the house."

Ellis paid $430,000 for the house and lot, which is in the prestigious "flower streets" neighborhood west of the Tamiami Trail. The property is on the market at $815,000, or about $388 per square foot of air-conditioned space.

He's in it to make a profit.

"I'm not a tree-hugger," Ellis said. "I'm a businessman and an entrepreneur. I've totally bought into the fact that we need to do something about our environment. To me, this is just building with the best available technology."

Among the structure's green methods and materials:

Soy-based spray-foam attic insulation, chosen because it doesn't off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs), that yields an R-20 insulation rating.

A poured-in-place wall system, from E-Wall (Efficient Wall Systems), tested to 280 mph windloads and three times more energy-efficient than concrete block.

Low-flow plumbing fixtures and native landscaping to reduce water usage; rain barrels for storm water.

The use of reclaimed doors, brick pavers and other building materials. Replaced building materials were harvested at the job site for donation to Habitat for Humanity or other charities.

Energy Star-rated appliances and windows.

Zero- and low-VOC paints and caulks for enhanced indoor air quality.

Compact fluorescent light blubs that use a fifth the energy to create the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs.

High-efficiency Puron heat pump with UV light filtering of air pollutants.

Sealed attic and AC ductwork in conditioned space.

Paperless drywall to reduce the risk of mold, which feeds on paper.

Solar water heating.

"They had a little bit of an advantage because they were able to take the ceiling out (of the original structure) and spray-foam the whole ceiling," said Drew Smith, "which helped on their energy score, and they replaced all the windows. ... Everything was brought down to block walls and started from scratch."

Smith agrees with Ellis that such green whole-house recycling could become a trend.

"Give it a few years and the new cool thing to have is going to be an eco-friendly home," said Ellis.

Panel Explores Pasco Green Building Ordinance Proposal

Carl Orth/SUNCOAST NEWS By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: June 5, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Incentives and costs of "green" building codes were dissected today as a Pasco Building Association group examined the second draft of a proposed Pasco County environmentally friendly construction ordinance.

About 30 people took part in the PBA Green Building Council monthly meeting. A final draft of the proposed ordinance might be ready for the next meeting, June 26.

"We're super excited about it," Sergio J. Terzado, a builder sales representative for HomeTeam Pest Defense, said. He is chairman of the PBA Green Council.

Commissioner Jack Mariano said he wants to be the "champion of green building in the county."

Without realizing it, many builders already meet most of the conditions for certification as a green builder or developer, according to Drew M. Smith, president of Two Trails Inc. The Sarasota-based firm has hundreds of clients seeking green Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification.

Home buyers are hungry to find green-certified homes, real estate agent Ann Graffy of Remax Realtec Group in Palm Harbor, insisted. They are willing to pay somewhat more or to accept a slightly smaller home certified as green.

Misconceptions persist that green building is expensive, several participants in today's meeting said. One builder said the extra cost might amount to 5 percent to 10 percent.

Rebates on county fees can help offset green building costs.

Besides, the state is moving toward higher energy efficiency codes by January. This might force builders to adapt more green building techniques, according to Bill Eberle of Progress Energy Florida.

Education of the public remains a goal, Terzado said. Green certification is a package deal that goes beyond a single element, such as power-sipping Energy Star efficient appliances. Marketing claims have confused many people, he believes.

Greenbuilding University Teaches General Lesson On Being Green

LAKEWOOD RANCH - Tuesday, Greenbuilding University hosted it's first class in the largest green community in the nation,Lakewood Ranch. Sub-contractors and homeowners spent the day learning about new energy-saving building techniques, along with the basics of being green.

Program coordinators say the one-day class is an overview and more detailed classes are offered online for anyone interested in becoming green certified.

"What we're hearing from local officials even state officials is that the code by 2010 or if not by 2010, 2013 you're going to see the Florida building code require that all homes be built according to green standards," says Troy Larkin, an education specialist with Greenbuidling University.

The class was held at the Lakewood Ranch Holiday Inn, which Larkin says was the first hotel in the state built green.

