Clawson builders hope to take home to a new green level
Builder tries for Platinum efficiency in high-end Bloomfield Township residence
By Greta Guest
Detroit Free Press
July 27, 2008
Gontina Building & Design in Clawson is going for platinum certification, the highest U.S. green building level, on a home in Bloomfield Township.
The structure started going up this week on the 3,700-square-foot European estate-inspired home. The 4-bedroom, 4-bath home, when finished early next year, is to feature bamboo flooring, structural insulated panels, a geothermal heating and cooling system, recycled glass countertops and organic compound paint.
The home, situated on an acre lot surrounded by mature trees in an established neighborhood, is to have an asking price of $1.3 million, said Woody Gontina, co-owner of Gontina Building & Design.
The home would be only the third in Michigan with the platinum certification. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green-building rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council is the national standard for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.
Building to these standards results in a healthier and more efficient home. It is estimated that 40% to 50% of homes built in 2010 will use green standards, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
There is growing interest in green homes as the housing market has sputtered, according to a 2007 McGraw-Hill report. Green homes were less than 1% of the construction market -- worth nearly $2 billion -- at the building peak in 2005. But, despite the current slowdown, the green home market is expected to grow to $20 billion by 2010, according to the report. To view the report, go to www.greenhomeguide.org/news_and_events/news_item_1.html.
'The future of homebuilding'
"Many builders realize this is going to be the future of homebuilding," Gontina said. "Some just incorporate energy-efficient windows and try to pass it off as green building. We take a full-scale approach from design to building."
Gontina cites a list of energy- and water-saving features from timed bathroom exhaust fans to dual flush toilets in the home. Rainwater will be harvested from roof runoff to irrigate landscaping.
The energy-efficient building methods and environmentally responsible construction don't mean the homeowner will live without luxury. The home also features a heated tile floor and jetted tub in the master bath, custom cabinetry in the kitchen, hardwood floors, a three-car garage and pre-wired telephone and cable TV.
Payback in the savings
Green homes do not cost that much more than those built with traditional construction methods, Gontina said. The premium is about 3% over regularly built homes, but the payback comes in lower utility bills to operate.
For example, while a geothermal heating and cooling system has the largest upfront costs, the payback is usually within five years at current energy costs, Gontina said. Solar panels can take 15 to 25 years to pay back.
"This is the only way we like to build homes. We do recognize it as the future of construction," Gontina said.
Gontina's goal is to build green homes in the $300,000 to $500,000 range.
Gontina graduated from Michigan State University with a construction management degree and went to California, where he was exposed to green building. He returned to the area in 2004 and started the company with co-owner Timothy Risk, an architect with a master's degree from the University of Michigan.
Gontina received his certified green professional designation from the National Association of Home Builders earlier this year. And Risk is a member of Ferndale's Environmental Sustainability Commission, which advises the City Council on its environmental policies.
"The home has a lot of traditional style," Risk said. "We have oriented the house so it looks nice from the street, but there are view access points throughout the house so you can see certain trees or aspects of the landscape."
The Bloomfield Township home should be complete by early 2009 and may be the first platinum LEED-rated home in the township. The company plans to build a similar home across the street beginning in September, Gontina said.
Another home being built a few miles away by a husband and wife also is vying for the honor.