Green building and sustainable ways of life can no longer be shrugged off, says Hickton. "We must address these new issues today, not tomorrow. In Europe, nearly all responsible folk are thinking this way, since energy costs are not going to be cheap again in the foreseeable future."

Williams notes that WCI’s Artesia and Bonita Bay Group’s Verandah communities offer green homes at moderate price levels, but one at the Emerald House price point is fairly unusual.

"Although the person who buys this home doesn’t have to save dollars, he wants to, not only because saving energy saves the planet, but because the nonpolluting components will improve the air quality for all who live there," he says.

Naples building official Paul Bollenback agrees. "This is where the marketplace is going," he says. "We’re starting to notice as much interest from luxury homeowners as we do from other sectors of the community. We’ve seen one Port Royal man design a $100,000 water reclamation system, not because he needed to save money, but because he thought it was the right thing to do."

Although Florida codes have always mandated certain energy-saving techniques, Bollenback observes that more builders are using green features as selling tools. Williams took an on-line course to learn more about green building and became one of the area’s first EcoBrokers, certified through the Denver-based EcoBroker International. Raudenbush and his project manager, Kerrie Opprecht, are Florida Green Building Coalition certifying agents, with plenty of experience.

"We built the amenity buildings green for Bonita Bay Group’s Verandah community in Fort Myers," Raudenbush says, "but that was a few years ago, and a lot’s changed since then." Although green products come on the market frequently now as a result of greater demand, researching their validity is important, says Opprecht.

Raudenbush vows Emerald House will represent the conquest of many challenges. "First and foremost, it has to be a home in harmony with the Port Royal community, and there has to be seamless integration of the technology with the aesthetics of such an upscale home," he says.

That technology will include air conditioners that cool more quickly, save more energy and provide more fresh air than current models. Water processing gear will not only collect rainwater for pools and irrigation, but will recycle and filter shower and sink water for toilet flushing. Super-efficient solar panels will be included as well as a control system to enable the owners to monitor and adjust many of the home’s green systems. Components such as paint will be the least polluting, and the placement of windows will consider not only the view but light, shade and heat factors.

"The house will have two stories, because that’s more energy-efficient," Raudenbush reports, "and there’ll be specially designed windows at the top that will let out the warm air that rises."

Naples-based Erickson and Associates was chosen to create the home’s design. According to intern architect Tom Shockey, it was the perfect assignment. "Our company has a lot of experience designing luxury homes and I’m a recent graduate who’s had lots of experience with green-building designs," he says.

Although plans are being fine-tuned for the five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bath home, expected to consist of about 8,500 air-conditioned square feet, the property is already on the market. "This gives the buyer who wants the greatest customizing opportunities the chance to purchase while adjustments are the easiest to make," Williams notes.

The team yearns to catch more than that one savvy buyer. "We hope we’ll be able to use this home as a showcase for the advances in green-building techniques," Raudenbush states. "People will see that they can implement green building in moderately priced homes and also that they can have those features in luxury homes without compromising excellent design."

Williams estimates the green elements may add 10 to 15 percent to the cost, but government rebates and payback energy savings go a long way to compensate.

Jennifer Languell, a longtime green building advocate and CEO of Trifecta Construction Solutions, which focuses on green-building and sustainable construction, sees growing interest in the market’s upper end.

"It’s a no-brainer," she states. "Why [would] anyone disregard environmental responsibility so?"
Hickton points out that the environmentally conscious aren’t the only ones who benefit. "The real winners are not just the ultimate buyers of such homes who save significant annual costs, but all our children, who will have to face a new way of thinking and a new way living."