Green Builder Media's Ronan Mirza recaps the week's sustainable housing news, from a University of Alabama study finding that modern building codes don't raise home sale prices to New York's pause on hyperscale data centers and an EPA proposal to limit public comment on air permits. He also explores why American homes keep getting bigger and talks with Lagoon Valley developer Curt Johansen about conservation-first community design.
00:00:06:18 - 00:00:24:23
Ronan Mirza: I'm Ronan. Thanks for spending a few minutes with me. Catching up on the week's most important sustainable building news. Quick question. Got a great nature photo sitting on your phone? Then you've got a shot at winning a $1,000 ray gift card. Our Fall in Love With nature giveaway is back for its fifth year, and entering is ridiculously easy.
00:00:25:01 - 00:00:49:08
Ronan Mirza: All you have to do is upload one photo before August 31st. That's it. The link is in the notes. Okay, let's jump into the news. Do you building codes make homes more expensive? According to a new University of Alabama study analyzing 2.7 million home sales across 26 states, the answer is no. Researchers found that adopting modern residential building codes did not increase home sale prices.
00:00:49:09 - 00:01:15:06
Ronan Mirza: Challenging one of the biggest arguments against stronger codes. At the same time, updated codes are proven to reduce disaster damage, improve resilience, and help protect long term insurer ability. Why are homes so much bigger than homes and countries like Sweden or Norway? The usual answers are that we want more space or that builders make more money. But Green Builder magazine editor in chief Matt Power argues there's something deeper going on his theory in America.
00:01:15:07 - 00:01:36:05
Ronan Mirza: The House has become more than a place to live. It's become a safety net. That extra bedroom might be for an aging parent. The home office is there because work has changed. The pantry gets bigger because families are preparing for uncertainty. And for many Americans, home equity has become their retirement plan. In other words, when people don't feel certain about the future, they buy more space to prepare for it.
00:01:36:06 - 00:02:01:13
Ronan Mirza: It's a fascinating perspective because it suggests that simply telling people to buy smaller homes isn't enough. If we want more sustainable housing, we also have to build confidence that families won't need their homes to solve every problem life throws at them. The EPA has proposed a rule that would exempt many so-called minor source air pollution permits from public notice and comment, including permits commonly used for backup diesel generators at data centers as ages and nationwide.
00:02:01:14 - 00:02:25:01
Ronan Mirza: Boom and data center construction could say the change can make it harder for communities to understand the cumulative air quality impacts when multiple facilities are built in the same area. The proposal is now open for public comment through August 21st, with a public hearing scheduled for July 22nd. It's another reminder that the race to build AI infrastructure is raising new questions about energy emissions and community transparency.
00:02:25:03 - 00:02:52:19
Ronan Mirza: Meanwhile, New York just became the first state to temporarily pause new hyperscale data centers. Communities across Texas, Virginia, Arizona and other states are also scrutinizing new projects over concerns about electricity demand, water use and impacts on local infrastructure. The message is clear. AI may be booming, but communities are demanding that growth come with stronger safeguards. Speaking of development, Seattle is updating its zoning rules to comply with Washington's statewide Adu law.
00:02:52:21 - 00:03:16:08
Ronan Mirza: While the city already allowed one attached and one detached accessory dwelling unit on many single family lots, the new proposal will go a step further by allowing two detached backyard cottages on the same lot. Along with updated rules for parking height and ownership. It's another example of states pushing cities to make it easier to add gentle density and create more housing without dramatically changing neighborhood character.
00:03:16:10 - 00:03:45:06
Ronan Mirza: Texas is updating the rules for HVAC systems beginning September 1st. The state will adopt the 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code, bringing new standards for indoor air quality, ventilation, refrigerant safety, and energy efficiency for contractors, builders and homeowners. That means safer, more efficient mechanical systems built to keep pace with today's technology and best practices. It's another reminder that building codes continue to play a major role in improving the performance of our homes.
00:03:45:07 - 00:04:10:04
Ronan Mirza: What if preserving land actually made homes more valuable? That's the question explored in this week's episode of The Valuation Metric, where Sara Gutterman talks with Kurt Johansson, the developer behind Lagoon Valley, California's first conservation community. Instead of maximizing every acre for development, Lagoon Valley permanently protects more than 1300 acres of open space while creating neighborhoods designed around nature, resilience and long term value.