Here a few quiet ways to make your home more energy-efficient. One caveat: They're not intended to impress the neighbors

by Alex Halperin

With apologies to Kermit the Frog, these days it seems like it's easy—but pricey—being green. Reducing your carbon footprint has become such a stylish hobby that accoutrements like solar panels, hybrid cars, and organic foods have become status symbols. And like many status symbols, they're expensive.

In theory, at least, a more energy-efficient car or warming the boiler with the power of the sun will eventually save users money on conventional energy costs, which can shoot higher rather quickly. (Have you looked at your heating fuel bill recently?) But the high initial costs of photovoltaic cells or a Toyota Prius (TM) can scare off potential customers.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways that homeowners can make smaller investments in their dwellings that over the course of years, or in some cases months, can recoup up-front costs. One drawback: They're not designed to impress the neighbors. A green remodeling might include a luxurious stone countertop to wow the Joneses but the real savings will come from features the Joneses probably won't notice unless you point them out.

So, in honor of Earth Day, this week "Five for the Money" takes a look at a few quiet ways to make homes more energy-efficient. Virtue—especially the environmental kind—is its own reward. The financial savings are the icing on the cake.

1. Follow the EnergyStar

A joint program of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Dept., EnergyStar is probably the easiest way to pick out energy-saving appliances. According to the program, a family using approved appliances can save up to a third on its energy bill—complemented by a similar reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Since the EPA began the program in 1992 with products that included computers and monitors it has expanded to consumer goods ranging from lights to refrigerators. The program aims to endorse products that have equivalent performance to their more wasteful counterparts. EnergyStar-approved products aren't a bad idea for businesses either.

2. Mind the gaps

David Johnston, a "recovering contractor" and author of Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time, says the key to an energy-efficient home is controlling the holes where air and moisture can escape. "There are lots of places where a little caulk and weather-stripping goes a long way," he says. Additionally, homeowners should check the attic, especially areas near vents and chimneys where heat escapes.

Once the leaks are found, Johnston recommends using blown-in cellulose insulation, often made from recycled newspapers and a fire retardant, instead of the fiberglass variety. In the attic, it's possible to create an "insulated top hat" for the house. Drew Smith, president of green-building consultancy Two Trails, says that adding insulation to a home's ductwork is another way to ensure the hot air you're paying for doesn't escape.

3. Do a blow test

Knowing how air flows through a space—and where it gets out—is crucial to making sure the least amount of energy is used to heat or cool your home. But how can a homeowner determine that? Air, after all, is invisible and rarely gusts indoors. Nor is insulation a cure-all. Randy Hansell of Portland (Ore.) nonprofit Earth Advantage says: "insulation is good but if air goes through insulation than it's only a big filter." One way to gain an understanding of this tricky problem is through a blower door test.

To perform the test, someone mounts a strong fan called a blower door on a frame of an exterior door. When the fan gets turned on it sucks air through the house. When the house is windy, one can walk around with a smoke pencil, a small device that shoots out bursts of visible gas, and by watching where they fly the tester can find elusive holes. The process should cost a couple hundred bucks and once the holes get patched up, could pay for itself.

4. Watch your water

Homeowners who go through all the trouble of sealing their ducts won't want to waste water either. And the energy expended in keeping water hot also drains the pocketbook. Anyone can take shorter showers or run the dishwasher less often, but there are also devices that can help. For one thing, inexpensive flow reducers can reduce a faucet or shower head's output without sacrificing water pressure.

Less known is a device called the Metlund Hot Water D'MAND System put out by Costa Mesa (Calif.)-based Advanced Conservation Technology. The device recirculates water from the hot water pipes to ensure that bathers are never running the faucet waiting for hot water. As with so many tricks in the green arena, the savings are gradual but, Johnston says, real.

Dual flush toilets could also become more common. Available from several manufacturers, they allow users to decide flush intensity depending on their needs. Even with the amount of water expended per flush shrinking in normal toilets, Smith says families will quickly recoup their money with one of these commodes.

5. Upgrade windows

No, we're not talking about ditching XP for Vista. The cost savings for energy-efficient windows aren't quite as dramatic as some of the other suggestions here, but Johnston says they will have the most marked affect on residents' quality of life. Of these, the best improvement are so called low-e coatings, transparent layers of metallic oxides applied to window panes that help maintain the desired room temperature. Available in varieties for different climates, depending on if someone wants to keep the heat in or out, Johnston says they are a "noticeable change aesthetically and in your daily experience of being in your house."

