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Council for Sustainable Florida Presents Awards for Protecting Florida’s Economy and Environment

Tallahassee, FL– Renowned nature photographer John Moran joined the Council for Sustainable Florida today in Tallahassee to honor business, non-profit, education and individual leaders committed to preserving the environment and creating a healthy economy for Florida.The Council presented awards in several categories including Leadership, Small Business, Large Business, Government, Non-Profit, Business Partnership, a Green Building Award and the Legacy Award. Award winners will also receive a resolution from the Governor and Cabinet at a ceremony on Tuesday morning. Honored at the Best Practices Awards program in Tallahassee

Tallahassee, FL– Renowned nature photographer John Moran joined the Council for Sustainable Florida today in Tallahassee to honor business, non-profit, education and individual leaders committed to preserving the environment and creating a healthy economy for Florida.The Council presented awards in several categories including Leadership, Small Business, Large Business, Government, Non-Profit, Business Partnership, a Green Building Award and the Legacy Award. Award winners will also receive a resolution from the Governor and Cabinet at a ceremony on Tuesday morning. Honored at the Best Practices Awards program in Tallahassee were:

Non-Profit Award: A Gift for Teaching, Inc. Using the old adage “Waste Not, Want Not” as a guide, A Gift for Teaching recycles surplus goods that would normally be discarded by local businesses and puts them in the hands of deserving children. The Orlando-based non-profit has opened two free stores where teachers can shop for essential school supplies such as books, backpacks, paper, crayons and glue. A Gift for Teaching has gathered donations from more than 4,600 businesses and individuals and distributed more than $27 million worth of educational supplies.

Legacy Award: Babcock Ranch The Conservation and Community initiative represents the first partnership between Florida’s conservation land acquisition program and the private sector. This success pairing resulted in a planned community with a town center, high school and shopping center, while also including 9,000 acres of green space, recreation trails and restored wetlands.

Business Partnership Award: myregion.org - How Shall We Grow? Central Florida’s How Shall We Grow? Initiative is an example of many parties coming together—citizens, community leaders and elected officials—to find a common vision for their region. The project goal is to create a 50 year vision for the growth of the 93 jurisdictions that are included in the area and has become one of the most successful regional visioning projects in the nation.

Sustainable Government Award: Pinellas County With a burgeoning population and little land for continued growth, Pinellas county commissioners began to understand the importance of urban sustainability. Commissioners completed a Blueprint and Strategic Plan in partnership with the University of Florida and created the Bushnell Office of Sustainability. In addition to addressing problems associated with the county’s growth, the roof of the Bushnell Office was converted to a “cool roof” which now saves the county money, reduces its environmental impact and serves as an example to the community.

Large Business Award: Florida Power and Light The Florida Power and Light Green Fleet Program is an initiative to reduce fuel consumption in utilities’ fleets. George Survant, director of fleet services for FPL, led a group of utilities from across the nation to develop a pilot hybrid utility truck program. In the three hybrids used by FPL, the vehicles have reduced fuel consumption by 53 percent as well as reducing petroleum use.

Large Business Award: Publix Super Markets, Inc. The Publix Get into a Green Routine initiative is designed to eliminate excess costs and promote environmental stewardship. The company has begun the use of reusable crates for shipping and donates surplus food to local food banks. Results show a 7 percent reduction in electricity consumption overall with 23 percent reduction in new stores.

Leadership Award: The Honorable Michael S. Bennett, Florida Senate Senator Michael Bennett’s commitment to preserving Florida goes well beyond sponsoring and advocating legislation. When his bill creating the Century Commission for Sustainable Florida was passed, he remained actively involved by serving on its board. His efforts have helped the commission respond to critical issues throughout Florida such as transportation, water quality, housing, health care, education and growth.

Small Business Award: Trifecta Construction Solutions Founded to facilitate environmentally sustainable construction practices, this growing organization has certified approximately 80 percent of the green homes in the state using the Green Building Coalition standards. By educating construction industry stakeholders, they are establishing the environment as a valued and quantifiable factor in construction.

Green Building Award: Verandah by Bonita Bay Group Recognized by the Green Building Coalition as Florida’s first green land development, the Verandah located along the Orange River, re-established wildlife habitat and protected the site’s ecosystems. The Bonita Bay Group partnered with the Florida Energy Extension Services Build Green and Profit program to develop green guidelines for Verandah’s amenity buildings and single-family homes, resulting in a new community that minimizes its impact on the environment, conserves energy and water usage and protects and enhances natural habitat.

Winners of the best practices award were selected by an independent panel including government and corporate representatives involved in the sustainability movement. The panel reviewed projects to determine if they were environmentally friendly, provided a strong business model and could be replicated.

“The work of each of these groups and individuals demonstrates that a healthy economy and a healthy environment are mutually supportive,” said Karen Childress, Council chair. “These programs and initiatives are truly best practices that can teach us all how to protect Florida’s vital natural resources while promoting strong economic growth—both of which are necessary for Florida’s future generations.” The Council also identified nominees that received a Promising Practices certificate for their outstanding efforts to promote sustainability in Florida.

