11 Aug How Big Can A Certified Sustainable House Be?

It’s an interesting question and one that certainly needs to be answered. According to the U.S Green Building Council’s LEED program, a large house can indeed be certified. This doesn’t mean that it goes without penalty of course. Any home over 1,900 square feet applying for a LEED certification will lose points. Is that it?

It is a compelling argument right now. Boyce Thompson has a pretty interesting article about it over on Builderonline.com. He clearly thinks that larger homes shouldn’t be certified but he also respects the counter arguments.

I am having trouble understanding how a home with several unused rooms can be considered sustainable. Isn’t this the complete opposite? Should water saving toilets and fixtures really help a mansion qualify for a sustainable certification? It seems there are mixed opinions and as Thompson states in his article, “The many competing standards in the marketplace make comparisons very difficult.” Since there is no set standard in certification, who wins the final argument on what is sustainable and what isn’t?

This can be confusing for consumers and builders. Until there is a set standard in sustainable certification I think things will continue to be confusing.