A 711-acre redevelopment of an old municipal airport in Austin, Texas, ranks as the top green housing development by Natural Home magazine.
The magazine in its Jan./Feb. issue ranked 10 housing developments. The Mueller development — which will turn a former city airport in Austin into a residential development featuring homes, businesses, parks and a school — took home the top spot. You can see why here, at the development’s official Web site.
The project features several green options for new homes, including tankless water heaters, programmable thermostats and solar panels. Developers will re-use the former airport’s hangars by transforming them into information centers and, possibly, entertainment venues. The project will also reserve 25 percent of all housing for lower-income owners or renters.
It’s this last point that I like best. It’s great that green building has become far more of a mainstream concept. Unfortunately, green-built residences are far too pricey for even homeowners with moderate incomes. Developers need to build green homes for people who aren’t rich – some, fortunately, are, but more need to follow — before green construction truly becomes mainstream.
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