Promising Practice certificates went to: Arthur R. Marshall Foundation and Florida Environmental Institute, Inc. - It Does Take a Village! West Palm Beach Centerville Conservation Community Tallahassee City of Dunedin - Community Center Dunedin City of Gainesville - Regional Transit Employee Pass Program St. Augustine City of Tallahassee - Solid Waste Administrative Building Tallahassee City of Tallahassee Commission - Energy Efficiency Initiative Tallahassee City of Winter Park - Swoope Water Plant and Railroad Avenue Initiative Winter Park Collier County Stormwater Management Department Naples Drew Smith, Two Trails, Inc. Sarasota Florida A & M University - - Green Coalition Tallahassee 1415 E. Piedmont Drive, Suite One �� Tallahassee, Florida �� 850/219.0082 ext. 104 www.sustainableflorida.org �� www.collinscenter.org Florida Biomass Energy Group, LLC Gulf Breeze Florida Keys Green Living & Energy Education (GLEE) Key West Gainesville Regional Utilities Gainesville Green Real Estate Education Tampa Indian River Habitat for Humanity Vero Beach Manatee Technical Institute - Photovoltaic Learning Lavatories Bradenton Massey Services, Inc. Maitland Nestle Waters North America Lee Plum Creek - Swallow-tailed Kite Initiative Gulf Hammock Program for Resource Efficient Communities, University of Florida - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Gainesville Progress Energy Florida - Energy Education Program for Students Lake Mary Progress Energy Florida - Renewable Energy Program Lake Mary Rayonier Biomass Boiler Team Fernandina Beach Safety-Kleen Plano Solar Direct Bradenton T.K. Wetherell, Florida State University – Utility Conservation Program Tallahassee The Original Florida Tourism Task Force Gainesville The St. Joe Company - Bay County Sector Plan Jacksonville Titan America Medley Plant Deerfield Beach Walt Disney World - Strive for Five Lake Buena Vista WORKFORCE plus

The Council is an independent, non-partisan program of the Collins Center for Public Policy and has been defining excellence in sustainability practices sine 1990. Since initiating the Best Practices Awards program in 1998, the Council has recognized and honored more than 100 businesses, non-profit organizations, governmental groups and individuals whose work is committed to the future success of Florida.

Best and Promising Practice Award winners will participate in future events promoted by the Council for Sustainable Florida. The Council will work with Florida colleges and universities to create case studies of the winners for use in business programs statewide.

------------------------- Anna Prizzia Outreach Coordinator UF Office of Sustainability

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In Osprey, Bay Street Village Is Under Way

The redevelopment of Osprey is firmly under way now that ground has been broken at the Bay Street Village & Towncenter mixed-use project.  Longtime Venice developer Mike Miller of The Waterford Companies, Randy Moore of Crossgate Partners and a dozen other people involved in the project lifted the ceremonial shovels Tuesday at the site, on the east side of U.S. 41, between Bay Street and the Wal-Mart supercenter, in this central Sarasota County community.

By HAROLD BUBIL harold.bubil@heraldtribune.com

The redevelopment of Osprey is firmly under way now that ground has been broken at the Bay Street Village & Towncenter mixed-use project.  Longtime Venice developer Mike Miller of The Waterford Companies, Randy Moore of Crossgate Partners and a dozen other people involved in the project lifted the ceremonial shovels Tuesday at the site, on the east side of U.S. 41, between Bay Street and the Wal-Mart supercenter, in this central Sarasota County community.

The 45-acre Bay Street Village & Towncenter will bring 550 condominium residences, sized from 1,100 to 2,300 square feet and priced from $295,000 to the $700,000s, as well as 130,000 square feet of upscale commercial space in a "New Urbanist" plan. It is part of the county's Osprey Revitalization District.

The buildings will be LEED-certified

green structures, said Moore, and the landscaping will be designed to be resource-conserving, to Florida Green Building Coalition standards.

Henry Rodriguez assembled the land and came up with the town-center concept. Some of the land went to Wal-Mart for its new supercenter just to the south. The mixed-use portion will include a 25,000-square-foot county library. Entries will be on Bay Street and U.S. 41.

While recognizing the real estate market's current state of slumber, Miller says he is not overly concerned about the project's timing.

"If this product mix was similar to what was already available, it would be premature to bring it on line," he said. "The difference of this community, being mixed-used and building green, provides ... an alternative. I think there's a chance people will receive it well and we will be able to get a good start."

Miller said the residential buildings will range in heights from three to five stories. Units will be on one floor.

The commercial buildings will have

retail on the first floor, with commercial office space on the second and 50 Bay Street Towncenter Residences on the upper floors.

"We'll have soft-goods retailers, sandwich shops, hopefully a nice boutique hotel," said Moore. "I think it will really create a destination in between downtown (Sarasota) and Venice that hasn't been here before. You find a lot of commuters coming through this direction; it's a natural for them to stop.

"Instead of going downtown, some of the residences have an alternative that's right in their back yard. Hopefully the combination of mixed-use with the residential component will be a strong enough intrinsic value for the people to buy here and live here."

Information: www.BayStreetVillage.com or www.TwoTrails.net.

The entire project will be certified Green by Drew Smith, President of Two Trails, Inc.

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The Region Becomes A Leader In Environmentally Friendly Building

Local homeowners may not know it, but they have just one degree of separation from movie heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio.

Their link: green building components incorporated in their homes. Movie star/environmentalist DiCaprio said so on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and hom

eowners are saying so with more interest in energy-saving products.

Feature by Caryn StevensPhoto by Gene Pollux

Local homeowners may not know it, but they have just one degree of separation from movie heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio.

Their link: green building components incorporated in their homes. Movie star/environmentalist DiCaprio said so on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and hom

eowners are saying so with more interest in energy-saving products.

