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“Green Building” or “Green Builder” is hard to define because it is a very general description used to describe various facets of building. 

Green building can be described as:

• Building with energy saving materials and equipment
• Building with renewable materials to save natural resources
• Building with equipment that will produce the energy used in the building
• Building methods that preserve the natural features of the land
• Placing the home on the lot to take advantage of sunlight
• Designing floor plans with efficient layouts to reduce square footage
• Planning neighborhoods that make transportation efficient to reduce traffic and travel

 Here is our approach to Green building:

• Build well insulated homes with energy efficient windows, heating systems and appliances
• Design efficient floor plans to standard material dimensions to reduce wasted materials
• Place the home on the lot to preserve the natural features of the property and take advantage of natural sunlight for passive solar benefits
• Work with the owner to add any energy saving components they want
• Work with the owner to add any components that will allow the addition of other energy saving equipment in the future as their budget allows
• Help our customers evaluate the return on investment for the cost of energy saving components

 At Alliance Builders Inc., we look at all of the above with a common sense approach.  We can provide any of the energy saving construction methods like Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) or Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF).  Alliance Builders Inc. can also provide any of the equipment systems that can provide energy savings like solar photovoltaic, solar domestic heating and cooling, geothermal heating and cooling, and passive solar design.  We strive to help our customers through the process of choosing the best green building components to include in their home. 

Over the last 20 years I have encountered numerous customers who have paid several thousand dollars for custom home plans that do not fit their budget. 

Usually they tell me they paid a designer to draw plans for their dream home.  When I talk to them about their budget I often find the plans they have given me are not realistic for their resources, and they have wasted their investment in the drawings. 

My advice is to select a builder you trust before starting the process with the designer.  Builders can recommend designers that draw good plans, and the builder can work with the designer to meet your budget.  Some builders offer design/build where they do the plan drawing for you.  Design/build is a great way to go however some design/build companies have limited architectural styles, so your creative options may be limited.  Make sure your design/builder can produce the home style that meets your vision for the home.

 Alliance Builders is a design/build company.  We are very good at designing unique yet practical floor plans that meet the customer’s budget.  We are experienced in several architectural styles to include French Country, Cottage, Lodge, Craftsman, Tuscan, and Contemporary.  We have a portfolio of ranch style, 2-story and main level master 2 story plans that we can modify to meet your needs, or we can do all custom design.  Our cost for floor plan design is very reasonable and it does not cost anything to explore the possibilities.  

Posted by Brad Ausmus