June 2017

62 BUILD / June 2017 , The Home of Your Dreams Inhabiture, part of the2016 US Architects Guide, is a green design company with a focus on sustainability. Their approach in this vein is to select materials, buildingmethods and technologies that have as low an impact as possible on the environment. We caught up with the firm’s CEO, Forrest Linebarger to ascertainmore. Forrest Linebarger, CEO of Inhabiture, has spent decades committed to sustainable design and building. He has created environmentally sensitive designs which are cost competitive with conventional construction. Forrest founded the Contractors’ Organization for Professional Standards, a non-profit trade organisation supporting integrity and professionalism in the construction industry. Additionally, he is nationally known for his design of zero energy homes, the use of green roofs and innovative means of creating healthy indoor air environments “I have served on various boards for local non-profits, including the board of directors for Innovative Housing, a provider of housing for low income residents throughout the Bay Area. I have also served on the board of directors of the Pacific Art League, a non-profit art league located in Palo Alto. “Through my work on the Santa Clara County Planning Commission, I championed important environmental issues. I worked to ensure the environmental impact of the Permanente Quarry has minimal effect on the county’s air and water quality. I challenged the use of Santa Clara County’s land as it relates to water, congestion and pollution and I worked to preserve the habitats of the Dudleya & Checker Spot Butterfly in Santa Clara County. “I firmly believe that the design of our built environment should be healthy for our families and the larger environment. Preserving our remaining open space and native habitats, while providing jobs and housing that better connects us together, is achievable by through better land use. I strongly believe we can help improve the lives of our residents though effective and environmentally conscious land use.” You can find the firm designing green sustainable homes and offices in the entire Bay Area: Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Gatos and more. Let’s take some time now to explore the firm’s approach to green design, interior design and sustainability. Green design - let inhabiture build you the home of your dreams Inhabiture designs and creates inspired green residential and commercial buildings – indeed they design beautiful, timeless spaces that work in harmony with the environment. Forrest proceeds to detail the firm’s expertise in and approach to green design. “We have many years of experience in sustainable design and will provide you with the expertise, vision and support to create stunning, healthy and energy efficient spaces. Our extensive experience in sustainable design allows us to build green homes for the same cost as comparable traditional constructions. “Our commitment to designing green sustainable homes is showcased by our award- winning designs. Our approach to sustainability is to select materials, building methods, and technologies which have a low impact on the environment - to save the earth’s resources for the next generation.” Interior Design The firm is very proud indeed to offer interior design services, which focus on sustainable materials and eco-friendly designs. Their seasoned interior designers create beautiful, timeless interiors which in harmony with their environment. The firm’s design services include: • Conceptual design development & space planning; • Creating a sustainable environment with home furnishings; • Green focused living; • Colour and textile selections; • Custom furniture design; • Lighting, art and accessory selection and; • Residential and commercial interiors. Sustainability Forrest brings the interview to a close by underlining how the firm takes great pride in being an industry leader in sustainable design, which he explains in his own insightful words. “Our design team is highly educated in sustainable design. We mange projects to provide the optimal level of quality, speed and cost control. From budgeting to scheduling, with our design team to ensure your sustainable design features what you desire in your home. “We select eco-friendly materials, utilise green building methods and technologies which have a low impact on the environment to design the green home of your dreams.” Finally, it is well worth nothing that the firm’s homes are designed using sustainable and eco-friendly practices, such as: • Site selection & orientation; • Passive heating & cooling; • Native ecosystems; • Green roof and walls; • Indoor ecology principals; • Alternative & sustainable building materials; • Rainwater harvesting; • Integral colour non-off gassing exterior plaster and; • Smart home technology. 1612BU40