Why aren we building environmentally friendly homes?
First, many builders ARE building “green” technology homes. Second, you hinted at the reason not everyone builds that way. Initial costs are higher than traditionaly designed structures. Saving pennies on energy costs means that a homeowner will not realize his energy savings potential until years down the line. Meanwhile, he has to come up with money out of pocket to get into such a home in the first place. Finally, why should all homes require wheelchair access? If that were required, there would be no second story or split level homes, nor homes built on hillsides, or above garages. These newer options should open up design opportunities, not restrict them.