According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, there are additional ways to improve windows. Panes with multiple glazing insulate markedly better than those with only individual layers. Likewise, having two panes of glass works better than one. And even some folks savvy enough to have two panes of glass won't know that a wider pocket of air between them is the next smart step.

As with every aspect of remodeling, when looking to improve a house's green credibility an owner can go as far as their heart and wallet can take them. But the odds are that some low-key, low-cost additions can have a beneficial effect on your bills.

Click here to join a debate about climate change.

Halperin is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in New York.

Taylor Woodrow Goes For The Green

Tampa Bay Business Journal - 9:39 AM EDT Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Taylor Woodrow has plans to develop communities and build homes that meet or exceed Florida Green Building Coalition standards in all new Sarasota County communities.

The pilot program for this initiative will be launched in Pacifico, a neighborhood planned near the mouth of Siesta Key, in Sarasota. Using green guidelines to develop the community will place fewer burdens on the environment, the company said in a release.

The goals of green building are to conserve energy by providing ways to consume less water and reuse storm water while improving air quality.

Pacifico will be a 78-acre community with 302 single-family and multifamily homes, priced from the $600s, including home site. Taylor Woodrow will preserve natural, indigenous habitats and wetland buffers, while requiring all new landscaping in common areas and around homes to feature native, drought-resistant landscape materials, it said. It will also provide energy-saving features in each home.

Taylor Woodrow, a large international homebuilder, works in North America, the United Kingdom and Spain. Its U.S. headquarters is in Bradenton. It is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (AFX). It posted strong numbers with profits increased 11 percent to $433.3 million. Home completions rose 14 percent to 4,492 and despite the challenging market conditions, the operating margin increased to 18.5 percent from 17.5 percent, according to a Hemscott report.

The Green House Effect

Judy Stark March 22, 2007

Parade of Homes

This is the first green home for Hannah Bartoletta Homes, which intends to build all-green homes in the future. It's the second straight green showcase home for the builders association, and they've decided that all future showcases will be green.

On a clear day, from the third-floor crow's nest, you can see the Sunshine Skyway bridge, Tropicana Field, and the skyline of downtown Tampa.

In Apollo Beach, that's the long-distance view from the Bay Breeze, the showcase model by Hannah Bartoletta Homes built for the Tampa Bay Builders Association Parade of Homes. The parade continues through April 1.

But the builders are encouraging prospective buyers to take a closer-up view. The 4,596-square-foot home is certified "green" by the Florida Green Building Coalition. The house is loaded with features that save energy and water, promote indoor air quality and reduce maintenance.

Among the features:

- Tankless water heaters, which provide instant and unlimited hot water. They eliminate the need to keep a big water heater at a constant high temperature. "A lot of builders are starting to move toward tankless heaters as a standard," said Drew Smith, who certified that the house meets standards set by the Florida Green Building Coalition.

- A metal roof, which reflects heat away from the house, keeping the attic cooler.

- A secondary roofing system under the metal roof. The rubberized, asphalt-based product would keep the house dry even if the metal roof blew off. It self-seals, so all the screw holes are covered.

- Tile, cork and "green" carpets, paints that give off no volatile organic compounds, Energy Star appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures.

- Whole-house high-efficiency air filters and a central dehumidification system.

- Compact fluorescent bulbs throughout the house. "They're the first builders I've been able to get to put all compact fluorescents throughout the house," said Smith, co-chair of the Florida Home Builders Association green builder council.

Compact fluorescents last longer and cost less to operate than incandescent bulbs. But some interior designers object to the color of the light they produce.

This is a big home, with four bedrooms and a third-floor entertainment room (that crow's nest), priced at $1.6-million including the green features and homesite but without the furnishings.

"A lot of green building is just good building practices," Hannah said. "Building green is not that much more difficult." Smith agreed, saying, "They were pretty close to being green already. It didn't take a whole lot to cross that threshold." Hannah Bartoletta exceeded the minimum of 200 points on the building coalition's scale for green certification.

