The choice to live in downtown Chattanooga is becoming increasingly popular. Ask residents why they chose downtown, and you will get a variety of answers; yet every one of them has made the decision to become “greener” just by choosing the downtown way of life. When you choose to live downtown, you may unwittingly be following the hottest trend in the home market today -- going green. How?
First, many downtown residents chose to remodel and re-purpose an existing space. Using materials already there and reducing the amount of new materials needed lessen the gas and emissions to transport materials to the site. Less energy is used to rebuild than to build from scratch, and there is less disturbance of surrounding green space. All of this reduces the total impact on the environment. What is “greener” than recycling an old building or space? After all, isn’t the greenest building the one that is already there?
Secondly, downtown residents who walk or ride the electric shuttles to do many of their daily errands use less fuel and cause fewer emissions.
Thirdly, downtown living means less lawn and green space maintenance requirements, thereby using less water, pesticides, and gasoline for lawn equipment.
Finally, today’s well-built loft space, town home, or high rise space uses less energy than similarly-sized, single-family homes in conventional neighborhoods.
Once you decide to purchase a living space downtown, why stop there? The choices you make inside can also have a great impact on how large a footprint you leave on the Earth. Today many products are considered “green” or environmentally friendly, meaning they have less impact on the Earth’s environment and its resources than other products. Some to consider are:
• Recycled Glass Tile: Recycled glass tile, like those from Oceanside Glasstile, is made from 100% recycled glass products that otherwise would find themselves in landfills. The colors, styles, and shapes are many, and glass tile can be right at home in any design style. Whether used as a kitchen backsplash or on bathroom walls or fireplace surrounds, glass tiles make a big impact in your home, while making a small impact on the planet.
• Organic Green Fabrics: Recycling is not only for glass. Fabrics can also be green, both literally and environmentally. Companies, such as Kravet, are producing fabrics from all-natural, sustainable yarns or, increasingly, from recycled yarn. The options are as varied as the colors and textures with fabrics for upholstery, drapery and bedding.
• Environmentally-friendly Plumbing: Low flush, high efficiency toilets, which use only 1.0 gallon of water per flush rather than the standard 1.6 gallon, and self-sustaining automatic faucets, such as those from TOTO, contribute to the protection and preservation our planet’s natural resource of water.
• Sustainable Wood Cabinetry: Fully-sustainable, environmentally-managed hardwood cabinetry, made from species such as Lyptus or bamboo and available from Showplace Wood Products, provides an Earth-friendly, expressive wood choice for the environmentally-conscious homeowner.
• Concrete Countertops/Natural Quartz Countertops: Concrete countertops can be made from products that make a minimal impact on the Earth, and many may include recycled glass, sea shells, or other unique materials to suit your style. Natural quartz countertops and materials such as Cambria, which is produced in the U.S.A., require less shipping and transportation than imported products. They are also durable, twice as strong as granite, and last far longer than other stone and laminated countertop materials.
• Energy Star Lighting: Lighting fixtures for both inside and out that are Energy Star-rated, such as those available from Murray-Feiss, use less electricity than regular fixtures, while looking great and providing you with a lower utility bill, making them good for the Earth and good for your wallet as well.
• Bamboo Wood Flooring: Bamboo is a quick-growing product that makes a beautiful first impression as a floor. It is hard weave and has a distinctive pattern that looks great in a contemporary space. It is plentiful and replenishes itself in just a few years.
Living in a downtown space, whether it is a new condo, converted and refurbished commercial space, or a restored older home, can offer you an easy, convenient lifestyle that allows you to fully enjoy all the amenities and activities that downtown Chattanooga has to offer. At the same time, you can do something positive for the environment by choosing to renew the structures already present and to select products for their minimal impact on planet Earth. And that is a good thing to do, no matter where you choose to live.