Going for the Green

With the push to slow down global warming, green architecture has become the hottest trend in home design. The problem is, marketing folk have latched onto word green and are using it to promote houses that are more about money than environmental conservation.

Take, for example, the 7,000-square-foot model home at Windermere on the Lake in North Stamford, Connecticut. Sure, the house has super insulation, high performance windows, smart lighting, and a nifty geothermal system that pumps heat to and from the soil as needed. There's no doubt that the mansion uses less power than a similarly-sized home without these special features. But any home with five bedrooms, four baths, a home theater, a wine cellar, an exercise room, and a three-car garage will impact environmental resources.

See a photo and read the full story in the New York Times: How ‘Green’ Can a Huge House Be? >