HomeGreenHomes

“We’re always inspired by nature and using nature as a starting point. So we can use the most advanced technology whether it’s robotics or parametric design using algorithms, AI. Regardless of the technologies our goal is to create something that’s beautiful and it’s just works as far as the simplicity. And there’s kind of a synergy in the work we do. So we’re hoping to use this advanced technology beautiful forms in the nature and having everything work together really well.” - Joseph Sarfian Joseph Sarafian and Ron Culver, are the founding partners of architectural firm Form Found Design. Joseph has a background in computational design and parametric modeling, while Ron has experience as an architect, contractor, and musician. They met in graduate school and decided to start their firm together, combining their complementary skillsets. Form Found Design has developed several innovative construction techniques, including using robots to cast custom concrete structures and a computational framing system that allows for mass customization without added cost. They have used these methods for projects like a 15-foot tall concrete structure for Amazon, as well as residential homes. In response to recent wildfires, Form Found Design has focused on designing fire-resilient homes using non-combustible materials like metal, insulated panels, and cross-laminated timber. Their goal is to create homes that are more durable, energy-efficient, and sustainable compared to traditional wood-framed construction. The main challenge Form Found Design faces is educating contractors and homeowners about their innovative construction methods. However, they believe the demand is there, as people are increasingly seeking more resilient and sustainable building solutions. Their overall vision is to use advanced technology like robotics and parametric design to create beautiful, nature-inspired architecture that is also highly functional and efficient. @FormFoundDesign

“I think there's a whole new awareness right now after these fires in LA, at least for people who live in California of like, just actually how toxic our whole houses are. So, you know, the answer for some might be, “oh, I was going to buy a new couch and I'm going to buy a couch that's cotton instead of like plastic,” you know, just smaller things. And, yeah, the more people that could be building a whole house out of natural materials right now, that's amazing.” - Sasha Rabin Sasha Rabin has a long history with natural building, stemming from her father's early interest in straw bale construction in the 1990s. This sparked Sasha's passion, leading her to study environmental design and eventually focus on earthen building methods like cob, adobe, and light straw clay. She founded Earthen Shelter (https://www.earthenshelter.com/) as a platform to teach workshops on these techniques, which she sees as an important part of creating more sustainable and healthy built environments. Sasha discussed the challenges of getting alternative building materials permitted, especially in high-seismic areas. While there are now code appendices for some natural building methods, Sasha and organizations like Quail Springs (https://www.quailsprings.org/), where she is involved, have had to do extensive testing and work with local officials to demonstrate the safety and viability of these materials. Looking to the future, Sasha envisions a multi-pronged approach, from simple retrofits using earthen plasters to whole cob or adobe structures, as crucial for rebuilding more resilient communities.

Fernando and his family lives in a 3,000 sq/ft, 4 Bedroom home in Agoura Hills, California. Built in 1960, the home gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The old HVAC system doesn't maintain even temperature throughout the house. They discovered the attic wasn't properly insulated, the vents and recessed lighting cans were not sealed and the roof insulation was never replaced when they installed the solar tubes transferring extreme heat into the living space even when it's not hot outside. Here's how Fernando and his wife are tackling the issues.

“The secret is cost shifting. That’s the secret. So we shift the cost from expensive mechanical systems into the quality of the building shell, of the building envelope. We have what we call a super-insulated building envelope. We have triple-glazed windows. We have insulated frames. They get installed in a certain fashion. And we basically take… we beef up the building envelope. it’s super-insulated that means insulation is cheap. Insulation is the cheapest building material on the planet. It’s much less expensive than batts. That’s really the issue.” - Joaquin Karcher Joaquin Karcher is a founder/owner/principal architect for Zero E Design (https://zeroedesign.com/) based in Taos, New Mexico. The discussion centered on Joaquin’s expertise in eco-architecture and his work with Zero E Design, particularly focusing on cold climate architecture in northern New Mexico. Karcher shares his journey from his early passion for eco-architecture in Germany to his current projects, emphasizing the importance of achieving carbon neutrality in buildings by 2030. He highlighted his collaboration with the Navajo tribe to improve housing using local materials and labor, as well as his insights gained from the Passive House Institute in Germany. The conversation also delved into the principles of passive house design, its affordability in California, and the benefits of enhancing building envelopes to create energy-efficient homes. Karcher discussed the resilience of passive houses in extreme weather and fire-prone areas, suggesting specific materials and techniques for safety. Although he has not yet worked on redesigning homes affected by wildfires, he expressed a vision for affordable, resilient zero energy buildings, particularly through offsite construction methods like panelized construction.