Going green covers a wide spectrum of possibilities, from high-efficiency air conditioners and recycled drywall to healthier paints and more drought-tolerant landscaping.

”There was a time when most folks said they wouldn’t spend $12 on an energy-efficient light bulb,” recalls Brenda Talbert, Collier Building Industry Association’s executive vice president. “Now they’d rather spend $12 on a light bulb than $200 on their electric bill.”

The construction industry is getting the message. The National Association of Home Builders, which recently received an energy award for its own green practices at its Washington headquarters, details the phenomenon in a survey it conducted with McGraw Hill Construction.

According to the data, 2005 saw a 20 percent increase in environmentally friendly residential construction nationwide.

The results of the survey lead to a prediction that green building will jump from 2 percent of housing starts and $7.4 billion in revenue in 2005 to $19 billion to 38 billion and 5 to 10 percent of housing starts across the nation by 2010.

What a difference a few years make.

When Drew Smith opened Two Trails, Inc. in Parrish five years ago, he admits the kickoff of his green building consulting firm was somewhat underwhelming. “It was pretty slow,” he recalls. “I had lot of doors slammed in my face.”

Smith estimates that 30 to 40 percent of the builders in Sarasota and Manatee counties have now warmed to some form of the concept. He works with builders by first establishing “how green they want to go—anywhere from a few energy-saving products all the way to a showcase home.”

“If they don’t start coming on board,” he says, “they might get left behind and start seeing decreasing sales. It’s the way building is going. In fact, some green building methods might start showing up in building codes.”

Smith credits the upswing in interest to outreach efforts he and others have made to area builders, and to Sarasota County’s green building incentive program.

The county awards builders a $1,000 credit toward their permit fees for homes that have been inspected by the Florida Solar Energy Center for compliance with specific green building requirements. Priority inspections are another perk. And builders get fast-track permitting, so a green builder might receive a permit in three days while a non-green builder might wait two weeks. Although there’s a limit on credits per builder per year, interest has been high in the two-year-old program, says county building official Paul Radauskas.

A lot of things came together to make it so. “For one thing, consumers are demanding energy-efficient appliances and other environmentally friendly building components,” Radauskas says. “For another, Lakewood Ranch began requiring builders to build green. The county is setting an example by building all of its new buildings green, and the national consciousness is growing.”

Vision Homes of Southwest Florida is building green in Gladstone Park in Sarasota, Radauskas says, as is Lee Wetherington, who is building 147 homes in Willow Chase in Nokomis. According to a company spokesman, all Lee Wetherington Homes projects in Sarasota and Manatee counties have incorporated green features for the past two years.

“The response has been so great that we now have 25 plans examiners and inspectors on staff certified as agents by the Florida Green Building Coalition to help builders by reviewing their drawings and building check lists,” Radauskas notes. “I doubt if that exists anywhere else in the state.”

In 2005, when Lakewood Ranch began requiring its 20 participating builders to incorporate green building practices, it was an enormous catalyst to the area’s green building movement.

The plan initially met with resistance, says Bob Sisum, director of builder programs for LWR Communities, who is also chairman of both the Florida and Sarasota County Home Builders Associations’ committees on green building.

“Builders were mainly concerned about the costs,” says Sisum, “but we told them we’d arrange for consultants to review their plans and keep costs to a minimum.”

Sisum says builders subsequently were surprised at what happened. “Once they were ordering the low-VOC [volatile organic compound] paints in large quantities, the price came down,” he says. “Then we got a deal from the air conditioning folks to replace the traditional duct tape with mastic. And once Sarasota County started offering expedited permits and permit rebates to green builders, even the most reluctant builder jumped on the bandwagon. Now all 20 participate.”

Sisum says the experience has had a ripple effect. “Now the developer is looking into establishing green building for the commercial construction taking place at Lakewood Ranch,” he says. “And the builders who build here also build at other sites throughout the area. Since they tend to build the same way wherever they are, green building practices are spreading throughout the community.”

They’ll be spreading for miles around if Steve Ellis has his way. The native Massachusetts resident sold a business he started to help companies reduce, reuse and recycle their waste streams, and he’s now recycling in a different way. With partner/contractor Grant Castilow, he has launched MyGreenBuildings, a firm devoted to saving older Sarasota homes and rebuilding them greenly.

Their first project: expanding a 1,100-square-foot, 1946 home at 1876 Goldenrod in Southgate into a 2,100-square-foot home with three bedrooms and three baths. They will utilize such products as blown-in insulation made of soy and a beadboard ceiling rescued from a tear-down. The project’s salvageable, leftover construction materials will be sent to recycling destinations. Price for the spec home: between $750,000 and $800,000.

The time is right for his business, Ellis says. “We’re seeing many baby boomer consumers who are educated, moneyed and equipped with a social conscience. Not only are they anxious to lessen the impact of their footprint on the environment, but they are impressed by how the small investment in green products now will get them big energy savings in the future.”

Ellis says he can bring his company’s savvy to homeowners who want to stay put. “What we’re hoping to do is show them how they can improve their own homes practically, cosmetically and in a softer way.”

Healthier and more economical environments are spurring civic groups to change, too. In Venice, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s board of directors amended guidelines in July to award new construction capital grants only for projects that are certified green. They did so in hopes of reducing nonprofits’ long-term building operating costs.

