Frontlines of Climate Action: Building for the Storm
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Pearl Homes is ditching excuses and designing homes that stand up to climate extremes—and stand out in the market.
As the CEO and founder of Pearl Homes, Marshall Gobuty is doing the hard work of transforming high-risk coastal development from a vulnerability into an opportunity for bold, resilience-first thinking.
In a recent interview for my Frontlines of Climate Action series, Marshall didn’t mince words about the stakes—or the solutions.
“We chose the toughest location for Hunters Point,” he told me. “It would’ve been a lot easier to do something inland, but we’re building literally on the water, in a high hurricane zone, in a FEMA flood zone.”
Resilience Meets Reality
In the face of Florida’s increasingly volatile hurricane seasons, Marshall and his team decided to test the limits of what resilience really means. The result? A housing system that combines thoughtful engineering, sustainable design, and time-tested wisdom.
“We took a step back and said, ‘Let’s not just build to code. Let’s build better than code, because building to code just means you’re not going to jail,’” Marshall jokes. “That’s not good enough.”
Instead, his team developed a structural system so advanced, it’s now in the process of being patented. It includes:
Reinforced monolithic slabs.
Rebar-filled concrete blocks anchored to foundations.
Double-code foundations.
High-performance strapping.
The most important part: it works. After multiple hurricanes hit their project site directly, the homes stood tall. No major repairs, and no storm damage.
The Bigger Picture
It’s not just about one development. Marshall is proving what’s possible when sustainability and resilience are baked into the DNA of every home, not added as an afterthought.
“We’re like Mr. Potato Head,” he says with a smile. “We didn’t invent every part, but we assembled the best ideas, and the result is something that really works.”
He’s also quick to point out that Pearl Homes doesn’t focus on high-end custom homes or luxury living. Rather, they’re building replicable, scalable solutions for everyday families, making resiliency a standard, not an exception.
Scaling Real Solutions
In a world of growing climate threats and housing instability, we need more builders like Marshall—leaders who are willing to confront reality head-on and take the hard road when it’s the right one. He’s building not just homes, but a blueprint for climate adaptation at scale.
“If we can do this in the hardest place on the West Coast of Florida,” Marshall told me, “then anybody can do it anywhere.”
Watch the full conversation with Marshall to hear how Pearl Homes is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in resilient housing.
Publisher’s Note: Green Builder's 20th Anniversary celebration is sponsored by: Carrier,Trex, and Mohawk.
Want to learn more about zero carbon building? Enroll in Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Academy, which has robust courses on net zero carbon building, green building fundamentals, green product essentials and green building program like ENERGY STAR, Zero Energy Ready Homes, Indoor airPLUS, WaterSense, and HERS ratings.
And, be sure to check out the COGNITION Carbon Offsets Marketplace if you’re interested in purchasing carbon offsets to mitigate emissions from your products, projects or lifestyle.
As cofounder and CEO of Green Builder Media, Sara is a visionary thought leader and passionate advocate for sustainability. A former venture capitalist, she has participated in the life cycle (from funding to exit) of over 20 companies, with an emphasis on combining sustainability and profitability. She lives in Lake City, Colo., with her husband, where she is an avid long-distance runner, snowboarder, and Crossfit trainer. She is also on the Board of Directors at Dvele, runs the Rural Segment for Energize Colorado, and is a former County Commissioner.
Frontlines of Climate Action: Building for the Storm
Pearl Homes is ditching excuses and designing homes that stand up to climate extremes—and stand out in the market.
As the CEO and founder of Pearl Homes, Marshall Gobuty is doing the hard work of transforming high-risk coastal development from a vulnerability into an opportunity for bold, resilience-first thinking.
In a recent interview for my Frontlines of Climate Action series, Marshall didn’t mince words about the stakes—or the solutions.
“We chose the toughest location for Hunters Point,” he told me. “It would’ve been a lot easier to do something inland, but we’re building literally on the water, in a high hurricane zone, in a FEMA flood zone.”
Resilience Meets Reality
In the face of Florida’s increasingly volatile hurricane seasons, Marshall and his team decided to test the limits of what resilience really means. The result? A housing system that combines thoughtful engineering, sustainable design, and time-tested wisdom.
“We took a step back and said, ‘Let’s not just build to code. Let’s build better than code, because building to code just means you’re not going to jail,’” Marshall jokes. “That’s not good enough.”
Instead, his team developed a structural system so advanced, it’s now in the process of being patented. It includes:
The most important part: it works. After multiple hurricanes hit their project site directly, the homes stood tall. No major repairs, and no storm damage.
The Bigger Picture
It’s not just about one development. Marshall is proving what’s possible when sustainability and resilience are baked into the DNA of every home, not added as an afterthought.
“We’re like Mr. Potato Head,” he says with a smile. “We didn’t invent every part, but we assembled the best ideas, and the result is something that really works.”
He’s also quick to point out that Pearl Homes doesn’t focus on high-end custom homes or luxury living. Rather, they’re building replicable, scalable solutions for everyday families, making resiliency a standard, not an exception.
Scaling Real Solutions
In a world of growing climate threats and housing instability, we need more builders like Marshall—leaders who are willing to confront reality head-on and take the hard road when it’s the right one. He’s building not just homes, but a blueprint for climate adaptation at scale.
“If we can do this in the hardest place on the West Coast of Florida,” Marshall told me, “then anybody can do it anywhere.”
Watch the full conversation with Marshall to hear how Pearl Homes is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in resilient housing.
Publisher’s Note: Green Builder's 20th Anniversary celebration is sponsored by: Carrier, Trex, and Mohawk.
Want to learn more about zero carbon building? Enroll in Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Academy, which has robust courses on net zero carbon building, green building fundamentals, green product essentials and green building program like ENERGY STAR, Zero Energy Ready Homes, Indoor airPLUS, WaterSense, and HERS ratings.
And, be sure to check out the COGNITION Carbon Offsets Marketplace if you’re interested in purchasing carbon offsets to mitigate emissions from your products, projects or lifestyle.
By Sara Gutterman
As cofounder and CEO of Green Builder Media, Sara is a visionary thought leader and passionate advocate for sustainability. A former venture capitalist, she has participated in the life cycle (from funding to exit) of over 20 companies, with an emphasis on combining sustainability and profitability. She lives in Lake City, Colo., with her husband, where she is an avid long-distance runner, snowboarder, and Crossfit trainer. She is also on the Board of Directors at Dvele, runs the Rural Segment for Energize Colorado, and is a former County Commissioner.Also Read