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Today, more than ever, people are paying attention to how the products they use, and their lifestyle, affect the environment at large. Green marketing, as we currently know it, is a phenomenon that began evolving at a rapid pace in the 1980s, with the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Reports. CSR Reports provided an overview of companies’ environmental impact; consumers were now able to better understand which companies were wasteful, and which were implementing sustainable measures. This new awareness spilled over into multiple industries, including the homebuilding industry, resulting in increased attention given to “green” approaches to design and construction – and it’s continued to grow. In fact, in 2014 33% of builders in Canada reported that more than 60% of their projects use green construction. This number is steadily increasing due to a combination of buyer demand, municipal and federal green building policies and a conscious need to “do the right thing”.

When comparing two homes, 80% of homebuyers say that energy efficiency would have a moderate to large impact on their selection. As well, 78% of homebuyers said water consumption would make a difference – that’s a big deal. The problem is many buyers aren’t willing to dramatically pump up their budgets for green features. So with this in mind, a green building strategy, with energy efficient differentiators, is something that builders need to be cognisant of when developing their marketing strategies. Here at BAM, it’s something that we’ve been helping our clients develop, and with extremely positive results. In fact, two of our clients are in the running for Green Home Builder of the Year at the 2015 BILD awards, with green brands/marketing developed in collaboration with us.

As more and more builders begin to employ green construction and technology into their new projects, it will eventually become harder to stand out, especially with evolving municipal policies that govern the minimum levels of efficiency a new home must meet. “Nice to haves” are slowly transforming into standard expectations, which are going to force builders to employ cutting edge tech/green features, without affecting prices, in order to attract today’s new breed of buyer. With a projected figure that 70% of Canadian builders will be 60% green by 2017, it will definitely be interesting to see what developers will do to contrast their projects from the competition.

These days, builders are constantly raising the bar on green development. According to a Canada Green Building Trends Report conducted by Canada Green Building Council, 56% of the Canadian respondents reported that over 30% of the projects they build are green – and that number is constantly increasing. By 2017, it’s expected to be closer to 60%, which is exciting. Aside from the obvious health benefits of greener building, there are also other incentives such as lower operating costs and overall more efficient building.

In China, developer Xian Min Zhang is taking green/efficient building to the next level. A video made its rounds on social media this week showing his latest project: a 57-storey skyscraper completed in just 19 days. The building has 19 10-meter-high atriums, 800 apartments, and office space for 4,000 people. How was this possible? The building was completed using prefabricated materials, which during the construction phase were attached together. Think of it as a large-scale Lego project.

This method, according to Xian Min Zhang, reduced the use of concrete by 15,000 trucks, which eliminated the release of dust into the air. With the high levels of air pollution in China, this is a big deal. He also claims that all of the air inside the building is 99.9% pure thanks to the tight construction and built-in air conditioning system. The building has quadruple-pane glass and will reportedly save 12,000 tons of CO2 emission annually.

Could this technique be the future of development? Could this technique be applied more widely to residential housing here in Canada? Well, it’s already a movement that is slowly becoming more popular. In fact, in 2012 factory-built units accounted for 11% of all new single-family homes; however, much of the resistance to the growth in this movement is routed in stigma. Much of the criticism centers on the actual quality and structural integrity of the construction. That is changing though. For example, Landmark Homes and Summerhill Homes in Edmonton are now erecting all of their houses using prefab technique – and they’ve collectively built approximately 300 prefab homes thus far. Another builder who has applied this methodology for over a decade is Mattamy Homes, who built 200 of their 300 homes in Hawthorne Village inside of a factory located in Milton.

Whether prefab will grow in prominence remains to be seen. There are many benefits, and potential drawbacks, that need to be fully considered. One thing is for sure though: Xian Min Zhang’s latest project is extremely impressive.