Green Philosophy: “At first my goal was to minimize the damage we were doing to the forests, but then I had the thought, somewhat inspired by the green architect William McDonough, that we could turn buildings into positive contributions to the planet.”
Drew Maran has stayed busy throughout the housing slump—mostly, he says, because of his staunch environmental approach. “Largely because of our green building focus, we have some good projects,” explains the Palo Alto, Calif.–based custom builder.
Sustainable building first captured Maran's interest during the 1990s, when he began to incorporate green practices and materials into the work of his company, Drew Maran Construction. In 1998, he won a breakthrough commission to build a house by EHDD Architecture that included the latest in environmental technologies. He never looked back. Now most of Maran's houses feature solar panels, and many include water-saving techniques such as graywater recycling and rainwater collection. A couple of years ago he built a house (shown) with a green roof, solar panels, and many salvaged materials. “In terms of carbon footprint, that project is a high-water mark for us,” Maran notes. He's currently working on a net-zero energy residence that's on track to receive LEED Platinum status.
Maran regularly speaks about the benefits of green building and gives house tours to groups of architects and builders, especially those who are new to sustainable design and construction. “I don't want to be preaching to the choir,” he says. He advocates climate-sensitive building methods that use local, renewable resources.
He also believes in finding ways to quantify a project or product's green quotient. “We have to become more scientific in the way we define green,” Maran says. “When you buy a car, you can see a number representing its emissions.” If the true carbon footprint of a house or building material could be easily calculated and communicated, he reasons, consumers, builders, and designers would be able to make better decisions. “These sorts of measurements will help us avoid greenwashing,” he adds. “Right now it's very confusing for the public, whether it's the professional public or the lay public.”
Maran's clients and collaborators trust his green building experience and commitment to quality. “He brings a lot of knowledge and value to the process,” says architect Ana Williamson, who worked with Maran on a 2009 remodel.
Drew Maran Construction, Palo Alto, Calif.
www.drewmaran.com
Years in business: 25
Employees: 8
2009 volume: $3 million
2009 starts: 3
Years of focusing on sustainable building: 15
