Bob Landry received the twelfth Green Building Award ever issued by the City of Santa Cruz at a ceremony at City Hall today. It was awarded for the renovation to a Historic House at 603 Lighthouse Ave. that Landry & Foy Builders completed in 2008. The award recognizes builders who meet the high standards set by the City to encourage sustainable building design and practices.
Some of the features on the Lighthouse Ave. project include:
• A photovoltaic net metering solar electric system
• Recycled materials and fly-ash concrete in the foundation
• More than 50% of the demolition was recycled
• More than 80% of the construction waste was Recycled
• Many recycled materials were included in the construction
• Hydronic radiant heating system
• Programmable thermostat
• An “on demand “ water heater
• Extra insulation beyond State standards
These features require a little more thought and care during the process but the result is a building with a much lower carbon footprint than typical construction.
I find that once the workers and subcontractors understand what we are trying to do, they change old habits and feel good about helping to save the planet.
I will continue to encourage the use of these and other methods and look for more ways to ease the impact construction places on the environment.