SUSTAINABLE GREEN BUILDING . RESIDENTIAL . COMMERCIAL

A Sarasota builder did not set out to build the greenest house in the state when it was hired by a Siesta Key woman for an extensive remodeling project. It just worked out that way. MyGreenBuildings, which already had built the state's second-greenest house, according to the Florida Green Building Coalition, two years ago, took the top spot with a house that company co-founder Steve Ellis calls "Siesta Key Zen."  He tries to dispel the "myth" that a green house has to look industrial. "This is more of a 'Sax Fifth Avenue' green home, as she referred to it," said Ellis. "This is what I think people are looking for. They don't want to give up high style. Not only did we manage to create a really beautiful structure, but we did it all the way green. There is something to be said for that."

Herald Tribune - February 2009

 

MyGreenBuildings is a Sarasota Builder focused on building a new breed of luxury, high performance homes and commercial structures.

MyGreenBuildings is an experienced, award-winning, certified general contractor focusing on green building for residential and light commercial construction.  The company is currently under construction on two beachfront homes under the LEED for Homes® program on Siesta Key and Casey Key.  The co-owners of the company are both LEED accredited professionals.  The company is committed to providing unique, high-quality, sustainable construction using socially responsible practices that offer clients the opportunity to have what they want without sacrificing the environment to get it.  MyGreenBuildings is an early adopter of the building principles prescribed by the U.S. Green Buildings Council and the Florida Green Building Coalition, and is a Member of both organizations.

We design and build new luxury homes, and retrofit older homes using state-of-the-art green building practices, renewable materials and energy efficient design and systems.  We offer light commercial construction - providing ground-up small office and retail, as well as interior tenant build-outs.

You can support the environment and have the luxury what you want!

MyGreenBuildings performs at the highest degree of quality throughout each phase of the building process with only the very best trades and subcontractors.  “We are proud to break the old paradigms of building and manage our work in a way that is transparent to all parties involved in each project,” Says Ellis.  “We thrive at performing skillfully managed work under the watchful eye of not only our discerning clients -- but also the entire collaborative production team -- which in our business model includes the client, the architect, engineers, green consultant, home energy raters, third-party certifiers along with the usual inspectors, and governmental bodies including Federal, State and local officials.”

 MyGreenBuildings' goal is to deliver a sustainable alternative to typical construction methods for forward-thinking, sustainably minded individuals looking to reduce their own "environmental footprint".   The company uses energy efficient design to help offset building maintenance costs into the future - an in-demand concept for soon retiring baby-boomers.  

One recent Project earned MyGreenBuildings three SEBC Aurora Awards for Green Building and a National Design award from Professional Remodeler Magazine.  The project, built as a demonstration to prove what could be accomplished with green building techniques, received the highest Energy Star rating in the State of Florida.  We are proud to have finished the home in record time, while recovering over 75% of all waste relate to the project.   Another project captured the highest score for a certified Green Home in the state.

We have completed several architecturally stunning homes over the past 2 years - and many of our projects can be viewed on our Project Page - Just click on the tab above.

"Quality vs. Quantity" in Luxury Custom Home Construction

We believe that high-performance luxury homes, built with extraordinary quality and design, built to a scale that relates more compatibly with lot size -- are more sought-after now than ever.  As forward thinking architectural magazines like Dwell are featuring, intelligent, higher performance buildings, with a higher level of craftsman quality is where the luxury custom home building industry must operate if they are to attract the new breed of discerning and educated custom home buyers.  At MyGreenBuildings, we pride ourselves on providing unique, custom quality finishes that are also healthy for the inhabitants.  We obtain the level of finish required by the client through clear up front communication, superior project planning and organization, onsite management, and knowing the difference between what an "A" trade can accomplish, and what a "B" trade is capable of providing.

MyGreenBuildings is focusing a lot of our building efforts in a five to ten mile radius centered on central Sarasota, encompassing the downtown cultural epicenter, the beaches and abundant core natural and cultural attractions of the area. This area is important to us because we want to give our environmentally conscious clients the ability to walk, ride their bikes, or just reduce drive time to get to their favorite Sarasota destinations.

Please enjoy the resources and information within these pages -- and thank you for visiting.

Steve Ellis & Grant Castilow, Principals