That’s music to the ears of Dr. Jennifer Languell, CEO of Naples-based Trifecta Building Solutions and director of Florida Gulf Coast University’s green building program.

The material science engineer said she felt she was a lone voice when she started advocating the concept to the local building industry in 2001. Now she is encouraged by the numbers of builders who attend her talks and the NAHB study that anticipates 50 percent of builders will be offering green options this year or next.

“I liken small builders to speedboats,” she says. “They can change direction easily. The bigger firms are like cruise ships—not so easy to make a change in direction.”

But some major players have made the turn, including Taylor Woodrow Homes at its upcoming Pacifico project in mid-Sarasota County and WCI’s Venetian Golf and River Club in Venice. The Casa Verda model there was named the greenest home in Florida by the Florida Green Building Coalition, and all 150 homes are certified green.

While some homeowners can afford green options, others might be more inclined to adopt green ways if incentives were available.

The state is stepping up to the plate with the Solar Energy Systems Incentives Act, signed by former Gov. Jeb Bush last June and effective until June 30, 2010. It will provide rebates to customers buying certain solar energy products for home and business, and includes a matching grant package of $10 million for the research, development and commercialization of renewable energy technologies.

Further, the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) has joined with the independent nonprofit Florida Green Building Coalition Inc. (FGBC) to proliferate green building awareness among builders, unify standards and provide better education for everyone.

FGBC executive director Roy O. Bonnell Jr. says the coalition will publish a magazine this year with relevant articles and resources, and community workshops are planned to bring together builders, affordable housing proponents and government officials.

“Builders are starting to realize that green building is no longer a niche market, but the direction the market is taking,” Bonnell says. “Builders who provide green homes will have a marketing advantage over builders who continue to build non-green homes.”

WINDS OF CHANGE An Englewood homebuilder profits from energy-efficient and hurricane-resistant designs.

Brian Bishop’s idea to replace FEMA trailers in New Orleans with pre-fabricated “Katrina” cottages is turning into a whirlwind mission to replace them in trailer parks and schools, too.

Englewood manufacturer Home Front Homes made a splash last year with hurricane-resistant, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly cottages with shells that can be built in less than a week.

At $30,000 to $55,000, depending on the 50 or so styles, they were the choice of the Catholic Diocese of Venice for its 125-unit affordable housing community in Arcadia, scheduled to be completed this summer. The $20-million Casa San Juan Bosco project will provide homes for 700 farm worker families, some displaced by Hurricane Charley, plus an 8,000-square-foot community center. It is Home Front’s largest undertaking.

Replacing trailers in disaster areas led Bishop to his most recent venture, working with a Pinellas County waterfront mobile home park developer to replace old mobile homes with new beach cottages.

“It would allow the transformation of trailer parks into safe, wind resistant, green communities,” he says, adding that reusing existing roads and sewer lines fits with the company’s ethics mission.

“It’s ‘EHD’—efficient, healthy and durable,” Bishop says. The homes contain a fraction of the materials in a conventional home, with polystyrene and cement board walls that don’t emit chemical gases and are resistant to water, termites and winds up to 200 mph.

Bishop also is working to replace school portables in Charlotte, N.C., with cottages shaped like 1920s schoolhouses, complete with bells.

The seven-year-old company has built 160 homes in Sarasota and 14 other Florida counties, ranging from 280 to 2,000 square feet with styles ranging from Florida cracker to Craftsman bungalow to the modern Sarasota School of Architecture style. It has 15 employees.

With another 200 homes currently under contract, Bishop expects the number to double next year.

Bishop and his wife, Jeanne, founded Home Front Homes in 1999 in a Venice warehouse. In November 2004, the company relocated to a facility in Englewood that enabled it to produce greater numbers of wall and roof panels.

The move was prompted by Hurricane Charley that August, which devastated Port Charlotte, where two Home Front homes had recently been completed. Both survived the eye of the hurricane with minimal damage, and the company capitalized on its growing reputation for producing storm-resistant homes.

“Five years ago, nobody wanted a hurricane-proof home,” says Bishop, a self-described inventor. “Now the market has changed.” —Cindy Lane

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SRQ Feature: Modern Fairytale

You meet a handsome, successful business owner who has a habit of designing dream homes for himself. Two nights later, hecooks you dinner, and he calls every night from then on. He asks you to marry him. And then he builds you a modern mansion complete with your own painting studio and space for abutterfly garden.

You meet a handsome, successful business owner who has a habit of designing dream homes for himself. Two nights later, hecooks you dinner, and he calls every night from then on. He asks you to marry him. And then he builds you a modern mansion complete with your own painting studio and space for abutterfly garden. “I thought he was too good to be true,” says Brigitta Wagner Sultana. And from the look on Mark’s face when she passes through the room, the feeling is mutual. Mark, part-owner and designer at DSDG Architects, and Brigitta, a graphic designer at Coldwell Banker, moved into their home last October, which also happened to be the one-year anniversary of their engagementMODERN WARMS UP

From the outside, this 3,200 square-foot, four bedroom, three bath canal-front home exudes sleek modern. A stark white façade slices an ocean blue sky, with reflections of clouds passing through mile-high windows and glass doors. Mark says he designed the exterior to reflect the clean lines of pure modern, but inside, he had something different in mind. “I love modern,” he says, “but I don’t want to live in a stark modern house.” He speaks from experience. Mark has designed two other homes for himself, and his last one was one of the aforementioned “stark moderns” on Longboat Key. “If a glass was on the counter, it looked out of place,” he says. “It was cool, but not family friendly.”