"Healthy home supports your health, in my opinion, from the air we’re breathing, the materials around you, it's designed to promote your health and it prioritizes air quality, has items that are made from non-toxic materials, and it actively reduces toxins, you can actively reduce toxins when you have practices that support a healthy home. So all that is also going to be good for the environment typically." - Karen Bloom Karen started her career as a consumer protection attorney, fighting against companies that failed to warn consumers about the dangers of chemicals in their products. She later developed a mysterious illness that was eventually diagnosed as Lyme disease and mold toxicity, which made her highly sensitive to chemicals and toxins. This experience inspired her to focus on creating non-toxic living spaces to help others who have been in similar situations. A healthy home supports your health by prioritizing air quality, using non-toxic materials, and actively reducing toxins. While a green home focuses on environmental sustainability, the two concepts don't always fully align. Karen explained how some "green" technologies like LEDs and EMFs can actually be harmful to health, and emphasized the need for solutions that protect both the environment and human health. Karen provided several specific recommendations for creating a healthier home, including using air purifiers, high-quality HVAC filters, natural cleaning products, non-toxic furniture and mattresses, stainless steel or glass food storage containers, and proper ventilation when cooking. She also discussed the importance of being mindful of the products we bring into our homes and their potential impacts. Karen explained that her business, Natural Haven, offers in-home or virtual consultations to assess a client's home and provide customized recommendations for improving indoor air quality and reducing toxin exposure. She also creates educational content and free guides to help people make their homes healthier. When asked about recommendations for protecting against EMF exposure when outside the home, Karen expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of many EMF shielding products on the market, noting that she has tested many and found them to be ineffective. She suggested exploring professional EMF assessments and mitigation strategies instead. @naturalhavensb

"The fact of the matter is your heating  your home and cooling your home and heating your water are the two biggest loads to your electric bill. They cost the most in in your home.  So this is an opportunity to yes decarbonize and do right for the environment and our grid but also for energy usage.  And the products are there.  There's more and more coming for sure. " - Anita Singha The much anticipated rebate part of the Inflation Reduction Act, HEEHRA, Home Energy Efficiency Rebate program launched in California in November, 2024.  Anita Singha, the Senior Marketing Director for the ⁠Switch Is On⁠, the administrator of the financial incentive programs in California explains how this rebate program works and how to navigate it.   She explains the program provides rebates of up to $8,000 for low-income households (80% or less of area median income) and $4,000 for moderate-income households (80-150% of area median income) to install heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. The rebates are paid directly to the contractor, and consumers must use a HEEHRA-qualified contractor to be eligible. Anita walks through the steps for consumers to verify their income eligibility and find HEEHRA-qualified contractors through the ⁠Switch Is On website (https://www.switchison.org/ca)⁠. This includes using an online ⁠income verification tool⁠(https://heehra-incomeportal.com/), getting a certificate of eligibility, and then contacting multiple contractors to get quotes. Izumi shares her experiences trying to help low-income homeowners, particularly those in remote/rural areas, navigate the HEEHRA program. She highlights issues like lack of HEEHRA-qualified contractors in certain regions, contractors being unfamiliar with heat pump technology, and complexities around mobile home and rental properties. Anita acknowledges these challenges and discusses efforts to expand contractor training and outreach, and reassures that the $450 million in HEEHRA funding allocated to California is secure, even with a potential change in federal administration. However, she notes that the rebates may not last indefinitely, so consumers are encouraged to act quickly. Additional clarifications:  California state is launching the rebate program with one appliance at a time, mainly focusing on the heat pump systems.  The first phase was for heat pump HVAC system, in which low-income households can get it installed for free although the homeowners may have to cover a difference if the cost of installation exceeds $8,000.  Qualified householders can apply if you live in a condo, 2-4 units buildings, ADU and Junior ADU.  If you live in a mobile home, you can apply as long as you’re on a foundation and not have an axle or license number.

"We are focused on incentives for home upgrade projects. We’re focused right now on residential space. If anyone is listening or you might have applied for a rebate program in the past, like an appliance rebate program through a government agency or utility, it oftentimes can be quite challenging. So we provide an end to end solution to make it very easy for folks to pre-qualify projects for all available incentives as well as then to claim the funds. And you can think of us as kind of a TurboTax for electrification rebates." - Aimee Bailey, Rock Rabbit Rock Rabbit (rockrabbit.ai) was founded in 2022 by Aimee Bailey, co-founder and CEO, with her co-founder, building on concepts Bailey had been developing for years in her previous roles in the energy sector, including roles at the Department of Energy, utilities, and government agencies, with a focus on designing and deploying incentive programs. The company's mission is "Future-proofing homes made easy and affordable for everyone," reflecting their commitment to accelerating the energy transition in the residential sector. Rock Rabbit provides an end-to-end solution for contractors and homeowners to easily navigate and claim rebates for home electrification projects. The platform integrates multiple databases, including incentive programs, authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) registries, and community choice aggregation (CCA) information, to simplify the complex landscape of rebates and eligibility requirements. The company addresses three key pain points in the rebate process: incentive discovery (finding available programs among hundreds of options), navigating eligibility requirements (interpreting complex program rules), and streamlining paperwork processing (reducing administrative burden for contractors and homeowners). Rock Rabbit works primarily with contractors as their main user base, but also collaborates with utilities and government agencies to streamline rebate programs. This dual approach allows them to improve the rebate process from both the implementation and administration sides. There's a significant labor shortage in the HVAC industry, with estimates suggesting a gap of hundreds of thousands of technicians needed to meet climate targets. Rock Rabbit aims to alleviate this by making rebate processes more efficient, allowing contractors to focus more on installations and less on paperwork. For inquiries, contact: info@rockrabbit.ai

