Building a Sustainable Home: Practical Green Design Choices for Your Health, Wealth, and Soul

by Melissa Rappaport Schifman

The green building movement has produced hundreds of “how-to” books and websites that are filled with tips about green building and what homeowners should do to go green. While helpful and informative, when it comes to making actual purchasing and installation decisions, these books do not make it any easier for a homeowner to prioritize against a budget. Here, Schifman shares her knowledge and experience for others to use in their journey toward a greener way of living.

Whether the reader is building a new home or doing a minor remodel, a homeowner needs a framework by which to guide their decisions. These decisions are based on values, and the author posits that there are really only three reasons to go green:
For Our Health: By building more sustainably, we reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins.
For Our Wealth: By building a more durable home and being more efficient with resources like water and electricity, we reduce our monthly utility bills and ongoing maintenance expenses.
For Our Soul: Collectively doing the right thing for our planet does make a difference—and that is soul-nourishing.
Learn the logistics of choosing windows, insulation, appliances, and lighting. Find out about FSC certified wood and about using reclaimed materials. Here is everything you need to make your home sustainable.

Genres: Nonfiction

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2018

Reviews

[D'Arcy Michiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disappointed with this book. It had some interesting information, especially in the last two chapters, however the book is mostly an exercise in how people can use LEED to greenwash their giant home as sustainable. Many of the chapters focus on purifying the air, water and furnishings in the home of "contaminants" (ie. what poor people drink, breathe and own) which I don't personally care about and do not see how it is related to sustainability. The whole premise of the book was to create a sustainable home but whenever the author was presented with a sustainable choice that they didn't like it was waived away because it "didn't fit the lifestyle they had grown accustomed to". For example, one expert pointed out that a smaller home is more efficient than a larger home. The author thought that wouldn't do and selected a 4000 square foot home because how could someone live in a tiny 2500 square foot home! In the beginning they predicted an energy use reduction of 60% but in the end it was only a 40% reduction. Which is negated by the fact they have a home that is 40% bigger than average. Many sustainable options were waived off as too expensive but not a 10000$ dollar back up gas generator in case of a short term power outage. Which is fine better than nothing I guess but they were awarded LEED gold!

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book, written by a woman with good intentions, but a seemingly unlimited budget to build a 5000 square foot dream home (not sustainable). Some ideas are transferable to common homeowners and builders, but most are not.

She does use extremely low level cost benefit analysis for many items. Her breakdown of the process and her experience in building a LEED-certified home was worth one star.

I also appreciated her clearly stated priorities in building: health, wealth and soul. Worth another star, but I can't imagine saving money (wealth) was incredibly important in her process. Without these priorities clearly stated, she would have come off as another liberal trying to assuage the guilt of building a million dollar almost-mansion.

Pros: certification (albeit only one house) is revealing at times. The priorties were well-stated, although her interpretation seems self-serving and convoluted.

Cons: not sustainable or attainable.

[Mark Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The point at which current methods of housing construction are no longer sustainable is clearly in view—it's actually been within sight for some time. In this book Melissa Rappaport Schifman describes her actual experiences in designing her own home to be sustainable. The author demonstrates in this practical project that sustainability is not only attainable, it actually is so from tangible financial, health, and general sense of well being perspectives.

Don't be put off by the extremely left brain technical considerations addressed in their minute detail—each step of the hard slog through mind numbing arcane and seemingly arbitrary technical minutiae is accompanied by a sense of higher purpose throughout. On the other hand, those with a knack for calculations will be in green eyeshades heaven. The calculations are based on the requirements of LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is a voluntary rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998 that certifies the sustainability of new and planned buildings. The narrative of pursuing LEED points is actually entertaining (as in "will they qualify for this point or not").

Schifman presents a bottom line target that is clear: 100% energy from renewable sources; 0% of toxic chemicals released to air, water, or land (which is an industry, more so than residential, action item); 100% of waste is recycled or composted (the only way to be financially sustainable for food, clothing, and transportation); and we need to vote with our wallets to support businesses that are more sustainable. The author points out that we have the tech and the knowledge—and this could be the moonshot of our time.

We should do all we can through voting and communicating with elected officials to demand housing that is both affordable and sustainable—don't let anyone convince you this is not attainable. The alternative is the continuation of rampant uncontrolled development that benefits no one but unsustainable profit takers.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful in understanding LEED certification and the author discusses how she made the practical decisions in building her own house. She evaluated overall benefit vs cost . Also enjoyed her honesty in best and worst decisions made....Nice summaries and comparisons throughout the book.

[Sarah Logsdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read for the novice aspiring home builder. Schifman does a great job at explaining complex and mundane processes. I appreciated her sense to ground sustainable choices within realistic economics.

[Lev Rothenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, well written and well-considered

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this interesting to read as someone who is not currently building a home, and would go back to reference it if I were.

[suyee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical introduction to sustainable projects and certifications, as a first approach I find it a useful guide.

[Nada | ندى · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good to know; it's a step toward a better world that considers both humans and the environment.

[Ajax · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ I wish I was that rich