Mark’s quest for warmth proves successful as soon as visitors climb the stairs lined with powder coated steel railings to the raised main level, where an open floor plan presents two living spaces, a kitchen and dining area. Dark brown cork floors anchor the space, adding a sense of softness, both visually and physically. Above, square clearstory windows offer a constantly changing skyscape while allowing light to pour in. Chocolate leather chairs and a sleek-but-comfortable white sofa offer a cozy place for lingering beside the floating fireplace. Low lights suspended from the ceiling give the aura of a late-night lounge, and seem to invite relaxed conversation. “I love modern architecture but not modern architecture you can’t live in,” says Mark.

Inspired by the MOMA on a recent trip to New York, Mark designed his walls with a reglet, or recessed groove, which gives the illusion of a wall floating in space. Brigitta’s paintings, which suggest a love of abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, add bold color and a sense of playfulness throughout the home.

An interior pallet of cobalt, bark, lime, lemon and olive fills the home, reflecting Florida’s landscape and providing a sense of earthy calm. In the kitchen, the centerpiece may be the stainless Viking range, but it’s the marble pebble backsplash tile that will be the center of dinner party conversation. Flat-front blue and white cabinets are finished in a high-gloss lacquer, and Juperana white granite countertops offer both texture and sparkle. Mark and Brigitta love to cook—they’ve taken cooking classes at the nearby Casa Italia, and the couple made a book of their favorite recipes, which they gave as wedding favors—so making the kitchen a focal point complements their lifestyle. The ten-foot, ten-person dining table indicates they might be sharing some of their expertise with friends in the near future.

A wing behind the kitchen holds two bedrooms, one of which Brigitta uses as an art studio. Two additional bedrooms—the master and what Mark currently uses as a home office—sit at the other end of the house just off the living room. “You can see the Intracoastal from here,” says Brigitta of the very Zen master bedroom outfitted with chocolates and blues.

Placed on-center with the master bath door is a floating tub—a modern take on a clawfoot. Caribbean blue glass tiles, shallow square sinks, floating mirrors and a walk-in two-person shower complete the spa-like serenity of this room. A third bathroom can be accessed off the living room and also from the adjoining office (a pocket door to separate the toilet area from the sink area). Instead of using tile, Mark lined the walls with stained plywood, which he framed with metal rail inset.

Down below, an open-air covered space creates a perfect setting for poolside entertaining—and winter weddings, as the case may be. Last New Year’s Eve, friends and family gathered under the stars to celebrate a new house, a new marriage and a new year. Here’s to glass slippers forever, and clocks that never strike midnight.

MODERN, WARM AND GREEN

Mark’s Quest for warm modern goes beyond aesthetics—his house is a certified green building. Mark and Brigitta worked with Drew Smith at Two Trails Consulting to ensure the home met the minimum 200 points needed to land the coveted Florida Green Building certification. Built with all foam construction, R-30 walls, low flow toilets, impact insulated low-E green glass windows, insulated garage doors, a system for collecting water from the roof for irrigation and a one-point butterfly garden, the home scored 220 points, far exceeding the minimum.

NATURAL MATERIALS

A marble stone tile backsplash adds an earthy element to the kitchen. Cork floors are warmer and softer than polished concrete or bamboo. In the back courtyard, coquina shell-lock tiles provide an earthy texture.

Light: Clearstory windows overhead flood the house with natural light. “You never have to turn the lights on during the day,” says Brigitta.

Bright, Colorful Art: Brigitta’s art brings a sense of happy playfulness to each room. Her work can also be found at State of the Arts Gallery in Sarasota.

Comfortable furniture Mark designed a home for the owner of Cassina furniture at Lighthouse Point. So naturally, Cassina was one of his first stops when it came to outfitting his home. A Cassina white sofa and Sunpan traditional chairs are sleek without sacrificing comfort. Modern barstools from Eurway make a statement.

Preservation of Natural Landscape Elements: Instead of creating a garden of stark rocks or hyper-controlled symmetry, Mark constructed his house around a giant oak in the front yard. He allows naturally occurring species to grow beneath the tree’s branches, and says orchids are particularly happy here.

MARK'S AND BRIGITTA'S SOURCESHEET

Foam construction Eric Levine at DPL Walls, 561-329-8400. Structural Engineer of Foam Walls David Karins, Karins Engineering, 2206 Joan Dr., 941-927-8525. Green certification consultant Drew Smith, Two Trails twotrails.net. Kitchen and bath cabinets Toscana Italian Cabinetry, 830 South Tamiami Trl., Osprey, 941-918-8122. Granite Sarasota Natural Stone 8302 Blaikie Ct., Sarasota, 941-342-7774. Plumbing fixtures Kohler from Ferguson Bath and Kitchen Gallery, 2451 17th St., Sarasota, 941-951-0110. Glass tile Alpha Tile, 1808 Whitfield Ave., Sarasota, 941-727-7433. Cork flooring iFloor, ifloorpro.com.Bedroom furniture and barstools Eurway, eurway.com. Leather chairs and bench Sunpan Imports, sunpanimports.com. White sofa Cassina, cassinausa.com. Mecco blinds (bedroom) Shutter Elegance, 820 Bell Rd. Unit C., Sarasota, 941-342-4333. Whole house audio and automated lighting Advanced Audio Design, 4915 S. Trl., Sarasota, 941-925-2673. Pool Water Designs of Sarasota, 1899 Porter Lake Dr., Sarasota, 941-341-9930.

