Izmi Builders, Inc. is committed to protecting our environment.

The time next we talk - ask us about our Green alternatives and we'll share with you the knowledge and experience we have.

Sustainable design or building "green" is an opportunity to create healthier buildings and environments. It provides cost savings to you and to all Californians through improved human health and productivity, lower cost building operations, and resource efficiency--and it moves us closer to a sustainable future.

What Makes a Building Green?

A green building, also known as a sustainable building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives such as protecting occupant health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact to the environment.

What Are the Economic Benefits of Green Buildings?

A green building may cost more up front, but saves through lower operating costs over the life of the building. The green building approach applies a project life cycle cost analysis for determining the appropriate up-front expenditure. This analytical method calculates costs over the useful life of the asset.

These and other cost savings can only be fully realized when they are incorporated at the project's conceptual design phase with the assistance of an integrated team of professionals. The integrated systems approach ensures that the building is designed as one system rather than a collection of stand-alone systems.

Some benefits, such as improving occupant health, comfort, productivity, reducing pollution and landfill waste are not easily quantified. Consequently, they are not adequately considered in cost analysis. For this reason, consider setting aside a small portion of the building budget to cover differential costs associated with less tangible green building benefits or to cover the cost of researching and analyzing green building options.

Even with a tight budget, many green building measures can be incorporated with minimal or zero increased up-front costs and they can yield enormous savings.

We'll show you how you can save money AND save the environment at the same time!

Click here to ask us about your Green alternatives

More Information

• Sustainable Building Technical Manual, http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/freshstart/articles/ptipub.htm

• A Guide to Irrigation Water Needs of Landscape Plants in California: www.dpla.water.ca.gov/urban/conservation/landscape/wucols/

• Department of Health Services, Indoor Air Quality Web site: www.cal-iaq.org

• U.S. Department of Energy Web site: www.sustainable.doe.gov/buildings/gbintro.shtml

• Environmental Building News: www.buildinggreen.com/

• U.S. Green Building Council Web site: www.usgbc.org