Lakewood Ranch – In 2003, the idea of green building confused consumers who often pictured a land of futuristic homes.
‘People didn’t understand. They were thinking it would be dome houses or grass roofs,” said Bob Sisum, director of builder programs for LWR Communities.
Risking the chance of confusion and countering it with education, Sisum introduced the idea of green building to attract a niche market and raise the bar in quality building at Lakewood Ranch. The Ranch is now the largest green community in Florida.
The green Gallery at the Lakewood ranch Information Center offer’s an educational and interactive self-guided tour of a green home’s features that save money and also look attractive.
The display offers comparison’s of different kinds if insulation, flooring and tile made of recycled materials and energy efficient appliances. Originally estimated to cost 80,000, the mini-model came in substantially under budget due to donations from area builders. The National Association of Home Builders recognized the developer’s commitment to green building as well as its unique marketing technique.
“Home buyers are beginning to demand it. They finally are saying, “this makes sense, this isn’t weird,” “said Lakewood Ranch spokeswoman Sondra Guffey.
That demand for green housing ahs lowered the cost of going green substantially. There is now more competition in the marketplace and prices have become more competitive as well. It is often only $500 more than standard construction, Sisum said.
There are different levels of going green at Lakewood Ranch, Sisum said. Homes are rated gold, silver and bronze depending on the level of green elements included. That could be reusable materials, including cork, bamboo and recycled plastic bottles, energy efficient appliances and air-tight windows.
Green elements also include ways to eliminate toxins in the home. Some household paints emit formaldehyde fume and synthetic floor coverings can contain unhealthy gases.
The Holiday Inn Lakewood Ranch became the first hotel in the Manatee-Sarasota area to receive Green Lodging Certification form the Florida Department of Environment Protection.
While the hotel was less than four years old, it took a year and a half to renovations to convert the building. Retrofitting it with new lights, lights switches, shower heads and more was not an expensive venture. The transformation to green hotel meant changing things down to cleaning products. The hotel is now a healthier place to stay but the reduction in utilities cost also was an improvement.
Of Lakewood Ranch’s 33,000 total acres, 20,000 are currently or will be “green,” Sisum said. “Green” acres are defined as those set aside for open space, wetlands and uplands, preservation of wild habitat and wildlife corridors, trails for walkers, lakes used for conservation and subdivisions built with energy conservation as a top priority.
“We even have a tunnel for animals to go under Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, near Summerfield Park,” Sisum said.
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