Green Design
We build outstanding homes based upon uncompromising adherence to three guiding
principles:
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That your home is of the highest earth-friendly quality
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That this is consistent with superior aesthetics and function
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That delivery of your home is guaranteed on time and within budget
We believe that our clients are more savvy and conscious of the planet’s ecological
fragility and limited resources than ever before. We recognize the tremendous harm
that commercial practices of the past have done to our planet’s landscapes, water
supplies, and atmosphere. We are convinced of our responsibility to employ the
most earth-friendly materials available, as well as energy-saving designs and technology.
What does this mean specifically?
One of our most significant commitments is to build our homes with Compressed Earth
Blocks (CEB) instead of the traditional concrete block and cement construction seen
throughout Mexico. CEBs are adobe blocks which have tremendous compressive strength
and whose manufacture involves significantly less energy consumption than concrete
blocks. We use local soils, whose characteristics are ideal for this purpose. This
greatly lowers transportation costs and fuel consumption. The durability of adobe
is legendary. Countless structures made of traditional adobe block (which has much
lower strength than our compressed blocks) have lasted for centuries.
The environmental advantages of building with earth are accompanied by health
benefits. Properly finished CEB walls “breathe,” allowing vapors and
toxins to pass out of the dwelling. In addition, their mass regulates heat flow.
This latter characteristic is why adobe is famous for being cool in the heat of
the day and warm in the chill of the night. This provides significant energy and
cost savings.
Your home will be designed to employ additional passive and active solar technologies.
Much of the electricity in Mexico is produced from the country’s dwindling oil supply.
However, Mexico is fortunate to have a perfect climate for taking advantage of today’s
solar technology. The benefits to you as a homeowner are multiple. In addition to
lower electrical bills, you will have the added security of backup power during
occasional brownouts or power failures. Finally, you will enjoy peace of mind knowing
that you are reducing your carbon footprint.
Your home will also feature water catchment and branched grey-water systems. Rain
water is captured from the roof, stored in tanks and utilized during dryer periods.
Grey-water (from showers and sinks) is channeled to your property’s landscaping.
This conservation system reduces your water requirements and lowers the financial
and environmental cost of wastewater processing.
Our commitment to excellence goes beyond environmental sustainability. We believe
that our word is our bond. This means that we hold ourselves firmly responsible
for finishing your home on or before the contracted delivery date and within the
mutually agreed upon budget. You will be hard-pressed to find similar
contractual commitments elsewhere in the Mexican building industry.
Emerald Coast Construction has a full team of “in house” architects, engineers,
builders, and landscape designers. These professionals are ready to
carry out your project from start to finish with maximum efficiency. This promotes
a congruent interface from design, through construction, to function. Our team of
experienced construction supervisors is committed to uncompromising quality control.
Our bilingual staff makes it easy to do business with us via fax, e-mail, or toll-free
phone. It is our policy to maintain contact with you throughout the building process
with weekly e-mail progress reports that include photos.
Build with Emerald Coast Construction and you can sleep soundly knowing you will
have a house of great durability, design and quality, and that you have taken responsible
action to preserve our local and global environments.