Green Building and Design

In recent years, green living and design have become popular subjects and business practices in California.  In fact, it is hard to go anywhere without seeing a new advertisement for a natural or eco-friendly product.  It makes one wonder if this green craze is just a passing fad or if it is truly here to stay.  One thing is for certain, Americans are demanding a healthier lifestyle and the market seems to be responding to this shift in consumer demand.

For entrepreneurs and savvy business owners, this shift in demand can be equated with opportunity—the opportunity to gain market share in the ever emerging fields of sustainable products, design, and business practices. 

Green building and design is one facet of the emerging green market that presents opportunity to developers, general contractors, and subcontractors.  A great example of green building in the Bay Area is Oakland’s Margarido house.  According to the Contra Costa Times, the “Margarido House is the first home in Northern California to be both Greenpoint rated and to earn platinum certification — the highest — from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, green building rating system.”  In the design and construction of this sustainable home, many local architects, engineers, and contractors had the opportunity to expand both their knowledge base and resume of green building by participating in this project.  If you are interested in viewing the Margarido house, sign up for tickets prior to September 20 at www.rockridge.org.

Many of the tenants leasing space at the Brentwood Business Center, such as Easton Construction, Devcon Construction, Pacific Crest Landscape and Maintenance, and A Quality Heating and Air, have the same unique opportunity to break into the field of green building and design right now.  Features such as green roofs, rainwater catchment systems, low or nontoxic materials, energy efficient lighting, and heating, solar energy and green landscape design are becoming more popular and in some cases even subsidized by the government. 

I say “green” is here to stay.  So , if you have the opportunity to expand into this market take it and make your little piece of the world more sustainable in the process.