Advancing building standards to benefit the whole
Over the years of touring homes new and old, my focus has evolved from noticing the cosmetic appeal, a functional layout or dazzling finishes to now also paying attention to building practices, efficiency in design or working systems and environmentally responsible products. With my extensive background in construction, I’m well versed in the standard building practices and codes. These traditional methods haven’t changed very much in decades and they all add up to a lot of waste, unhealthy materials and extremely inefficient homes.
In the Pacific Northwest, residential homes—single and multi-family—use about 20 percent of all energy consumed. Simply reducing energy consumption is one of the easiest ways to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. By using current technology and adopting new practices, we could reduce home energy usage by 65 percent by the year 2030. It is due time to make the shift toward implementing a higher standard of practice into new homebuilding, and there are organizations out there making this easier to achieve and more understandable for builders and homeowners.