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I’m dreaming of a green home…
By Stephanie | April 21, 2008
My husband and I have a dream that we will one day design and build our own custom home. In fact, I have a red folder where I keep magazine clippings of things that I’d like to have in the home: the size and layout of the rooms, the structural features, etc.
For example, I’d love to have a detached garage, a work studio, a playroom, and a covered porch with a wood deck. Of course, I’d want to use low-VOC paints, low-e windows, skylights, and solar heating. It doesn’t have to be a huge house…just comfortable, aesthetic, safe, green (environmentally friendly, not green in color), and imaginative – with plenty of room to play outdoors.
I’ve had extra opportunities to dream lately because I’ve been reading “Good Green Homes: Creating Better Homes for a Healthier Planet” by Jennifer Roberts (Gibbs Smith, 2003). It looks like a coffee-table book with slick and glossy magazine-style pages, professional photographs, and an artistic layout. It’s the kind of book that is fun to flip through, but it is also engrossing at the content level. When I first picked it up, I thought it would be more of a “look-through-and-skim” book, but then I started reading and was surprised to find that I couldn’t put it down! The well-written narrative was practical without being overly technical or scientific – and the ideas applied to a variety of audiences. Roberts offers suggestions for people who are looking to renovate, rent an apartment, buy an older home, or build a custom home. The recommendations help the reader dream about a new home and/or change their current home to make it “healthier to live in, easier on the environment, more valuable over the long-term, and more delightful to come home to.”
Good Green Homes is a really good book. I look forward to reading more/other books by Jennifer Roberts in the future.
WIN IT! One winner will receive a copy of “Good Green Homes” by Jennifer Roberts. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post prior to Monday, April 28 at midnight (don’t forget to follow the rules). The winner will be announced and contacted on Tuesday, April 29. * Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.
*UPDATE* The winner is #22 stampedwithgrace. Congratulations!
Topics: book review, contests, green living, home organization/decor | 113 Comments »
April 21st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Oh I love this giveaway. I get all in a tizzy about green homes. I actually have to steer my husband away from the brink (he brings up underground houses and pre-fab clip together house-in-box).
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April 21st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Pick me. I’d love this.
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April 21st, 2008 at 4:56 pm
sounds like a good book
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April 21st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
would love to read this book
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April 21st, 2008 at 5:36 pm
[...] Where: Metropolitan Mama [...]
April 21st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Would love this book.
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April 21st, 2008 at 5:58 pm
My husband has actually been talking about wanting to update our house to be more eco-friendly, so this would be a nice resource to have.
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April 21st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I’d love to read this. :)
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April 21st, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Please enter me thanks
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April 21st, 2008 at 6:41 pm
We have some land that we will be building a house on in a few years. I hope that we can make it Green. We have a lot of research to do before that time comes.
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April 21st, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Sounds like an interesting book. My husband and I talk about our green dream home too. I haven’t started a folder of ideas yet, I should start one. We still have a looooong time to dream.
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April 21st, 2008 at 7:32 pm
this book sounds great!! thanks!
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April 21st, 2008 at 7:43 pm
this book is just what we need, pick me!!
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April 21st, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Let’s make our planet greener! yeah!
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April 21st, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I want it. Hope I win.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 12:49 am
I really need to start going green at home. I’m sure this book would help me.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 3:13 am
What a wonderful book…would love to win. THANKS :)
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April 22nd, 2008 at 4:41 am
This is exactly the type of thing my husband and I would love to do in the next ten years. It’s always been our dream to build our own home, and of course we would want to do it as sustainably as possible. My husband has a bookshelf full of house-planning books and magazines, but nothing like that. How wonderful!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 5:09 am
Wow!!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 5:34 am
Would love this book !!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 5:41 am
would love to have this one
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April 22nd, 2008 at 5:58 am
you can’t turn on the TV or computer without hearing the word GREEN! I have been thinking about it so much lately and have been trying to be much better at it! I would love to win this book and find out more ways to get my family to think GREEN :)
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April 22nd, 2008 at 6:46 am
I would really love this!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 6:51 am
Thanks for the chance to win.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 6:55 am
Enter me, please.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 8:41 am
enter me!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 9:10 am
Great contest!!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 9:42 am
This is a great offer! Thanks! Count me in!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 9:56 am
This would be great to read.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 10:17 am
please enter me
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April 22nd, 2008 at 10:18 am
nice book
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April 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 am
Count me in!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 11:17 am
I bet this book has great tips in it.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
happy earth day
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April 22nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
let’s keep our kids healthy!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Everyday is Earth Day!!!!!
