As sustainable architecture and building not only becomes more popular, and possible, there’s almost no excuse for not taking some steps to engage in more environmentally sound practices in building and renovating our homes.  Some of the small ways, as pointed out by real estate broker Bandele Oguntomilade, include upgrading HVAC and insulation systems, and choosing green materials, such as paint and flooring.

But homeowner Kimberly Lancaster is proof of just how far green building can go.  As her own General Contractor, Kimberly built her family’s Narragansett, RI home to the strictest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for homes standards set forth by the US Green Building Council, from top to bottom.

It wasn’t easy, since there were really no resources for the kind of home she and her husband Joe wanted to build–as in no other homes with the same standards to use as a model, and no LEED-certified professionals in the area.  But Kimberly was undaunted.  “I have a passion for this,” she says. “This project became a real case study to help other homeowners understand what building LEED means.”

As President and Founder of the marketing and PR firm Caster Communications, Kimberly developed the building project under Caster’s umbrella, and called it Green Life Smart Life. “It was a real opportunity for us as homeowners and for Caster as a business to develop contacts and relationships, and to bring products and services to Rhode Island that before weren’t available.”

Kimberly explains that there were three key components that she attributes to her success as a green home builder:

• Sustainable Practices and Durability – the materials with which she built the home had to meet certain standards for sustainability and durability, such as the FSC (Forestry Service Council) certified wood flooring, DaVinci composite slate roof with expected 70-year life span, and 120 mph wind zone Pella Hurricane Shield windows.
• Smart Technology – Kimberly’s home is proof that you don’t have to sacrifice the conveniences of smart technology in the home to maintain green living practices. “We weren’t willing to use more energy to have the best technology, but neither were we willing to give it up completely.”  The solution was found in combining the products and resources of the Control 4 system for base operations and a Lutron system for the home’s lighting.  All media can be accessed from anywhere in the home.
• A Healthy Home – Kimberly attributes many of today’s health problems to the chemicals found in our homes in paint, carpet and furniture fibers.  For that reason, everything that she brought into the home is not only environmentally sound in terms of what it’s made of, but was created with sustainable practices.

Kimberly’s favorite space in the home is the kitchen.  Her room recipe? “It’s a great family space, with cool technology and beautiful lighting,” says Kimberly, adding that access to the home’s entertainment system from there, and the wine bar also top the list of her favorite elements.

At the end of the day, green practices are just as important as the materials used.  Throughout the building of her home, Kimberly would inspect the dumptser on site to be sure that materials were being disposed of and recylced in the right way.  “[Building green] is all about making the right choices–making the right decisions.”

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Author: Kelly Thacher

Kelly has been a writer since she was in grade school where she received early recognition for her Young Author's project. Magazines like Home Entertainment, Luxury Consumer Electronics, Vertical Living, Luxury Home and the Robb Report were happy to have Kelly's editing talents on various projects. A series of career twists and turns has offered her invaluable experience in journalism, magazine and book publishing, and fiction writing.

Kelly Thacher has written 30 articles for us.