By Britta Alexander. Photographed by Gene Pollux

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University Park Town Center is going green as well

Benderson Development is working with Moule & Polyzoides, urbanist architects, and Two Trails Inc., green consultants, to develop an approach for integrating green technologies and materials in stores, homes and offices. The 1.9 million-square-foot University Town Center hopes to become the mixed-use development that achieves a "working sustainable lifestyle center."

Benderson Development is working with Moule & Polyzoides, urbanist architects, and Two Trails Inc., green consultants, to develop an approach for integrating green technologies and materials in stores, homes and offices. The 1.9 million-square-foot University Town Center hopes to become the mixed-use development that achieves a "working sustainable lifestyle center."

University Town Center is using the "new urbanism" approach.Included in the development will be an upscale shopping center, movie theater, boutique stores and offices with living spaces above, and affordable housing residences in a park-like setting.

The key to making a lifestyle center is the use of "green spaces," strategically placed to create the overall atmosphere of a "park-like setting."

There are more than 60 acres of conservation area and miles of walking paths.

Landscaping throughout the development will be installed in accordance with Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Guidelines.

"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's marketing materials say.

"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," said Drew Smith, green consultant for Two Trails.

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.

Residents 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.

Benderson also has taken the step of added preferred parking for alternative fuel vehicles, such as hybrid cars, and carpooling, preferred bicycle parking areas at all buildings and even showers provided in employee areas for those who choose to bike to work.

Providing LEED certifications nationwide and Florida Green Building Coalition certification, Two Trails provides hands-on consulting. You can find them on the Web atwww.twotrails.net. _____

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Environmentally Friendly Homes Garner Prestigious Aurora Awards

The AURORA  Awards regional design competition honored environmentally friendly, newly constructed homes and developments with Grand Awards during the recent Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) in Orlando. “Builders and utility companies, working together, combined their talents and resources to create award-winning homes that are environmentally friendly,” said Michele Harrison, a Naples builder and 2007 Aurora Awards Chair. “Their achievements are highlighted with the AURORA Award to display their distinction within the home building industry.”

The AURORA  Awards regional design competition honored environmentally friendly, newly constructed homes and developments with Grand Awards during the recent Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) in Orlando. “Builders and utility companies, working together, combined their talents and resources to create award-winning homes that are environmentally friendly,” said Michele Harrison, a Naples builder and 2007 Aurora Awards Chair. “Their achievements are highlighted with the AURORA Award to display their distinction within the home building industry.”

The Grand AURORA Awards were presented to companies that incorporated energy efficiency, water conservation, solar energy, and green building practices into their new home construction projects. The homes serve as models for other builders to gain knowledge and techniques to emulate in the future.

Home building professionals in a 12-state southeast region received prestigious AURORA Awards for new home construction and design excellence during an industry gala.

“The AURORA Awards are the Grammy’s of the home building profession,” said Harrison. “They symbolize tremendous achievement, honor and distinction among building industry professionals.”

The Grand award-winning environmentally-friendly homes are:

2007 BEST GRAND ENERGY, WATER-WISE, SOLAR AND

GREEN CONSTRUCTION AWARD WINNERS

Gulf Power

Gulf Power / Best Energy Efficient Home

Russell Home Builders

Schultz Residence

Gulf Breeze, FL

Team Members included: Russell Home Builders; Lee Mabire and Company; Landscape Solutions; Decorating Den

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New Home Builder Achieves One of the Highest HERS Ratings Recorded for the State of Florida

Achieving a high HERS rating is one of the key elements to obtaining a Green Certification on any residential property. (PRWEB) October 20, 2006 -- David Melville, President of David Melville Contracting Service, has set a new standard in the Green Building industry. Mr. Melville has been involved in the construction industry for a many years but it was not until 2006 that he decided to move to the next step and enter the market place as a homebuilder.

Achieving a high HERS rating is one of the key elements to obtaining a Green Certification on any residential property. (PRWEB) October 20, 2006 -- David Melville, President of David Melville Contracting Service, has set a new standard in the Green Building industry. Mr. Melville has been involved in the construction industry for a many years but it was not until 2006 that he decided to move to the next step and enter the market place as a homebuilder.

Mr. Melville is overjoyed with the success he is having with his first model home and first entry in the Parade of Homes in Lakeland, FL, “It is truly satisfying to see this home meet FGBC’s standards and then come in with one of the highest HERS ratings is just really exciting!”The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Standard is the accepted standard of the Florida Home Builders Association for Green Building. A home built according to the standard saves natural resources while reducing utility cost and has a higher overall building standard. During the building process, a builder typically will hire a third party consultant to inspect the home during various construction phases.

A consultant will keep the builder apprised of his progress, if there are areas of concern the consultant will discuss this with the builder and get it corrected. Typically, there is a learning curve for building a green home. It takes not only the builder wanting to build a better home but also the subcontractors all have to learn new ways of applying their trades. In the end, the one who really benefits from a Green Certified Home is the homebuyer since the home is more durable and saves them money right from the start, perhaps even qualifying them for a better mortgage based on the additional expendable income they will have to qualify.

