Sustainable green builds are more than just positive for ecosystems and your finances; they’re also beneficial for your health. In his keynote address at the latest Green Building conference in New Orleans, famed guru, Deepak Chopra, discussed the measurable ways in which "green" builds and features support health. The entire conference focused on inhabitant health, which has become the latest reason to embrace green building.

Green building has become a huge selling point as both a mark of a sophisticated, newer build and as a money-saver. According to the US Green Building Council, residential homes account for approximately 20% of carbon dioxide emissions in America; and to date, more than 1 million green homes have saved consumers an estimated $200 million annually in utility bills. At BHHS Utah, we feel that green building needs to be looked at holistically.

Rather than seeing sustainable homes as separate systems of different technologies, strategies, and materials, they need to be viewed as individual human habitats. Up until recently, discussing green building in any depth required a solid background in building or LEED certification (standardization for green building). Green Building has evolved to where builders are able to utilize sustainable technologies to build you more than a home, but a habitat that promotes wellness...in addition to meeting your standards of design, functionality, and sustainability.

While kitchens with built-in juicers, hydroponic herbariums, and bathrooms with reflexology stones and teak steam rooms might seem a bit over the top, adopting a few principle features of sustainable building can improve your emotional and physical health drastically. By using building materials with minimal off-gassing, like wood, and increasing natural light, you can decrease your risk of cancer and ward off environmental-induced depression.

In a recent quote, Deepak Chopra stated in support of building for human health: “This is the next step in the real estate industry — understanding that sustainability should begin in the home. Our bodies are sustainable but exposed to pollution, no different than the environment.” We agree and are doing what we can to champion healthy homes. Reach-out to your BHHS agent for more info on which homes near you are adopting this trend.