| Building
with a vision..
Techniques
create environmental-friendly homes..
Friday
August 19, 1994
By LARA GOLD News-Press staff writer
Christopher Mendrick is a home builder
with a green touch.
As president of Vision Builders of Southwest Florida Inc.
in Cape Coral, his building philosophy is to be a "co-architect
with nature."
What that means is he uses green
technologies in his homes to  benefit
both the customers' pocketbooks and the environment.
Technologies include: a water-saving
plumbing system ,a 1.6 gallon low flush toilet that conserves
water and insulation made of 100 percent recycled newspapers.
Much of Mendrick's environmental
inspiration came from his father-in-law Lee County environmentalist
and former educator Bill Hammond. Hammond is credited with
preserving Six Mile Cypress Slough in south Lee County.
"He gave me a lot of ideas and
foresight into how a home can be cohesive with the environment," Mendrick
said.
"That caught
my attention and I thought about what type of products
I could use to save the future of the planet for my children."
After doing research for about a
year, Mendrick, 34, also a licensed real estate broker,
started the home building company in February 1993.
So far, Vision has
built 14 homes in Lee County, of which 12 have been sold.
Two model homes are open to the public in Cape Coral,
one on Cape Coral Parkway and the other other on Royal
Tee Circle at the Royal Tee Country Club. Prices vary
depending on the home, specifications and added features.
One model home of almost 3,000 square feet called "The Providence" had
a base price of $97,000, not including lot. Mendrick
is targeting the $60,000 to $90,000, the $90,000 to $120,000
and the $120,000 plus price range.
Mendrick also custom builds homes
using his environmental products.
Because of the soaring cost of lumber
and the effects that timber cutting has had on wildlife,
Mendrick also - like other homebuilders - is using some
steel mixed in with wood for the interior walls of his homes.
He eventually plans to use all steel for the walls and the
roof trusses because compared to wood, steel is stronger,
straighter and bug free.
Mendrick also uses energy efficient
appliances run with propane gas, which does not require
the burning of another fuel to generate its energy.
He liked propane
because: it is more efficient and has a lower monthly
operating cost, it is less harmful to the environment
because it does not produce pollutants that contribute
to the "greenhouse" warming effect and it is
produced in the United States.
From the air conditioner to the oven.
these appliances are run with propane, which is said to
be more efficient than electricity and cuts down on utility
bills.
"The home designed with green
concepts in mind is often more pleasurable to live in, and
there is strong evidence that values appreciate faster," Mendrick
wrote in an article about his building philosophy.
Florida Power and Light's BuildSmart
program recently gave Mendrick a silver medallion for one
of his energy efficient homes he built in Buckingham. Depending
on the efficiency of the home, FPL awards bronze, silver
and gold medallions.
The environmental
aspects of his home are helping to sell them. Six homes
have sold in the last three months and, Mendrick said,
it's because people want "environmentally friendly energyefficient homes.
When they find out it has recycled products and there are
water-saving devices that cost no more to them," it's
strong selling points.
Some of Mendrick's long term goals
for his company are to build 25 to 30 new homes per year
and to be recognized for being a green builder.
"I'm looking to win national
recognition with the National Gas Association," he
said. "I'd like to be the leader in environmentally
friendly energy-efficient homes."
|
Alhambra
courtyards to Colonial mission churches with Romanesque,
Gothic and Renaissance spirit. A hint of tradition, of an
impression of the centuries it has taken to create the great
houses.