Thanks for the giveaway!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
As wife to and architect and a one time aspiring architect myself (ok so I was twelve but I was/am really into architecture) this book is totally up our alley. We too are dreaming about the home we would like to build one day. Who knows if that day will ever come but in the mean time it’s fun to dream.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Happy Earth Day! I enjoy books with decorating and home styles! This book you are reading sounds very good. Someday, when both of our sons are fully grown, we plan on building a home. Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks,Cindi
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April 22nd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I would like to learn more about green.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
i want to win
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April 22nd, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I am awful in the sense that I always love to change the home front – this would definately give me some new and inspiring ideas.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Great giveaway in honor of Earth Day! As a biologist, I think it is very important that books like this are published to steer people towards taking steps to go GREEN. We can’t really afford to have our home built or anything, but we would love to make the space we have more eco-friendly. As a bookworm, this would be a great addition to my book collection. Thank you.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
THIS WOULD HELP ME MAKE SOME GREENER DECISIONS!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 3:40 pm
We’re looking to buy/build a home in the near future & would love to glean ideas from this book!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 5:16 pm
this would be great to win!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I need to learn green
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April 22nd, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I’m planning on building in a few years and would like to make it as green as possible. This book looks great!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 9:26 pm
im a firm believer in living green, would like this
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April 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
I would love to read this!!! Please enter my name, THANKS!!!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 11:16 pm
What a great book, I’d love to give some new ideas a try
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April 23rd, 2008 at 3:28 am
Thank you for the great giveaway, I’d love to win this.
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April 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 am
spea
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April 23rd, 2008 at 8:47 am
There is so much to continue learning about when learning to live as green as possible. Thanks for the opportunity to win what looks like an incredible book!
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April 23rd, 2008 at 11:12 am
I too, have a dream home folder. This book would make a great addition to my “dream file.”
Thanks!
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April 23rd, 2008 at 11:37 am
I would really love to read this – I’m trying to become more “green”
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April 23rd, 2008 at 11:40 am
i would like to read this.
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April 23rd, 2008 at 8:32 pm
We all have opportunities to better the earth with choices we make. This book looks like it has a lot of ideas.
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April 24th, 2008 at 1:03 am
I would love to win this to share with all of my family, friends and co-workers.
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April 24th, 2008 at 11:40 am
I’m always up for learning more about living green
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April 24th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
thanks for the contest
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April 24th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I’m a new homeowner and am always trying to get more green – this would be a great read!
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April 24th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
My dad has been talking about building a green home for a couple of years. I would love to have this for him. Thanks!
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April 24th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Would love to win…. always love new building ideas
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April 24th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I would love this so much!
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April 24th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
We already do the basics like recycling, not turning the heat up high, and not leaving water running. It would be great to get more ideas on how to conserve / be green.
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April 24th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I’ve been working on making my house more green since I bought it 4 years ago… it’s nice that this idea is finally becoming trendy.
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April 25th, 2008 at 1:13 am
A great Book, enter me please.
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April 25th, 2008 at 8:22 am
enter me
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April 25th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I want to do my part
but where o where do I start
going green like Kermit the frog
and learning not to be such an energy hog
these things I could learn from this book
so winning it would be off the hook
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April 25th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Great post. Hopefully I win the contest. haha. It’s a great book, my sister just bought it the other day. Teaches you a lot. Haha. As far as the magazine clippings go, I do the same, although my folder is blue. Have you considered bioheat. I just switched over to it. All existing oil heat users can switch without having to buy new equipment. All it is, it’s a biodegradable blend of oil. Mixed with biodiesel, made up from soybean oil, corn, etc. Pretty good. Burns cleaner, I won’t contribute to greenhouse gases with it, and it costs about the same as I used to pay for regular heating oil.