"If you’re thinking about starting an Eco-Village, you wanna know, essentially you want to know what are the issues with soil, with air, with water, in your bio-region, in the ecological region that you live in; what are the relationships that you have with your elected officials that have the power over the area where you want to make this happen; who are your neighbors, and what kind of relationships you have with those neighbors whether they’re rural, farm neighbors, or whether they’re urban neighbors on your block." - Lois Arkin Lois Arkin shares her personal journey, from growing up in a close-knit, nature-filled neighborhood as a child, to moving to California with her husband, studying anthropology, and eventually finding her calling in the cooperative and intentional community movements. This led her to found the Cooperative Resources and Services Project (CRSP) in 1980, which laid the groundwork for the ⁠Eco Village LA⁠ concept. She explains how she came to the idea of creating an "eco village" - a cooperative, environmentally-focused community - after hosting public forums on different types of cooperatives. She describes the process of acquiring the first Eco Village LA building in the 1980s, and how the community has grown to encompass three buildings and a land trust over the decades. As she outlines, the key criteria that define an eco village, as outlined by early eco village pioneer Robert Gilman - includes being human-scaled, full-featured, closing the waste loop, supporting healthy human development, and being sustainable long-term. She explains how Eco Village LA aims to embody these principles, while also maintaining a diverse community in terms of income, ethnicity, gender, age, and household composition. Lois candidly shares the conflicts and challenges the community has faced over the years, including periods of intense interpersonal tensions. She describes how they eventually implemented a formal conflict resolution process, requiring members to first try to resolve issues one-on-one, and then seek mediation through a community conflict resolution committee if needed. Looking ahead, Lois talks about Eco Village LA's upcoming plans, including creating a pedestrian plaza on their main street, developing an urban farm, and continuing efforts to remove more housing in the surrounding neighborhood from the speculative real estate market. She emphasizes the broader goal of transforming the real estate industry's mindset from "maximum return on investment" to a "fair return on investment" to improve housing affordability and quality of life. Other resources mentioned:   ⁠• Foundation for Intentional Communities⁠: ic.org ⁠• The Cohousing Association of the United States⁠: cohousing.org

“And what we did was, ‘let’s combine the performance of heat pump, off the shelf heat pump, heat pump water heater, with thermal storage with really really smart controls, and you can reap the benefit of that heat pump by shifting the load to the middle of the day and giving you a heat and hot water whenever you need it.” - Jane Melia Jane Melia, Co-founder and CEO of Harvest, the smart thermal battery system explains the genesis of Harvest. She discusses the limitations of traditional heat pump systems and how Harvest combines a heat pump with thermal storage and smart controls to decouple the time when heat is generated from when it is used, allowing the system to take advantage of cheaper, cleaner electricity. Jane provides a detailed overview of how the Harvest system works. It uses a heat pump water heater, a thermal battery (hot water tank), and smart controls to optimize when the heat pump runs to take advantage of renewable energy and off-peak electricity rates, while still providing heating and hot water on demand. Jane discusses the cost of the Harvest system, noting that it is comparable to a median heat pump system but with higher performance. She explains the various incentives and tax credits available, including the 30% federal tax credit, that can make the system cost-competitive with traditional gas heating and water heating. She also discusses Harvest's efforts to work with contractors and property owners to drive broader adoption. Jane and Izumi discuss the future of home heating and cooling, with Jane envisioning a future where thermal storage becomes a standard feature of heat pump systems to better leverage renewable energy and support grid decarbonization. They also discuss the policy changes, such as bans on new gas furnaces, that are helping drive the transition to clean heating solutions. harvest.green

“During Covid I started to think more about the products I was using and plastics. I’d always used refilled bottles for water and I’d reuse plastic bags at the grocery store. Then I heard the statistics that 2.5 billion tons of trash are in the landfill just from hand and body lotion alone and hand and body wash… “ - Libby Bourne Libby Bourne is the store manager for a sustainable store Sun Moon Rain (sunmoonrain.com) in Santa Monica, offering refillable cleaning and personal care products. The store aims to eliminate single-use plastic and toxins through education. Libby outlined the store's most popular items like refillable dish soap and laundry detergent, appealing for their effectiveness and concentrates reducing plastic use. Customers favor natural deodorants and handwashes for their safe, non-toxic formulas. Libby ensures products meet the store's high standards by checking Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) ratings and trusting suppliers with aligned values. This gives customers confidence that items support wellness without compromising the planet. She explains how the store attracts families seeking non-toxic products plus students and health practitioners concerned with sustainability. Santa Monica schools influence interest, and youth outreach grows demand while older customers remain open to change. While progress encourages Libby, a perfect solution remains distant. Continued education and small individual changes can chip away at plastic pollution if companies also curb production. Collaboration across generations offers hope for positive change.

