Graywater System

Even in the dicey economy, construction financing for the Nzinga Townhomes in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn is moving forward and developer Yolande Nicholson hopes to break ground on the modular green project early in 2009. Designed by Garrison Architects , each 2900-square-foot condominium townhouse includes 2000 square feet of living space for owners with an additional 900 square feet of separate rentable apartment space.

Units are outfitted with Energy Star appliances, optional solar power, efficient heating and cooling systems, and compact fluorescents. In addition to offering heating and cooling benefits, an exterior living green wall (which you can make out in the rough rendering) is irrigated by a building-integrated graywater system. It’s presently unclear whether the project is pursuing any third-party certification for its green efforts. The project’s modular design should trim the construction schedule in half.

Cooking Light magazine recently announced that its 2009 FitHouse will be located in Sagaponack, New York; its FitHouse initiative has been ongoing since 2002 and promotes healthy living through a home that features green design, construction, products, and landscaping. Next year's FitHouse will be designed by Manhattan-based Resolution 4 Architecture as a 3000-square-foot, modern, prefabricated four-bedroom home. In addition to a variety of green features, the house will also include a pool and bocce court.

Res 4 principal Joseph Tanney will supervise both design and construction phases of the project and also plans to seek an unspecified level of LEED certification for the Fithouse. According to Mr. Tanney, green building technology- particularly prefabricated construction- has become more affordable and easier to disseminate over the past few years. "More and more modern architects are attempting to do this," he noted. "This idea has really gained traction."