NAHB to Launch Green Building Program

The board of directors for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has approved the creation of a national green building program to provide a template for voluntary, market-driven green building all over the country.

The vote came during the NAHB Spring Board of Directors meeting in Washington DC on June 10.

The new program will be based on the National Green Building Standard, a model for residential construction and renovation written by builders, architects, environmentalists and product experts that will be released in early 2008.

This standard is the result of a cooperative effort between NAHB and the International Code Council and is based on NAHB’s Green Home Building Guidelines, which are the foundation of more than 20 green building programs created by state and local home builder associations throughout the country.

“With a national program, home buyers can be assured that their home is truly green, whether they live in Seattle or Savannah, in a condo or a ranch house, and whether they’re renovating or buying new,” says NAHB President Brian Catalde, a home builder from El Segundo, Calif.

Like the Model Green Home Building Guidelines and the Standard the National Green Building Program takes into account a home’s lot development, use of resources, energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, durability and ease of maintenance, as well as the builder’s efforts to educate home owners.

More information is available at www.nahb.org.