Real estate can be summed up in three simple words: location, location, and location. The same holds true in Green building.

Site location is the first thing to consider when you want to build a new green home. You will want to consider things such as:

• How close am I to work, school, dining, recreation. Walkability, public transit, and nearby conveniences becomes very important when building green.
• Community connectivity is a growing trend in green building design. This lifestyle allows for people to walk or bike to work on beautiful days, take a stroll in their neighborhood after dining at their favorite neighborhood resturant, have fun playing soccer at the nearby field, walking their kids to and from school, all in a safe and friendly environment. The demand for living in a close nit, denser environment, using less land and natural resources is becoming an increasingly desired way of life.
• Environmental impact and habitat degredation is another consideration when building new. You will want to protect your local water shed, as storm water runnoff is becoming an increased problem due to new construction. Reducing roads and hardscapes is an important consideration.
• Site orientation is critical to green building design. The value of a home and the entire neighborhood can be diminished if the lots and buildings are not built toward the sun's natural orientation. Poor site orientation can cost a building as much as a 30% energy loss. Good site orientation not only keeps your building cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, but also "future proofs" your investment. Prevailing winds are another thing to consider.

Before building your new home, or designing a new development take time to walk the land. Take a picnic and enjoy lunch on the land. Watch the sun rise over the land. Take an evening stroll around the area. You want to be in harmony with the land you want to live on, before breaking ground. Truly we do not own the land. We simply borrow it from our future generations.