Building Green
Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity builds durable, healthy and sustainable houses at the lowest possible cost. Below you will find information and training resources, as well as project examples of Habitat building energy-efficient, healthy and sustainable houses.
What is sustainable building?
Sustainable―or “green”―building means designing and constructing houses that are efficient and durable, that use less resources, are healthy to live in and are affordable.
Habitat builds sustainable homes using construction standards that focus on water and energy efficiency, safety and health, and materials conservation.
Why build sustainable?
We build sustainably to take better care of our environment, our homeowners, and our volunteers. Our goals are to reduce the home’s monthly and life cycle costs and increase efficiency and durability while providing healthy environments.
Habitat for Humanity’s U.S. Sustainable Construction Standards manual (4MB .pdf)
How is Habitat building sustainably?
Habitat works in concert with many partners to continually improve the quality of our homes and the building process.
We find green building techniques and materials that are comparable in price to traditional counterparts.
We continually seek new ideas and educate the volunteers that work on each build site.
Energy efficiency fact sheets
The following fact sheets provide basic how-to information for creating a more energy-efficient home.
- Energy efficiency makes homes more affordable (261k)
- Energy efficient construction (201k)
- Seal air leaks and save energy (139k)
- Keys to effective wall insulation (148k)
- Combustion equipment safety (135k)
- Ceiling and attic insulation and ventilation (99k)
- Insulating foundation and floors (125k)
- Insulating attic access (89k)
- Blower door and duct blaster testing (104k)
- Read case studies and recommended practices of Habitat’s partnership with Building America
If you have ideas to share or would like more information about Habitat’s construction technologies, please contact us at 732-228-7962.