Hello and welcome
to Think Green Building. This site has a number of facets,
but at its core the goal is simple and straightforward: we want
to help make buildings better. Right there, in just two sentences,
we’ve created a number of questions: what is “green”?,
why “think”?, who are “we”?, and what
is meant by “better”? To truly answer those questions,
you’ll have to spend some time perusing this site and perhaps
talking with us. As a way of introduction, though, here are some
quick answers:
What is Green
Building?
Obviously, this is a nebulous term that means different things to different
people. To us, a “green” building balances five basics traits:
low construction impact, energy efficiency, longevity, non-toxicity, and beauty.
Click here what
is green building? for more.
Why “Think
Green Building”?
Sometimes there is simply a right answer. For example, if you don’t want
to get wet, you shouldn’t stand in the rain. However, building rarely
offers such black and white simplicity. We believe that a good building is
the intersection of the idiosyncratic needs of specific people with an exact
spot on the planet. This interaction is complicated and delicate, a relationship
that doesn’t lend itself to packaged answers. The “think” in
our name is intended as a constant reminder to us and to you that every act
of building needs to be approached with a completely open, inquisitive mindset.
This method often makes finding solutions more challenging, but almost always
makes the process and especially the end result, your building, more rewarding.
Click here knowledge base for
more.
Who are “we”?
At the core, Think Green Building is Clarke
Snell and Tim Callahan. While working together on several building projects,
we had many discussions about our views on the art of building. These led us
to write a book together which chronicled the creation of a carefully designed
and exquisitely crafted cottage filled with "green building" materials,
techniques, and design concepts. The book, called "Building
Green: A Complete How-to Guide to Alternative Building Methods", is
thorough and, we think, incredibly useful. Through working on this unique project,
we discovered that our varied skills, knowledge, and perspectives created a
formidable force, so we decided to continue the partnership. Though we like
to stay light on our feet, for example we don't maintain an office, we also
keep a close relationship to a network of building professionals that share
our outlook. Therefore, our group can swell, shrink, and adapt to be of use
on almost any green building project, no matter the scope. Click here about
us for more.
What do we mean
by making buildings “better”?
Taken alone, each of the five “green
building” traits we've defined are simply improvements from any perspective.
No one wants a toxic, short-lived, energy hog, ugly building set on a devastated
site. The trick, and the fun, comes in bringing these five often conflicting
elements together in a cohesive design and then carefully carrying through
that design in construction. At its core, though, we believe that green building
is simply common sense and that it will become the norm as it becomes demystified
in the minds of the public. That's why, in addition to consulting and building,
we put a lot of our time into educating the public through lectures, workshops,
and writings.