“You as a consumer, I as a consumer have enormous power to make the transformation that we want to see. But one of the transformations as a consumer is selecting the right products because the competitor who is not doing the right packaging or the right product is going to see that they’re losing clients to the competitors that are doing more sustainable product, produce and materials, so he’s gonna change. He’s only going to change because us as consumers are driving the change by purchasing the right or the best materials available for us.” - Denise Braun Denise Braun found her calling for sustainability work after witnessing waste flooding during a storm as a child in Brazil. She was further inspired after reading a book on applying sustainability in businesses while working in human resources. This led her to pursue a career in waste management. Denise founded All About Waste (www.allaboutwaster.org) 8 years ago after having a child, encouraged by her husband to start her own business focused solely on zero waste solutions. The firm now provides zero waste certifications and consulting globally to reduce building waste. She leads by example with zero waste practices like composting and using refillable products. She encourages others gently and hosts zero waste children's birthday parties. She also recommends shopping at farmers markets when possible or using services like Imperfect Produce. She also suggests stores like Sprouts for bulk options. In Europe, she noticed less waste from smaller grocery formats and buying daily needs. Her goal is advising political leaders on waste policy. Other resource mentioned: The Natural Step, the book

"For me, mantra in my sort of day-to-day climate work is go for the gigatons. And while as a homeowner, a single homeowner, you can't do that, you can look at your biggest spend. So what are the most gigantic energy sinks in your home? Two-thirds of home energy use is from heating and hot water." - Trent Wolbe Trent Wolbe is currently a VP of marketing for a start-up called, Harvest, but I invited him to be my guest because of his fascinating history and passionate dedication to help this environmental crisis we face. He recently joined me as a co-chair of the Green Home Committee at USGBC-LA and dove right into actions, which I’m so grateful for. He shared how watching Ninja Turtle in his youth led him to be who he is today, and how he and his partner built a sustainable ADU in Los Angeles. A chance sighting of unusual structures revealed Earthships to Trent, inspiring him to study their off-grid design harnessing nature for comfort through materials and thermal gain. And upon building his ADU, he optimized for minimal energy use with a tight envelope, geothermal, solar, battery and heat pumps. He shares lessons from a challenging but educational process.

“For some folks, they become really motivated by the climate crisis. They start to understand that in their family, maybe their single largest source of climate pollution, and it's a big one, is sitting in their closet just heating their water and heating their house, right? So that's some folks are motivated by that, and they want to start finding out what they can do. Other folks maybe don't care about climate at all, but they've got high utility bills, and they want to understand how electrifying their home can actually reduce their utility bills. This is a common misperception. People think electricity is expensive, and they think it's dirty. Electricity is not dirty in California. Our electricity supply is remarkably clean. … Also, electricity is not expensive when you do the math right when you compare apples to apples, running your home on electricity and running it on gas. You'll discover that over time, you can save, a typical home will save thousands of dollars over the lifespan of the equipment that we're talking about.” - Cooper Marcus, Chief Quitter Cooper Marcus founded QuitCarbon, which is a platform that makes home electrification easier, cheaper, and better for all with free expert advice, personalized plans, contractor referrals and support through the process to transition homes off fossil fuels. Chief quitter, founder of QuitCarbon shares how he started this company as he went through a complex process of electrifying his Victorian home in San Francisco. QuitCarbon is free for homeowners and generates revenue through contractor partnerships by connecting them with clients, with the goal of helping millions of homes electrify while educating contractors on the transition. Cooper addressed pushbacks like climate concerns, cost worries and reliability myths, noting solutions like battery backups and that electricity is often cheaper than gas long-term, especially as incentives lower upfront costs. Also QuitCarbon has developed a software that tracks almost 300 ever changing financial incentives available and be able to inform the homeowners the best possible path of electrifying homes.

“…what can we do in terms of water and energy? Something that's super decentralized that doesn't make people compromise. And we started to look at where water is used most within the residential home and 50% of that water use stems from the bathroom. It's quite alarming when you start looking at how much we actually use in terms of water.” - Alisha McFetridge A typical 10-minute shower uses 25 gallons, whereas ⁠Rainstick Shower⁠ uses under 5 gallons, saving both water and the energy required to heat excess water. Its point-of-use cleaning further reduces costs and environmental impacts. Alisha McFetridge, Co-founder and CEO, detailed Rainstick's recirculation system saves 80% water and energy by reusing shower water up to six times through cleaning and pumping, while maintaining a strong 3 gpm flow. Her background in water management and sustainability led to developing this solution.  She also explained the installation process, maintenance as well as the possible upcoming financial incentives. https://rainstickshower.com/ Instagram: @rainstick.shower FB: rainstickshower LinkedIn: rainstickshower

“I feel that we have this moral imperative from a business standpoint to preserve our markets. And so, as Realtors, we are advisors. So we explain to our developers, we explain to our buyers, we explain to our sellers how to transact in a way that is most profitable for them. how the Code of Ethics really demands that we understand the products we sell and that we do a better job of representing these products.” - Wayne Beals Wayne Beals is a managing broker at Beals Group of Exit Strategies (https://www.waynebeals.com/) and a fellow Green Realtor in Chicago. Wayne details his upbringing fixing old homes, sparking passion for buildings that led to careers in construction and real estate. Witnessing energy poverty drove focus to efficient housing. He now specializes in all-electric new construction, convinced gas infrastructure worsens problems, developing with partners seeking competitive edge in electrification. While some buyers eagerly seek green, others dismiss features until educated on health, comfort and cost benefits. Appraisals don't recognize value, hindering prices despite certification. He believes that as advisors, realtors must explain sustainability impacts for clients' long term interests. While some resist, normalizing discussion introduces more to benefits, shifting perceptions over time for future-proofing markets. Relying on early adopters, realtors can disrupt competitors by demanding high performance standards. Educating all parties grows receptive audiences. With moral duty to steward resources and public health, the industry must integrate sustainability for viable future operations.

