Green Building Tips

Want to build an eco-responsible home? Here, a few tips to help you get started.


  • If you buy a piece of land with a structure on it, consider the impact of demolishing the building. The Wilders in Boulder paid to have their home deconstructed—a process by which the crew from Cottonwood Custom Builders took apart the existing home and recycled all of the components they could. Not only did the Wilders feel good about the process, they got a hefty tax write-off for items they donated to a local charitable organization.

  • When you’re choosing materials and finishes for your home, don’t just opt for the first (or most common) products. Take countertops, for example. If your first thought is granite, ask your architect or designer for eco-friendly alternatives that will achieve a similar look. Hardwood floors, tiles, fireplaces, countertops, cabinets, even front doors—all have eco-friendly versions that are as beautiful as their not-so-sustainable counterparts.

  • Consider photovoltaic panels to generate electricity. “Between the rebates you get from the government and Xcel, you get 60-65 percent of the cost rebated to you,” Nick Wilder says.

  • You can get almost all of the benefit of a green home without going overboard on expensive products. “We got about 90 percent of the way to a green home. The other 10 percent would have cost a disproportionately large part of our budget,” Megan Wilder says.

  • Remember that once your home is built, you’ll have to be an active participant in keeping it green: “Having a green home is more than architecture. It’s a lifestyle.” says architect Harvey Hine. “It’s about using the home in ways that are responsible: lowering the shades in the afternoon to keep the interior cool in the summer; using CFL and fluorescent bulbs; lowering the thermostat in the winter. It’s a lot of small practices.”