Green Building
The construction process is inherently full of practices that can potentially diminish the quality of the environment. Homewood is taking a proactive stance by creating a "Green Guide" or sustainability plan that addresses the concerns associated with the building process.
Architectural design at Homewood will consider the "life-cycle" costs of the infrastructure and buildings used at the resort. Below are a few of the green building principles that are planned to be implemented during the redevelopment effort:
Building Orientation:
The proper positioning or orientation of the buildings can play a significant role in how much energy is expended throughout the year.
Reuse of Building Materials:
Homewood Mountain Resort has a number of existing buildings that will be de-constructed as part of the redevelopment process. The materials from the de-constructed buildings are planned to be re-cycled for use in new buildings. The components from old chair lifts can potentially be re-used at other ski resorts.
Building Energy Efficiency:
The buildings at Homewood will be well insulated with tight construction and the use of non-toxic and/or recycled materials. Plans will include exploring ways to re-capture waste heat from boilers for uses such as radiant heat systems, domestic hot water, laundry needs, pools, hot tubs and other places that require heat.
Building Electrical Systems:
For spaces that require artificial lighting, new highly evolved opportunities exist for high efficiency lighting that utilize fluorescent and LED fixtures helping to greatly lower energy costs.