Mr. Melville hired on Two Trails, Inc. as his Green Consultants, “I have known Drew Smith for a number of years and have always respected his opinions, and I knew he could help me reach the certification.” The innovative techniques applied to reduce energy costs and create durability intrigued Mr. Smith. He knew the home was going to rate high after his inspection, “I had a feeling this house was something special, but when the HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating came in I was blown away!”

The 2006 Fall Parade of Homes begins on Saturday, October 21, 2006 and runs through Sunday, October, 29th Mr. Melville’s model home is located at 6490 Walkers Glen Ct. Lakeland, FL. Touring the model you will be made aware of the unique characteristics and innovative technologies that David Melville Contracting Services has designed into their precedent setting new model home.

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Realty Check: Saving Green SRQ Magazine

Between organic foods and hybrid cars, the reputation of earth-friendly products is one that comes at a pretty penny, but bybuilding your home “green,” saving the environment may not be the only green you’ll save. According to Matt Ross, President of Eco-$mart, a local company devoted to helping people live and work in buildings that are healthy, efficient, and cost-effective, the difference in price between building green and conventional construction ranges from a savings of 1% to an additional cost of 8%. While the sticker price may charge you more up front, the decision to build green, increasing a structure’s efficiency while decreasing harmful impacts on the environment, can reduce your monthly operational and utility bills by 70%, a savings that often recoups the initial extra costs in two to three years.

Between organic foods and hybrid cars, the reputation of earth-friendly products is one that comes at a pretty penny, but bybuilding your home “green,” saving the environment may not be the only green you’ll save. According to Matt Ross, President of Eco-$mart, a local company devoted to helping people live and work in buildings that are healthy, efficient, and cost-effective, the difference in price between building green and conventional construction ranges from a savings of 1% to an additional cost of 8%. While the sticker price may charge you more up front, the decision to build green, increasing a structure’s efficiency while decreasing harmful impacts on the environment, can reduce your monthly operational and utility bills by 70%, a savings that often recoups the initial extra costs in two to three years. “Building green makes great economic sense, and you don’t have to be a tree hugger to appreciate that,” says Ross.In the past 18 months the market for green building, a.k.a “high performance” or “sustainable,” has grown rapidly as a result of energy and resource awareness, the need for better hurricane protection, avoiding the use of overseas products, and rising energy prices, but one of the most appealing elements is the increase in resale values, says Ross. A study conducted in the early ’90s by the Appraisal Journal cites a $20.73 increase in resale value for every $1 in annual energy cost savings. In other words, the average 2,000-square-foot home with utility costs of $200 a month and energy savings of 70% will experience an additional resale value of on average almost $35,000.

Another incentive to high performance housing starts this year and ends in 2007 as part of the Bush Energy Bill. When you purchase solar installations, as a residential owner you can get a federal tax credit of up to $2,000. Even commercial entities get a break with a 30% return on up-front costs. If that’s not enough, if you build or renovate your home making it 50% more efficient than standard codes, you can earn yourself another $2,000 tax break, or $1.80 per square foot for commercial properties. That’s a potential reimbursement of $4,000 or more, allowing you to recover your initial investment even quicker. “People are excited about buying a Toyota Prius, which only lasts about 10 years, but you can build a green home that’ll last 100 years, saves money, is good for the environment, and is an overall much better investment,” says Dr. Harvey Kaltsas, developer of Kanaya Condos, providing healthy, energy-efficient residential units to Sarasota.

Last year, even Sarasota County decided to start promoting eco-friendly construction, offering a rebate program on building permits. Not only saving on money, the county also offers a fast track route for green applications. The average time it takes to get a regular building permit is six to eight weeks, but an expedited green application may take only two to three weeks, an even more valuable offer than the cash back, says Drew Smith, President of Two Trails, Inc., which offers local services in green construction and marketing.

So how do you know what constitutes green and who says so? According to Smith, you shouldn’t technically claim a building is green without third-party certification. Intended to encourage the mainstream homebuilding industry to adopt sustainable practices, programs such as the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) use a point system to measure areas such as energy and water efficiency, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, sustainability, and more. “The FGBC certification program is great because its standards specifically address the issues of Florida’s climate being hot, humid, and prone to storms,” says Smith.

There’s also a national program from The U.S. Green Building Council called the LEED Rating System. It too is based upon a point system, which is broken down into four different levels with “platinum” being the most sustainable. Sarasota Architect Michael R. Carlson of Carlson Studio Architecture recently received the honor in the “gold” category for the Sarasota County’s Twin Lakes Office Complex. After four years of renovating the former professional baseball dormitory, the facility earned 41 points, making it the highest LEED-scored building in the state to date.

Whatever your motivation may be, if you’re interested in a high performance home, you’re in luck, because Sarasota just so happens to be “one of the best places in the country to access green products,” says Ross. Sarasota is also a great place to find new-construction green homes: Lakewood Ranch is the largest development in the state to receive the green development certificate from the FGBC. But if you’re just looking to “green up” your existing home, then any of the following five products are a great start.

Cool Your A/C Bill

Living in Florida, air-conditioning bills in the summer—or year-round for that matter—can be pretty hefty, but with Freus, the world’s most energy-efficient air-conditioning unit, you can save 50–60 percent on those bills. Unlike conventional air-cooled systems, Freus is water-cooled, using half the pressures at a low condensing temperature. It is also designed for low maintenance and a longer lifetime with a fiberglass cabinet and no expensive electronics on board to corrode, short, or get surged. Even though a Freus costs $1,000–$2,000 more than the average a/c unit, at $5,000 installed you’ll have a system that’s twice as efficient.