"The new thinking is around circularity. The idea of circularity is the circulation of materials at their highest value for the longest period of time. And when you design with circular systems in mind, you are thinking about the end at the beginning, meaning what's going to happen to this product that we're making? What's going to happen to this house that we're designing at the end of life? Can any of these things be reused again? Can they be made into something else? Can you take and use... send the furniture back to the manufacturer and they'll repair it or even keep it and resell it to somebody else. There are companies that do that. " - Kathryn Soter About a year ago, I ⁠interviewed Katie Story⁠, a founder of ⁠Good Future Design Alliance⁠ (thegfda.com), which she created to educate the professionals in the building and designing industry to reduce the massive waste this industry generates forging a radical new path in the world of design. The new executive director, Kathryn Soter, gives us the update on the organization’s missions as well as some practical tips when designing, redesigning and renovating homes or even when we need to replace a piece of furniture to help reduce waste. • Construction and demolition waste is a massive problem, with 500 million tons generated annually in the US alone. This is equivalent to 100 Great Pyramids of Giza per year. • There are major health impacts from construction waste, including landfill pollution, emissions, and plastic waste. • GFDA aims to connect and educate interior designers, architects, contractors, and manufacturers to adopt low-waste practices. • Homeowners should plan carefully, salvage and reuse materials, and hire trained professionals to reduce waste. Resources mentioned: ⁠- Chairish⁠⁠ - Renovation Angel⁠⁠ - Rheaply⁠⁠ - 1stDib

"I think that we will continue to see high performance sustainability at the forefront of innovation. I think it's going to be a slow transition depending on where you are in the world and where you are in the U.S.  So I think we're going to see different rates of adoption. I think all of it is going to become faster as we realize the impacts of climate change. And the same holds true with the other element you mentioned, which is resiliency.  So as the climate continues to warm, storms are going to be more severe. Floods are going to be more severe, droughts will be more severe. Hurricanes will be more frequent. And the approach to build buildings and homes that are more resilient to disaster is going to continue to increase.  And I think those two are going to go hand-in-hand." -Todd Usher Todd Usher is the founder and president of ⁠Addison Homes (addison-homes.com) ⁠ in South Carolina.  Todd has been building high performance homes since 2003 when he discovered Earthcraft House certification.   He is passionate about sustainability and building science.  In his presentation, he explains the key elements of a sustainable home including insulated building envelope, air sealing, indoor air quality management, efficient equipment like heat pumps, and smart home technology. He also discusses how site orientation, window placement, roof overhangs, and other passive design strategies are crucial before considering any technology or building techniques.  Conversation further explores how energy efficiency strategies can align with strategies for improved health, comfort and resilience.

“Building science for these principles and tools to measure and test homes and treat them as an interconnected thing so that all the systems work together and you can achieve better results by looking at the house as a system.” - Dan Thomsen Dan Thompson, the owner and founder of Building Doctors (www.buildingdoctors.com), shares his journey from flipping homes to becoming an energy auditor and contractor. He was inspired to enter the green industry after attending a GoGreen Expo and hearing a talk by an environmentalist, leading him to start his own company called Building Doctors. Dan's company, conducts comprehensive energy audits using science-based tools to assess homes' energy efficiency. They provide homeowners with a treatment plan based on the audit results, which includes insulation, HVAC system upgrades, and solar installation, aiming to make homes more comfortable, energy-efficient, and valuable. Dan serves on the board of Efficiency First California and the steering committee for Tech Clean California, involving in the preparation to roll out the rebate programs being set forth by Inflation Reduction Act. His passion for improving the energy efficiency of existing homes is palpable.

"There’s been plenty of studies over the years ranging anywhere from half of a percent to 15 percent in value for certifications. And part of it has to do with the areas, so obviously when you get into areas like parts of Texas and California, Florida, Virginia, we saw value increases partiallybecause I think you have more educated and interested population who cares, and so they bring that value." -Brett Little Brett is the education manager for this non-profit organization, GreenHome Institute, which provides rich sources of educational information and services to empower people to make healthier and more sustainable choices in renovating and constructing the places we live. Brett shares his knowledge and insight into the current green home space; who are participating in the classes and services they offer; how the certifications would help evaluate homes that have implemented sustainability elements while discussing his own journey of certifying his home and how the certification played a role in getting his home evaluated.