The big steps here were finding subcontractors who could provide the green products Hannah Bartoletta wanted, such as Icynene, a spray-on foam insulation.

Hannah remarked that even in the short building time for this house, he noted the increased availability of materials and products. Smith concurred, saying, "It's gotten to the point where you can grab a green product without going across the country to get it."

Part of the challenge, Hannah said, was to show prospective buyers that green doesn't equal gloomy, that an energy-efficient home can be as comfortable and luxurious as they wish.

There's another view that visitors to this house shouldn't miss. Look out at the undeveloped parts of the MiraBay property and the adjacent Wolf Branch Creek preserve that edge Tampa Bay. This is what this piece of Florida used to look like, before the developers and builders came

Next to the memory of what used to be, a luxury house is trying to leave a light footprint on the land.

Green Event For A Better Environment

So you have an older home and you want to make it more energy efficient. Where do you turn for information? The Florida House Learning Center, right?

How about Marie Selby Botanical Gardens?

That's right. Many homeowners call Selby when they want information on green building and landscaping -- must be all that greenery around the world-famous botanical garden on Sarasota's bayfront.Next Friday, though, Selby will be the green resource of choice when it hosts a one-day seminar in conjunction with a company called MyGreenBuildings, a new Sarasota firm that specializes in the "greening" of older structures. Called "Make It Green," the seminar will feature presentations by such local experts as Drew Smith of Two Trails Inc. and Matt Ross of Eco-$mart.

At the end of the day, I will moderate a panel discussion that sums it all up, with questions from the audience.

"The purpose of the seminar is to define for people what 'green' is," said Steve Ellis of MyGreenBuildings. "We're going to talk about products and systems that are available locally. I'll talk about how you incorporate these products and systems and techniques into building a home.

"People ask what a green house looks like. It doesn't look any different from any other house. The difference is what goes on in the design and the products that you put into it," said Ellis.

The seminar is the brainchild of Donna Krabill, Selby's director of environmental education, who saw an article in the Herald-Tribune about MyGreenBuildings and called Ellis, who, conveniently, has a background in producing seminars.

"She really wanted to take advantage of how hot a topic this is," said Ellis, "and do something for the community to provide a way to learn more about building green."

"One of the things that's ironic is Selby gets an awful lot of calls from people in the community when they have questions about ... the green-building phenomenon. That's the first place they think of."

Speakers and their topics: David Benzing, Selby Gardens, defining "green"; Laurel Schiller, Florida Native Plant Nursery, smart landscaping; Drew Smith, Two Trails, green standards; Barron Schimberg, AIA, The Schimberg Group, green design; Matt Ross, Eco-$mart, products and resources; Mary Anne Bowie, Sarasota Green Connection, products and resources; Steve Ellis, MyGreenBuildings, green homes; Tim Rumage, Ringling School of Art and Design, green roofs; Joe Barbetta, Sarasota County Commission, county initiatives.

"We hope to see a lot of homeowners that are interested in learning what a green home is and what they can do immediately to incorporate these (green) elements," said Ellis. "We want this to be a practical guide so people can ... live in a more green way."

Garden Group Learns About 'Green' Practices

UNIVERSITY PARK -- The University Park Women's Club Garden Group recently spent an afternoon exploring The Tech House. The Tech House was built incorporating a variety of innovative and advanced materials and techniques to demonstrate "green" construction, energy saving, environmentally friendly products and "smart" technology.

The tour was conducted by Drew Smith, founder and president of Two Trails Inc., which focuses on green building and renovations and healthy home consulting; Ron Shoe, a representative of K

inetico Quality Water Systems of Southwest Florida; and Angela Polo, program coordinator for the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods program.

FYN works with builders and developers in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties and promotes storm-resistant and Florida-friendly landscaping in new homes. FYN is an educational program of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Service.

The Garden Group also toured the nearby Sarasota County Extension gardens with Patricia Porchey, horticulturist and director of the Master Gardener program.

The University Park Women's Club provides members opportunities for shared interests and community awareness through planned activities and outings.

The Garden Group is a special interest group of the club.