Bulb Exchange

Incandescent light bulbs give off a lot more heat than you think. By going out today and replacing your bulbs with electronic ballast fluorescents, you will only use 20% of the energy and heat of your original incandescent lamps. They cost a few dollars more at $3–$5 apiece, but with a 10,000-hour life expectancy, you can save about 10 times the cost of an incandescent bulb over the lifetime of a fluorescent.

Solar Savings

By switching to a solar water heating system, you will reduce the same amount of pollution as removing one car from the highways, and if that doesn’t convince you, then yes, it also saves you money. It costs about $3,500 installed up front, but don’t forget the federal tax incentives as well as the fact that it will reduce your water heating bill by 70–90 percent. That’s equivalent to 20 percent of your entire electric bill. It comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, and the best part of it all is that you don’t lose hot water during power outages, a feature that all Floridians can appreciate.

High Performance Panes

Windows bring light, warmth, and beauty into your home, but they can also be a major source of heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Offset these unwanted disposals with energy-efficient windows designed with technologies to prevent leaks and other sources of energy loss. They also dually serve as hurricane protection with their impact-resistant panes made of acrylic. They are comparable to conventional windows at $200–$300 installed apiece, but that price significantly rises for double panes.

Flooring

While green flooring won’t save you money as the other products do, it is still consistently one of the most popular items on the market, says Ross. No matter what your preference, there’s a look for every style, from bamboo, which takes 35 fewer years to mature than hardwood, to palmwood floors made of coconut palm lumber, otherwise discarded. You can also find recycled rubber flooring and recycled plastic carpet in hundreds of color options. Locally, many stores even have their own separate section devoted to green flooring. At $8–$15 a square foot, prices are similar to that of regular hardwood flooring.

Resources

Sustainable Sarasota: www.SustainableSarasota.com A Sarasota County Government program promoting sustainability in the local community and throughout the world.

The Sarasota Green Connection: www.SarasotaGreenConnection.com The mission of Sarasota Green Connection, Inc. is to mainstream green in the greater Sarasota area by connecting people to environmentally preferable goods and services.

Florida House Institute for Sustainable Development: www.i4sd.org Facilitates change for a sustainable future in Sarasota by partnering with others to create a practice of sustainable community development and a network supporting communities thus engaged.

Florida Green Building Coalition: www.FloridaGreenBuilding.org FGBC is a nonprofit Florida corporation dedicated to improving the built environment and “to provide a statewide Green Building program with environmental and economic benefits.” Go to the site to learn more about “Rethinking Sustainable Construction 2006,” a conference being held in Sarasota September 19–26, 2006, when people from around the world will gather to explore the cutting-edge green market.

By Amanda Kanaan

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Green Hammer Building Award Given to Florida Builder

SARASOTA, Fla.—In recognition for his work developing standards for environmentally friendly building, the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) awarded the "Green Hammer" to Drew Smith, president of Two Trails, Inc. Smith, who is also the president of FGBC, founded his company on the focus of "preventative property maintenance and green consulting," according to a press release.

SARASOTA, Fla.—In recognition for his work developing standards for environmentally friendly building, the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) awarded the "Green Hammer" to Drew Smith, president of Two Trails, Inc. Smith, who is also the president of FGBC, founded his company on the focus of "preventative property maintenance and green consulting," according to a press release. Green standards ensure that a builder is dedicated to "better building practices which maintains the integrity of the surrounding and living environments." In addition to helping develop the standards, Smith has been educating builders and developers about the value of green building. Several projects have received national awards thanks to Smith.

Tech Home Builder Magazine

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"Tech House" to be certified green

Tech House, now being built by Vision Homes in the new Trillium subdivision off Sarasota's Proctor Road, will become the first demonstration house to receive "green" certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition, said "green" construction consultant Drew Smith of Two Trails Inc. Vision Homes and the Home Builders Association of Sarasota County hired Smith to certify that the house is built to FGBC standards. Smith recently became an accredited professional of the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). 

Tech House, now being built by Vision Homes in the new Trillium subdivision off Sarasota's Proctor Road, will become the first demonstration house to receive "green" certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition, said "green" construction consultant Drew Smith of Two Trails Inc. Vision Homes and the Home Builders Association of Sarasota County hired Smith to certify that the house is built to FGBC standards. Smith recently became an accredited professional of the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Tech House will be ready for the Parade of Homes in late February, and will be open for about a year and a half. It's being built as a fund-raiser for the HBA. “They’re doing a lot of neat things to it because it’s more than just building green,” said Smith. “They’re putting a lot of the newer technology into it … over and above (the FGBC standards).” Among them: -- A hurricane-shelter room. -- Solar pavers in the pool deck so the pool will be heated from the solar decking material. -- Super high-efficiency air conditioning. -- Flapperless toilets. -- Injected foam in the block walls, raising the R value from R-8 to about R-11, Smith said. There's also icynene insulation in the sealed attic. -- Florida Yards & Neighborhoods certified with WaterWise landscaping. -- Impact-glass on all windows except rear sliders, which will have Fabric Shield. -- Spraying all interior framing wood with mold-resistant treatment. “It’s well worth doing and very inexpensive.” The building won’t look like Florida House, but will act like it, said Smith. “It will be a newer version of it. We keep looking at new technologies.”

Herold Bubil

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