"My model is if you look at the cost of owning a house holistically, is a high performance home better? In most cases I can tell you with all confidence it is. But a lot of people look at first cost, and they say, “wait a minute, this house costs 10,000 bucks more than house B over here, which is code built.” And they’re missing the big picture. My point is that I don’t wanna be the right person in the room, but I wanna be the one who has the most information so people can make the right decision." - Kerry Langley Kerry Langley is a long time industry leader in the field of mortgage lending and founder and CEO of Home Bucks. He was someone who helped me in a challenging moment when negotiating with buyers for my recent listing of a certified green home with an attractive proposition of lower interest rates. He explains how he created a platform to come up with mortgage programs that would fit the buyers needs including the energy efficiency issues. He explains what TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) software is, and how it integrates the information about the home’s energy efficiency/sustainability/disaster resilience as well as other improvements the homeowners may want to make. His new platform HomeBuck$ VIP completely disrupts how a prospective homebuyer goes about selecting the terms of their mortgage loan and in turn gives them the ability to control the total cost of owning their new property. kerry.langley@primelending.com

"Is my home going to last longer? Is home gonna be more beneficial for me in some ways? Is it gonna be easier to maintain? Am I gonna have lower energy bills and water bils? Is it just gonna be cooler? Is it gonna be like really interesting and fun to have some that also happens to be environmentally friendly? Knowing that information as soon as possible in your home search is more beneficial for you than too far down the line when you doing a home inspection or energy audit." - Kari Klaus Kari Klaus, the founder of Realty Sage (realtysage.com) with a background in sustainable economic development, found inspiration to create a platform of market place for green homes while she was renovating her own home to be more sustainable. Kari shares her experience and challenges of promoting energy-efficient homes and the creation of Realty Sage, a platform that educates and incentivizes sellers to invest in green properties. The platform evolved over time, launching in 2016 and expanding to include Realty Sage Pro's in 2020, connecting real estate agents with home buyers nationwide. While Realty Sage has received positive response from the market, we both recognize the deficiencies in the real estate industry and the need for more information and transparency for consumers.

"So I make electricity from the sun. With that electricity, I make water out of air. With that water, it goes to the pressure tank. That pressure tank would then take it to the water heater. The water heater is a heat pump water heater, which we use the electricity from the sun to heat the water heater. The bi-product of water heater is the air conditioning. That’s the only air conditioning we would use, which we pipe the air conditioning out of the water heater into the house. Then you take a shower, and that shower water goes out to my fruit trees in the front yard, and that was all gravity fed. So make electricity, make water, heat the water with the electricity from the sun, shower then feed the fruit trees." - Ryan McEvoy Ryan McEvoy, a principal and founder of Gaia Development. While Gaia Development has an impressive track record of developing and/or consulting for more than 500 sustainable buildings around the world, our conversation was about Campbell Collective, which is a residential property he bought and renovated in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles guided by the Living Building Challenge garnering Zero-Energy Certification. Ryan explains why he chose to go with the Living Building Challenge (LBC) program as opposed to LEED, and how the process of putting together his net-positive water and net-positive energy went, and how he ended up with three petals out of seven for LBC. With regenerative and permaculture design, the place is now an urban farm oasis providing the community with fruits, vegetables and herbs. As he prepares the property for an upcoming home tour for USGBC-LA in November, he shares with us the challenges he had so far and the vision he has for the property for the future. Gaia Development: https://www.gaiadevelopment.com/ Living Building Challenge: https://living-future.org/lbc/ USGBC-LA Home Tour: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/campbell-house-tour-tickets-708784281867

In the beginning, just because a lot of people, like I said before, a lot of people, they don't know, or they have not conscious of what's going on in the world, and how they can save money and electricity, gas, or the more healthy. A lot of people aren’t sure. So I was a little hesitant in the beginning. I said, how we're going to market this property and to get the price that we want. Because of course, to do those changes, we add more and more budgets, more money for budgets. Now we have to raise the price, the listing price, is no more budget. In the beginning, so we were a little concerned, but everything came out good. - Jenny Acosta Jenny Acosta and I met through Women in Real Estate (WREN: www.wreninspires.com) back in 2018 as I was trying to learn more about flipping houses. My motivation was simply to create more green homes that I can sell as a Green Realtor. Jenny is a successful real estate investor, who has been “flipping” homes in Los Angeles since 2015, now in Austin, Texas as well. Over the years, I have talked to Jenny about doing her flip projects “green,” and we finally had an opportunity to collaborate on her most recent project to make a certified green home. This conversation was recorded a few days after we closed escrow. We discussed what we did, some challenges, and the outcome.

