Friendly building

Green experts and enthusiasts alike say that building "green" is the smarter, better way, and it's catching on.

Going green is a growing trend when it comes to building, with low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint lining shelves and Energy Star appliances boasting utility savings in every home improvement store. But it doesn't stop there — many office buildings and homes in Winter Park and Maitland aren't just making small sustainable changes, they're green from the ground up.

Riley Allen, an Orlando attorney whose Maitland Center office building uses green design, said it wasn't hard for him to go that direction when he learned the benefits to the environment and the people who use the buildings. Allen hopes that his building will inspire others to do the same.

"Everyone who comes here loves the building, and when they find out it has a green component, I think it motivates them," he said.

A green building design uses strategies that improve energy savings, indoor environmental quality and water efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and are sensitive to the resources it uses and their impacts on people and the environment. Owners can then get their buildings LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, which states that buildings have been built with the environment in mind, and scores them using a point system. The certification can qualify owners for tax credits, though in Florida, there aren't many and they're very specific.

Allen's certified $10 million building at 429 S. Keller Road is a good example of all the green building strategies at work. He protected all the existing trees on the site to use as shade. The building also uses recycled and low-VOC materials, fixtures that use less water and energy saving appliances. Most features have saved him money on his energy bill.

All these tools at work help by maintaining clean air and conserving resources while keeping the environment intact. This is extremely important for the future, said Winter Park green architect John Drake, of Green Apple Architecture, who also builds green homes including one in Winter Park.

"It's pretty much a necessity, not for us, but for our descendants," he said.

Allen agreed.

"We've been quite reckless … and there's no doubt that we have an obligation to protect the environment," he said.

Allen, who is also a trial lawyer, said that knowing he built to help the environment makes him feel good about working there.

"It's the best place I've ever worked," he said.

His design, with large windows to bring in natural light and the view of the trees he saved, not only add to that motive, but is also beautiful to be around. He said his clients, who are often stressed about their situation, are more relaxed in his building. He sees benefits from his employees, too, who seem to have higher energy and lower stress.

"There's a big difference when you work in a building like this … it just puts you in a different frame of mind," said Marian Mercado, Allen Murphy Law firm's receptionist.

And while Allen spent a lot on his build, with some of the green design costing extra, being green doesn't have to cost more, and owners can make money by saving on utilities, said Wendy Landry of Green Building Services, a green project managing company in Orlando. Landry is a LEED Accredited Professional, which means she guides builders and inspects buildings to make them LEED certified.

Landry and Drake agreed that building green is really the best practice. Only builders with the cheapest, fastest mindset with construction will run into more trouble and work by trying to go green, she said.

"If you want to build a good, smart building, making it LEED certified doesn't have to cost more," she said. "It's just a return to smart decision making."