00:04:10:05 - 00:04:22:11
Ronan Mirza: The result? Strong home sales, growing demand and a community that's proving conservation isn't a cost, it's an asset. Watch or listen to the full episode of The Valuation Metric. Here's a clip.
00:04:22:13 - 00:04:53:21
Curt Johansen: You know, my my whole practice has been driven by my belief that we are a biophilic species. So our connectivity to nature is just so inherent in who we are. And for thousands of years, of course, we were in agrarian society, right where where food was, what land was for. And it also provided the connectivity to nature. Over the past couple of hundred years, industrial agriculture has changed all that.
00:04:53:21 - 00:05:29:18
Curt Johansen: As our population exploded and industrial agriculture became the norm. Family farms are few and far between. Of course. But what that has done, particularly with the last 75 years of sprawl, we've isolated people from their natural environments. They, they it's a it's a chore for people to get to places where they really want to be. And so because that's becoming more and more aware, people are becoming more and more aware of their own biophilic need for that connectivity.
00:05:29:20 - 00:06:11:00
Curt Johansen: I've believed for many years that there's no reason why we can't create places that actually conjoin nature with the built environment. And, you know, the approach is a little bit different than conventional development, where they try to cram every square foot they can with homes and buildings. Our approach is we take the most sensitive parts of the site that are biologically and and culturally sensitive, and we designate those to be protected, and then we make the residential and commercial fit around it.
00:06:11:00 - 00:06:12:18
Curt Johansen: So that's our approach.
00:06:12:20 - 00:06:37:04
Ronan Mirza: Bad news. Good news on this one. The Colorado River basin just recorded its worst water year on record, and the impact goes far beyond drought. A new report warns that water shortages could slow future housing and commercial development across the southwest, while threatening agriculture, hydropower and the water supply for more than 40 million people. The good news researchers say solutions already exist, from smarter water management to infrastructure upgrades.
00:06:37:05 - 00:07:00:23
Ronan Mirza: It's another reminder that the future of housing depends on having enough water to build the communities of tomorrow. The report builds a foundation to address those challenges at summits in Las Vegas on August 14th, Phoenix on September 1st, and Los Angeles on September 17th. Discussions among community leaders and stakeholders will build on its findings and culminate in shared ambition to turn awareness into action.
00:07:01:00 - 00:07:23:17
Ronan Mirza: This summer is delivering heat domes, hurricanes and flooding across the country, and homes are getting wiped out or otherwise undergoing irreparable damage. Not to mention the impact to a homeowners health and comfort, which can be profound both short term and long term. Green Builder Media's cognition hot take of the week shows more than a quarter. 25.8% of respondents say they consider the lowest long term cost when making big home decisions.
00:07:23:18 - 00:07:51:01
Ronan Mirza: 16.8% say they consider what would be the best investment potential. Both these data points suggest amping up the marketing resilient home features couched in the right language. Home buyers will see the value. Our Editors Product Pick of the week as a core innovative outdoor hydrants featured in vision House Asheville. Unlike a traditional hose bib, a chorus, marine grade stainless steel hydrants automatically seal, drain and winterize when disconnected, helping prevent leaks, frozen pipes, and wasted water.
00:07:51:02 - 00:08:17:00
Ronan Mirza: They're also led free, highly durable, and designed to last for decades. Let's wrap up with some sustainable eye candy. A new luxury home in Saint Augustine, Florida, is proving that high performance design doesn't have to sacrifice beauty. Designed by Richard PageRank architect, the list residents uses passive housing principles. Hurricane ready engineering, external solar shading, and expansive high performance glass to create a home that's as resilient as it is stunning.
00:08:17:05 - 00:08:38:13
Ronan Mirza: The U-shaped design frames panoramic Martian water views while maximizing daylight, natural ventilation, and hurricane resilience. It's a great reminder that some of the most beautiful homes are also some of the smartest. That's our show. Click the links in the notes to learn more about all these stories. And please like, share and subscribe to help us grow this important, sustainability minded community.
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Ronan Mirza: See you next Wednesday\!
00:08:40:08 - 00:08:51:13
Melina Mirza: Before you click away. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and don't miss the daily coverage on sustainability, housing and what's next for home building at Green Builder Media. Stay informed. Stay ahead.