Buyers Are Eager To Save Energy

By Judy StarkSt. Petersburg Times

SARASOTA, Fla. -- You can't see lots of the items that make the Tech House in this city energy-efficient, hurricane-worthy and high-tech. They're inside the walls and ceilings: ins

ulation, wiring, pest control, air filtration.

Even the things you can see are hidden in plain sight, evidence that living in a sustainably built home means no reduction in comfort or style. Among them:Solar pool-heating deck tiles. Water is piped under the tiles, where it absorbs warmth from the sun and returns to the pool. Free heat!

A laundry room with reinforced concrete walls and ceiling -- your hurricane safe room!

A keyless entry system that "reads" your fingerprint and, upon recognizing it, unlocks the door. Handy!

The Tech House, a joint venture of Sarasota-based Vision Homes of Southwest Florida and the Sarasota Home Builders Association, is also certified "green" by the Florida Green Building Coalition. That designation is becoming the badge of honor among builders who want to appeal to buyers concerned about the environment, their kids' asthma and their utility bills.

But there's also something about this house that will appeal to builders. The Sarasota Green Building Resolution offers financial incentives to builders to go green. Expedited permitting, for starters: They'll get their permits in a matter of days rather than weeks.

They'll get priority inspections during the building process. And they'll get a 50 percent reduction in the cost of building permits (up to $5,000 per year per builder). This home is the first in Sarasota County to be built under the provisions of the resolution, which the county approved last year.

That's the kind of green that makes builders see green.

The Tech House is in a 72-homesite neighborhood called Trillium. With three bedrooms and a den in 2,684 square feet, and a three-car garage, it's priced at $889,000. The high-tech and energy-efficient features add $4,000 to $5,000 to the cost of the house, estimated Madai Ramirez, director of marketing, which homeowners can expect to recoup in lower energy bills.

It's not just buyers who have visited the house in the last month. Many who come are looking for ways to retrofit and remodel their existing homes.

"And the energy-efficiency features are more important to them than the high-tech," Ramirez said. "Energy efficiency is top of mind."

Visitors are familiar with the idea of green building, "and they ask a lot more detailed questions," Ramirez said.

That was true in Hillsborough County a few weekends ago when Nohl Crest Homes opened its green model, the Windermere, at FishHawk Ranch. About 1,600 people toured the home the first weekend, "and they surprised our salespeople with their knowledge and understanding of what it means to build a green house," said Judy Preston, Nohl Crest's vice president for marketing.

Earlier this month, Tampa officials met with environmental activists to explore ways to require that public buildings meet environmental standards and to create incentives for private builders who go green.

So this Tech House, like the Nohl Crest model, may be a house whose time has come. Other noteworthy features:

- The flapperless toilet. Instead of a tankful of water, there's a semicylindrical plastic tub inside the tank that dumps when you flush. Because the tank doesn't hold water all the time, there's no need for a flapper to create a tight seal. Flappers get unseated, they corrode, they leak, the toilet runs, water is wasted.

- A motion-activated garage venting system. When a car pulls in, or when you're out there painting or making sawdust, an exhaust fan automatically turns on to disperse fumes.

- Two 30-gallon water heaters, one for upstairs, one for down.

- Icynene foam insulation sprayed in the attic. Stand between the second-floor home theater and the bathroom and look into the cutout panel above. The insulation keeps the attic 30 degrees cooler than a comparable uninsulated attic, estimated Drew Smith of Two Trails in Sarasota, which promotes sustainable building. He certified the home for the green building coalition, of which he is a founder. He says the attic is only 4 to 5 degrees warmer in summer than is the rest of the house. (Check out your own attic, by contrast.)

- Block walls injected with expanding foam insulation to increase their energy efficiency and deaden sound inside.

- Two air-conditioning systems with a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) value of 17.6; code minimum is 13.

- Water and air purification systems; in-wall pest-control treatments; hot water lines insulated from slab to wall (usually insulation stops at the slab).

- Wiring for a permanent generator to provide hurricane power-outage backup.

- There are high-tech toys as well. In the home theater, one button lowers the lights, rolls down the shades and starts the show. The whole-house sound system allows everyone to hear the same music, or occupants can choose what they want to hear in different rooms.