Here’s a the link I found while working with NORA and researching heating alternatives.
http://oilheatamerica.com/index.mv?screen=bioheat
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April 25th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
i’ve been trying to make my home more green for a while, this would be a big help!
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April 25th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
With family being my #1 passion–#2 is doing all that I can to leave the earth a better place for my children and their children and so on. With a limited budget my husband and I do all we can that does not cost a lot of money.
-recycle, eco-friendly light bulbs, compost…
I would love to see the suggestions this book has to offer!
Thank you for the chance to win!! :)
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April 26th, 2008 at 4:53 am
I’ve always been on board for Green Living. It’s so nice that it is becoming the thing to do and so essential. Thanks for the contest!
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April 26th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Yes please. These are changes I am trying to make in my life & I could use all the help I could get.
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April 26th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I’d love to read this book as we’re debating whether to renovate or build within the next two years to create a green home.
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April 26th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
The ideas would be really helpful and I love that it’s packaged in such a beautifully designed book.
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April 26th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Great contest, must have great ideas in it!
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April 26th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I’ve been wanting to go Green to help save the environment and save money!
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April 27th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I’ve jumped on the green bandwagon as well and enjoy discovering new ways to optimize my lifestyle while remaining earth friendly too. This is a great giveaway!
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April 27th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Count me in!
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April 27th, 2008 at 8:23 am
This would be a great read. Thanks.
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April 27th, 2008 at 8:33 am
need all the help I can get to kickstart me green
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April 27th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Love the idea
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April 27th, 2008 at 8:44 am
I need another source for green friendly ideas
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April 27th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I’m totally into “greenness”, and always on the lookout for more ideas.
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April 27th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
this is a book i could really use.
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April 27th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Looks great! Thanks for the giveaway!
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April 27th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Thanks for this contest!
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April 27th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
this is such an important topic and something I would like more education on how I can do things at home to make a difference
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April 27th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
This would be a really good useful book to read!
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April 27th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Good idea–whether you plan to build a new or upgrade your existing home, this book is essential. Going green saves alot of money for you, and saves the earth too! I call that a win-win situation. Let’s make it a win win win one with me winning the book ;-)!!
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April 27th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
this would be great to read.
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April 27th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
This would be a good read.
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April 28th, 2008 at 2:13 am
i want to win
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April 28th, 2008 at 2:44 am
thanks
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April 28th, 2008 at 5:54 am
ty 4 the great contest!
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April 28th, 2008 at 5:59 am
I have been remodeling an old 1950′s family home this year.I have been very green in doing so, even though the cost of green is a bit higher! I would love to win this so I could get some other ideas!
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April 28th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I think this is our biggest challenge as parents. What type of world will we leave our children?
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April 28th, 2008 at 8:48 am
thanks, love this looks great
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April 28th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I’d love to find more ways to make my home green. We take far too much for granted and don’t always search for a better solution.
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April 28th, 2008 at 10:13 am
please enter me :)
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April 28th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I would love to have this as a reference for the green home i am building in my mind :)
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April 28th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I would love this prize!
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April 28th, 2008 at 11:08 am
nice book
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April 28th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
i would so love to win this book
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April 28th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
We are trying to decide whether to redo and renovate or build a new home. This book would be a great help making our decision. Thanks for such a useful giveaway!
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April 28th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Roberts offers suggestions for people who are looking to renovate, rent an apartment, buy an older home, or build a custom home. The recommendations help the reader dream about a new home and/or change their current home to make it “healthier to live in, easier on the environment, more valuable over the long-term, and more delightful to come home to.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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April 28th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I’ve had extra opportunities to dream lately because I’ve been reading “Good Green Homes: Creating Better Homes for a Healthier Planet” by Jennifer Roberts (Gibbs Smith, 2003).
[Reply]
April 28th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
When I first picked it up, I thought it would be more of a “look-through-and-skim” book, but then I started reading and was surprised to find that I couldn’t put it down! The well-written narrative was practical without being overly technical or scientific – and the ideas applied to a variety of audiences.
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April 28th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I am an architect and I would like to see more green homes.
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April 28th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
This looks interesting…
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April 28th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Sounds like a good book.
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April 28th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I would like to know what else I can do to make a green home.
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