Builder

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WHEN MERITAGE HOMES began to ask its average

buyer, a 36 -year-old mother of three, how it

could create better value in 2009 , the subject

of health kept coming up. Moms were worried

about kids with allergies and concerned about

soaring child asthma rates. They’d read that

environmental toxins could disrupt children’s

hormone development and watched HGTV

shows about people building houses that

promote wellness. They said they had enough

to think about without having to worry about

mold, offgassing, and radon.

Their answers caught company executives off guard. “I kind of

missed how important this was initially because I never asked,” says

C.R. Herro, vice president of energy efficiency and sustainability for

Meritage. “Most builders don’t appreciate how much value they’ll get

by going down this road. Talking to people about taking care of how

their family feels and offering them better lifestyles is a self-supporting,

smart business strategy.”

In 2014 , as a result of this research, Meritage began to add features

that improve airflow and reduce toxins in its homes, including better

air filters, whole-house water treatment, and low-emitting materials.

Salespeople now ask buyers about respiratory issues, which makes sense

because 17.7 million adults and 6.3 million children in the U.S. have

asthma and more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies.

At Chicago-based Evolutionary Home Builders, health is a founda-

tional pillar. Brandon Weiss founded the company in 2005 after

experiencing healthier green buildings while play-

ing professional basketball in Europe. His new

line, Evolutionary Pro Homes, is marketed to meet

the exacting physical needs of professional ath-

letes. The homes are designed and built to provide

more oxygen, fresh air, and negative ions than

traditional homes while reducing toxins and aller-

gens. Weiss says doctors have recorded health

metrics of athletes pre- and post-occupancy to

show how improved indoor environments enhance

performance. His company is already in conversa-

tion with athlete home buyers and a home builder

in another market with an athlete client who is

interested in consulting and branding. “Our cus-

tomers definitely seek us out for what we have to

offer,” Weiss says.

Across the country, home builders large and small

are working to determine whether healthy building

standards are important for their buyers. Many

building pros have been reluctant to offer health and

wellness features because they think they will cost

more, interfere with schedules and budgets, and lead

to conversations with clients about things they don’t

understand. But builders who have already stepped

into the healthy home arena say these concerns are

becoming non-issues.