Custom Homes - The Future of Sustainable Living

Our third presenter of the day was none other than Don Ferrier, the CEO of Ferrier Custom Homes. Custom building has been in his family for generations and the tradition is still going strong. His grandfather came to this country from Scotland in 1881 and assisted in the construction of the Texas State Capitol and his father's company constructed bridges and roads throughout Texas. Following in their footsteps, Don established Ferrier Builders, Inc. in 1984 and built many of the earliest energy efficient homes in Texas. As technology has advanced at light speed Ferrier custom homes followed. In 2004 Don established the company Ferrier Custom Homes which now specializes in Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) homes and continues to implement the most sustainable solutions possible into all projects.

It was immediately clear that Don is passionate about his work. He positively believes that, no matter how much or how little you have to invest at the time, it is possible to replace many of the materials in a home for more sustainable options. In his perspective every little bit helps and he has been consistently focused on creating homes and commercial buildings that are beneficial for the community and the environment. To obtain buy-in from builders, Don points out that as an added bonus investments now in sustainability are starting to see a shorter payoff period and often bring larger resale values. 

Don also stressed that there is a difference in "light green" and "dark green" people. The difference is that "light green" people are those who do some recycling and take reusable bags to the store, whereas, those who are "dark green" take sustainability to the limit. There are many variations in between, but if we are to make a real lasting difference in the future we should be more focused on investing in "dark green" initiatives that will have the most reduction to energy and waste possible.

The most insightful part of his presentation was on the complexities of vertical integration of sustainable initiatives. He discussed how all members of the team (buyers, architects, builders, inspectors, and city departments) have to actively and honestly communicate what the expectations are, what they paybacks will be, and how to achieve the best solutions. Don will work with every buyer to get the best sustainability solutions in place within their budget but will also educate them on how spending more now often leads to a greater payoff in the end. He also works with the city departments to get the appropriate rebates, clearances, and inspection values for all of the initiative implemented.

The sustainability focus that Don has brought to all aspects of his projects result in significantly lower energy bills (less than $200/month for a 4,000+ sq/ft home with the right equipment), greatly reduced water/waste bills, and an environmentally beneficial living space for current and future generations. Some of the many high energy impact areas he focused on were appropriate design and framing, passive solar (natural light walls), active solar panels, higher rated insulation, heat reflecting roofs, efficient air conditioning/heating equipment, and the importance of directional building in Texas to naturally avoid the negative impacts of the Texas sun.

Along with Don, his two daughters Heather and Lacey, also work to champion for the cause of sustainable building. A great success story for the Ferrier family was the esteemed "Heather's Home" project. It all started when Heather wanted to build a new home that would be as sustainable as possible on a low budget. Coming in at a little over 2,000 sq/ft, Heather's Home was built using green products, became one of the first Net Zero homes in Texas, and won the 2007 Housing Award Gold Winner. This award is only one of the many Don and his prestigious company have attained since 2004. The list of all of Ferrier Custom Homes' awards and affiliations are available on their site.

I was extremely impressed by Don Ferrier's insight and passion that he displays toward sustainable living. I am encouraged by his honestly with the builders and his drive to provide the best solutions possible. His presentation was enlightening I do hope that builders will pursue more green options that are starting to come available. If you are thinking about building a house I would definitely suggest that you contact Ferrier Custom Homes and discuss your options. They will help you every way they can to create a beautiful and environmentally friendly home that will be beneficial to you and generations to come.  

For videos of Don Ferrier doing what he does best please visit my video page here.