The SC unit was a healthy size, approximately 3,500 square feet, but it appears that despite its size and sophistication, monthly management and utility costs will be much less than its comparables. Part of the fun of going green is investing in tricked out gadgetry (the smart home system is very cool, as is the charging dock for an electric vehicle), but the name of the game is really longevity. Inspired by Lehmann, I trekked out to Marshall's HomeGoods this afternoon, and as I was about to plunk down a buck for April's issue of Vogue, I had a sustainability epiphany - it occurred to me, after food, fashion magazines are the most perishable item. Consider this: in just a few weeks, the magazine devalued by seventy-five percent - we do not want perishable architecture; when designing sustainably we must champion for imperishability. Sheldon Crossing's vegetated roof will begin absorbing emissions and encourage outdoor communion immediately, but will also provide long term empirical insulative benefits - plus - a green roof extends the life of flat roof up to four or five times the typical rubber method. The idea is to do it right the first time, to build a healthy, holistic, high-performance house, which supports human life. I'll leave you with two last commendations for Sheldon Crossing, which I really can't say about everyone - the people behind SC are flexible; they are not mass-producing cheesy McMansions. Sheldon Crossing is new and beautiful, and yes, commands big real estate dollars, but they're building boutique houses for you, the individual. I say this next bit in bold, italics, caps, and underscored, Lehmann and Plessett are two of the most gracious and charming hosts you'll ever encounter; their palpable pride (which comes from knowing they've really done it) and the synergy of their partnership is one more saleable asset of living at SC.
As I left Sheldon Crossing, I was reminded of a quote from Thomas L. Friedman's, Hot, Flat, and Crowded:
Put it all together and what it means is that in the Energy-Climate Era, "green" is no longer a fad, green is no longer a boutique statement, green is no longer something you do to be good and hope that it pays off in ten years. Green is the way you grow, build, design, manufacture, work, and live…Green becomes the smartest, most efficient, lowest-cost way - when all the true costs are included - to do things. That is the huge transition we are just beginning to see. Green is going from boutique to better, from a choice to a necessity, from a fad to a strategy to win, from an insoluble problem to a great opportunity.
Comments