3.8 Changing the Perception of Green Homes with Alter Eco

“Part of that is to be able to honestly and clearly articulate the difference between cost, especially the upfront cost and long term value, obviously the fiscal value of something that works as your monthly output is less for that.  And that money can go towards small add to your mortgage.  But there’s also these amazing soft cost value that people don’t know.  You can’t quite grasp until you’re in. The air quality is amazing. They’re very quiet homes.  You don’t have any drafts on the big windows, and you have great light and things like that.  Those are the things when you actually bring some people to a home like that. It’s like walking into the nature, you just get that feeling, this is amazing.” - Brian Falcon Joe Lombardi and Brian Falcon are founders of a home building company, Alter Eco, based in Paoli, Pennsylvania. Joe and Brian, both architects, started their partnership in sustainable and energy-efficient home building after working together in a firm where they encountered difficulties in implementing green building principles due to clients' lack of understanding.They faced pushback from contractors and structural engineers who were used to a certain type of system, but were able to gain exposure and clients through national awards and articulating the importance and benefits of sustainable building.  We discussed the sustainable design and construction practices they implement in their architecture firm, including the use of energy-efficient systems, minimizing water waste, and achieving third-party certifications. They also talked about how they have been able to control costs and reduce waste in construction through their integrated design process. the trend of green and sustainable home building, including the use of pre-fabricated and panelized parts, and the importance of considering the embodied carbon of building components. More importantly we talked about the need to educate people on the benefits of sustainable homes and how it doesn't necessarily require a change in lifestyle.