CCU student Gail Hudson unboxes a window.

Graduate student Michelle Evans caulks a window before installation.

The initial plan was to seek out materials that (a) could replace standard materials in Habitat houses with little modification of the basic plan, (b) were readily available locally, (c) were durable and had a track record of high performance, and (d) were affordable or would be donated by local vendors. We also decided to focus on energy efficiency and indoor air quality, as well as to manage water on the site, thus minimizing stormwater runoff.

With the corporate sponsorship of Time Warner Cable and WYEZ Easy 94.5, the donations of many generous local individuals and vendors (too numerous to mention), grant support from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, technical assistance from the Southface Energy Institute of Atlanta, and the limitless energy of Habitat Family Services Coordinator Emily Mobley, the house was started on a lot on Palm Street in Georgetown in the fall of 2006.
Among the green features of this house are a tightly sealed thermal envelope, high efficiency heating and cooling system, Icynene formaldehyde-free spray-foam insulation, metal roof, Hardiplank siding, compact fluorescent lights, low aroma interior paint, digital thermostat, Whirlpool Energy Star appliances, low-flow shower heads and faucets, carpet tiles made of 100 percent recycled content, Energy Star windows and pervious concrete paving.

Trees are saved as part of the "green" philosophy.

In fall 2006, I taught Honors 325, a service learning course in which CCU students learned about sustainability and made presentations to future Habitat home owners on energy and water conservation, recycling and, with the expert assistance of my colleague Sherer Royce, nutrition and fitness. The students who took this class will make presentations on their experiences at the Greening of the Campus meeting at Ball State University in September.

The building of this incredible house did not occur without incident, however. We encountered several obstacles, some serious (an intransigent building inspector, budget problems). But we anticipated as much, and as this article goes to press, the house is nearly finished. To me it is more beautiful than the biggest mansion in nearby Pawleys Island. In fact, in my opinion this is the most important house ever built in northeast South Carolina.

The Habitat green house was designed to show home buyers and builders that building green in coastal South Carolina is sensible, that small is beautiful, that breathing clean air indoors is easily achieved, that lowering electricity bills by as much as 50 percent can be realized inexpensively, and that there are locally-available green building materials that any builder can use. I am thankful to Coastal Carolina University for supporting my involvement in this project, and I am honored to have partnered with a noble organization like Habitat for Humanity and to have been a part of the team that introduced modern green building to this area.

Habitat director Annette Perreault (left), future homeowner Yolanda Bradford (third from right), and Habitat volunteers, friends and relatives gather to dedicate the new home.

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