Welcome to your sanctuary nestled in the heart of Sherman Oaks - an extensively renovated home that blends eco-conscious living with luxurious comfort boasting Gold Pearl Certification reflecting its commitment to sustainability. With an all-electric solar-ready design, energy efficiency is at the forefront, reducing your carbon footprint and saving on utilities. Step inside and be enchanted by the bright, inviting ambiance. The high ceilings and open floor plan are perfect for relaxation and entertaining designed to support health and wellness. This high performance home features a brand-new electrical, plumbing system, a heat pump HVAC system and a heat pump water heater for efficiency and reliability for years to come. Control the indoor climate effortlessly with the smart thermostat for ultimate comfort. Designer LED lighting illuminates the space elegantly while conserving energy. The gourmet kitchen is complete with custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, and high-end Thermador stainless steel appliances, including a microwave and oven. The spacious living and dining areas offer a harmonious setting for family gatherings or hosting guests with the grand chandelier and the enticing electric fireplace with Venetian Plaster & Wood Panels. Sliding doors open to a large yard and patio, offering the perfect setting for al fresco dining and gatherings. Restorative features include the landscaped backyard with a brand new sparkling pool and a spa, built-in BBQ patio area, and a terrace with a fire pit, an ideal setting for entertaining or unwinding after a long day. The primary suite is a serene retreat for regeneration with an accent wall, a large walk-in closet with cabinetry, ceiling fan, and sliding doors to the yard. The in-suite master bathroom features a soaking tub, rain-shower, and skylight, bathing the space in natural light. Two additional bedrooms provide comfortable and private living spaces with well-appointed full bathrooms. Convenience meets sustainability with a two-car garage equipped with a level 2 EV charger. Ring Doorbell provides added security. Stay connected with WIFI and TV wiring in each room plus the wired sound system in the living room, dining room, kitchen, and outdoors. Easy access to Ventura Blvd, 405 & 101 freeways, recognized award winning schools such as Dixie Canyon Elementary, Notre Dame HS, and The Buckley School. Close to everything while enjoying the tranquility of an exclusive South of the Boulevard neighborhood.

It was a long time in coming. I worked with a reputed real estate developer to do this renovation project consciously to update this home built in 1950s to the 21st Century system of energy efficient high performing home. Thank you so much for my partner @KalliscoHomes for a great job of making such a beautiful home that combines the sustainability with luxury living! The home has earned Pearl Gold Certification, only one of two homes in Los Angeles County. As my recent podcast guest coined as "eco-flip," it is indeed an eco-conscious transformation although there are certainly more you can do with this home such as installing solar panels and power storage; and even making the landscape more California Native. Still it is quite a feat, and I'm so proud of it!

Welcome to your sanctuary nestled in the heart of Sherman Oaks - an extensively renovated home that blends eco-conscious living with luxurious comfort boasting Pearl Certification reflecting its commitment to sustainability. With an all-electric solar-ready design, energy efficiency is at the forefront, reducing your carbon footprint and saving on utilities. Step inside and be enchanted by the bright, inviting ambiance. The high ceilings and open floor plan are perfect for relaxation and entertaining designed to support health and wellness. This high performance home features a brand-new electrical, plumbing system, a heat pump HVAC system and a heat pump water heater for efficiency and reliability for years to come. Control the indoor climate effortlessly with the smart thermostat for ultimate comfort. Designer LED lighting illuminates the space elegantly while conserving energy. The gourmet kitchen is complete with custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, and high-end Thermador stainless steel appliances, including a microwave drawer and oven. The spacious living and dining areas offer a harmonious setting for family gatherings or hosting guests with the grand chandelier and the enticing electric fireplace with Venetian Plaster & Wood Veneer panels. Sliding doors open to a large yard and patio, offering the perfect setting for al fresco dining and gatherings. Restorative features include the landscaped backyard with a brand new sparkling pool and a spa, built-in BBQ grill patio area, and a terrace with a fire pit, an ideal setting for entertaining or unwinding after a long day. The primary suite is a serene retreat for regeneration with an accent wall, a large walk-in closet with cabinetry, ceiling fan, and sliding doors to the yard. The en-suite master bathroom features a soaking tub, rain-shower, and skylight, bathing the space in natural light. Two additional bedrooms provide comfortable and private living spaces with well-appointed full bathrooms. Convenience meets sustainability with a two-car garage equipped with a level 2 EV charger. Ring Doorbell provides added security. Stay connected with WIFI and TV wiring in each room plus the wired sound system in the living room, dining room, kitchen, and outdoors. Easy access to Ventura Blvd, 405 & 101 freeways, recognized award winning schools such as Dixie Canyon Elementary, Notre Dame HS, and The Buckley School. Close to everything while enjoying the tranquility of an exclusive neighborhood.

“I think there’s definitely certain Feng Shui principles and concepts that can and should be used through our architecture. At the same time, it can also be very logical because Feng Shui is based on the natural world, the interactions with the natural world, the operation of the natural world and the flow of energies.” - El Larson ⁠El Larson⁠ is a wellness real estate agent and Wellness Design Consultant.  She combines a wide range of expertise in what makes a home healthy and sustainable incorporating principles such as Feng Shui, biophilic design, land resilience and material health.  El discusses the different aspects of wellness in real estate, including the importance of constructing homes with wellness practices.  She shares her expertise in her application of Feng Shui, particularly landform and BTB methods, in assessing and enhancing the health and balance of properties.   She discusses some examples of the land formation principles, and how it can impact the energy and well-being of individuals; and shares the possibility of remedying certain issues with Feng Shui.  How do we incorporate the concept of Feng Shui into wellness real estate and design.   ⁠www.heare.la⁠

