Green Building Resources To Get You Off To A Great Start in 2009

Happy New Year!

Here we are officially at the start of what promises to be a year of taking steps towards the sustainable lifestyle that will positively impact us over the long term. What better time than now to think about how you can plan your green building efforts over the course of this year.

As always, the writers of Green Building Elements are here to guide you with all of the wonderful green resources that we here about everyday.

If you have not already read 2009 Green Home Resolutions, I suggest that you do with further ado. Joel offers some great tips for simple, inexpensive (or free) ways to green your life starting today. And Dawn’s post about Tax Credits available in 2009 provides a guideline of the energy efficiency tax credits included in last year’s economic bailout.

Beyond this, here are my favorite Green Building resources that our writers have written about in the last year:

1. New Green Building 101 E-book

Keith wrote a great post about Green Building 101: A Basic Guide to Building and Remodeling Sustainably. Green Building 101 makes for an easy intro for anyone not familiar with the green building process. Authored by our very own Dawn Killough, the book is broken down into categories such as energy efficiency, building materials, and construction procedures. Anyone familiar with the LEED system or Green Point Rated certification programs will be knowledgeable with these topics.

Click here for the full story.

2. AIA Launches “GreenStep” Video Series

Dawn also told us about a wonderful online video series launched by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The series presents short episodes on several green building topics.  It is meant for those planning new buildings or the renovation of existing buildings, and shows how architects can help clients address their green concerns.

Click here for the full story.

3. Off the Grid Homes - Case Studies for Sustainable Living

Philip reviewed a wonderful book entitled Off the Grid Homes written by architect Lori Ryker. The book is less of a manual for systems to be used in off the grid homes (though it does include good information about the systems and strategies that are used in sustainable off the grid living) and more of a showcase of state of the art homes at the intersection of appealing architecture and high sustainability.

Click here for the full story.

4. Green Building Resource Guide

Finally, for the architects and designers out there, don’t miss the Green Building Resource Guide, a database of over 600 green building materials and products selected specifically for their usefulness to the design and building professions.  The Green Building Resource Guide is designed around four user interfaces familiar to architects: Site Plan, Elevation, Floor Plan, and Section.

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