We were clueless about why it was a problem, but we ruled it out along with the walnut paneling and the MDF trim. We discovered that oil-based paint, latex paint, and wood finishes were also not acceptable. One product at a time we were able to find substitutes that he could live with. The project went way over budget due to the specialties we had to incorporate, and our profit margin was reduced because it took so long to find the products. We figured that you pay for your education one way or another and felt like we had learned a lot in the process.
Today there are resources that make the whole process much easier.
Manufacturers of almost any product type imaginable have developed green substitutes, many of which cost about the same as conventional products. The design community has developed good methodologies and sources for designing green buildings. Green buildings reduce the impact of the built environment on the ecosystem and the health of occupants through careful design, specification, construction, operation, and reuse or deconstruction at the end of a building's useful life. Building green calls for new considerations in each step of the design and construction process. The rest of this chapter explores conventional approaches and a sampling of green alternatives that address the environmental issues raised by common construction approaches.