"Literally if you gave me two words to describe you what I’m doing, I would say “eco-flipping.” That is actually what I’d say to you. But there’s a huge difference in what it means because third party certification means adherence to certain standards and have to be not only done but defend it and understood. So the buyer of this home is going to know exactly what is behind all of their walls, what the sources of their materials are, and the processes that went into all of it." - Steve Matloff In this part, Steve Matloff discusses a project in Los Feliz that he and his partners are working on. The project involves renovating a home built in the 1930s and making it relevant for modern living while honoring its legacy. They approached the sellers with letters expressing their desire to buy the home at the full asking price or more and transform it into a demonstration of sustainable home utilization for the next 100 years. The home they chose was in disrepair and had been untouched for several years, making it an ideal candidate for their project. The team aims to change every system in the home to align with modern priorities and advancements. While they want to maintain existing materials, such as the flooring, they plan to reframe the entire second floor to optimize living spaces and take advantage of the beautiful views of the Griffith Observatory and downtown Los Angeles. The challenge lies in balancing form and function and creating a home that offers luxury while significantly reducing its carbon footprint. They envision providing a 7,000 to 8,000 square foot home that functions like something much smaller, appealing to buyers who want both space and environmental sustainability. One of the challenges they face is the design aspect, particularly in maintaining the elements of a proper Tudor revival while incorporating green priorities. They want the home to achieve independent third-party certification for its sustainable features and ensure transparency for potential buyers. They aim to provide a book documenting the home's eco-friendly features and the points accumulated for third-party certification, giving buyers a clear understanding of what lies behind the walls and the environmental impact of the home. The team is currently in the planning phase, aiming to finalize permit plans in the near future. The vision of Tradicient is, once they successfully execute this project both in renovation and sales, to scale this model to lower price points properties. ******** LA Times article by Lisa Boone about Steve’s family home and its landscaping done by FormLA Steve Matloff: steve@tradicient.com

"I want to inspire others who are doing this work but based on a different set of priorities, who understand that this priority of sustainability, of efficiencies of resources and processes, of reduction of wastes of all sorts including the carbon is valued. And you should be incorporating those priorities into your project." - Steve Matloff Steve Matloff is a “sustainable real estate RE-developer,” CEO and founder of Tradicient, which is a business name that combines the two words, “tradition” and “efficient.” Steve believes that the majority of our built environment was designed and developed for a different world and different times. Over the years, the world has changed significantly, with population growth, the introduction of convenience products, changes in the definition of quality of life, and increased consumption. Our existing built environment, including millions of homes and buildings, was not designed to meet these new circumstances. Therefore, redevelopment is necessary to prioritize efficiency in resource utilization, waste reduction, and urban development. He shares his personal journey and how his love for architecture and design combined with his awareness of environmental impact led him to focus on sustainability in the built environment. He emphasizes the need for a market that offers existing homes with modern functionality and efficiency. He started out with his own family home, built in 1922. He wanted to find professionals who could maintain the historical characteristics of the home while making it efficient. However, he couldn't find anyone who specialized in this type of work. Steve emphasizes the importance of renovating and retrofitting the existing built environment instead of starting from scratch, as the waste generated from demolishing and rebuilding would be immense. To address this gap, Steve formed Tradicient. He sought to make his own family's home a LEED Platinum-certified property, the highest level of certification for sustainable homes. He collaborated with professionals on maintaining the aesthetic and historical characteristics of the home while incorporating efficient and sustainable features. Overall, Steve's goal with Tradicient is to create a market for efficient, sustainable redevelopment of existing homes. He believes it's crucial to preserve and enhance the built environment while aligning it with modern sustainability standards. • LA Times article by Lisa Boone about Steve’s family home and its landscaping done by FormLA (https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2022-09-12/los-angeles-homeowners-remove-turf-for-leed-certified-drought-tolerant-landscaping) • Steve Matloff: steve@tradicient.com

"From the environmental aspect, composing has so many benefits. When you compost your food instead of throw way in the landfill, it gets proper aeration and it has oxygen to properly decompose so it doesn't release harmful greenhouse gasses like methane into the environment. So it's helping kind of the global warming movement on one aspect. And then from another lens, I'm taking AP environmental science right now and my teacher was talking about how one of the main reasons that they're requiring compost in California is because they're running out of landfill space. And so landfill space is obviously really detrimental to a lot of ecosystems because you're displacing those natural lands to put in manmade things like the landfills. And so when we compost our food, we're not taking up those lands and taking those lands away from natural ecosystems. And lastly, composting is known as black gold. And so, compost is really valuable to a lot of plants, and so, when we compost instead of just throwing it away, we create that natural fertilizer, so composting also reduces the use of synthetic fertilizers, which cause so many problems in the ecosystem. " - Cordelia O'Rouke Grades of Green (https://gradesofgreen.org/) is an international non-profit organization, originally founded in Southern California by moms to “educate, empower and inspire students to take action and achieve long lasting environmental impact in their schools and communities.” Special Project Manager, Glenn Arnade, proudly introduced me to a high-school student named Cordelia O’Rouke, who spearheaded a program to get local schools to start composting the food scraps from their cafeterias. In California, the State Senate Bill 1383 (https://calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp/resources/) enacted in January 2022 requires the food and compostable materials be kept out of the landfill. Empowered by the bill and the support/structure provided by Grades of Green, Cordelia has so far reached approximately 4,000 students at 4 different schools and trained them to engage in composting programs to divert the cafeteria food scraps. Cordelia discussed the benefits of composting and how it can help the environment by reducing greenhouse gasses and landfill space, and also shared tips on how to compost, including adding more brown waste and finding the right composting method based on individual goals and living situations.