Green Philosophy: “I’m a big believer in time-tested techniques and using physics to benefit the building, rather than some newfangled product that has not yet stood the test of time.”
If you doubt that green building is a local proposition, just get Joe Smallwood on the topic of windows. Most residential glazing is designed to maximize solar gain, he points out. “That works great in Illinois in December, but it’s the opposite of what you want here [in Florida].” While northern builders beef up their walls with insulation, Smallwood focuses on the openings. “An extreme temperature delta for us is 95 degrees outside and 70 inside,” he points out. “The issue is not the walls; it’s solar radiation coming through the glass.”
Not that the walls are easy in Naples, Fla. Tropical storm-driven rain infiltrates even the tightest structures, Smallwood explains. “You have to build the wall system so that moisture that enters can dry to the inside.” Sunny days are no picnic, either. “Moisture flows from a hot, humid place to a cool, dry place, and in Florida that’s the inside of the building.” Smallwood’s dogged focus on addressing these local conditions has made him not only one of the area’s best builders, but also—and almost in spite of himself—one of its greenest.
“Most of the products that are available are not designed for our climate,” notes Smallwood, who founded BCB Homes after earning a degree in civil engineering and working in high-rise commercial construction. He developed a knack for detailing that compensates for such shortcomings (and matches the skill level of the labor force). “Now our homes check all the boxes: moisture control and humidity management, air quality, sustainability, and energy efficiency,” says Smallwood, who also offers sustainable landscaping and a solar hot water system that’s been tested on his own house. Every BCB home undergoes rigorous testing of mechanical systems and appliances, and for water and air infiltration, roofing adhesion, and duct leakage.
When the company submitted one of its completed projects for third-party scrutiny, the Florida Green Building Coalition certified it without modification. “It was what we had already been doing for 10 years,” Smallwood says. “But at that point we started offering our clients the option of being certified.” He tells clients they can spring for certification, “or, if you don’t care and just want a good house, we’re going to build it that way anyway.”
BCB Homes, Naples, Fla.
www.bcbhomes.com
Type of business: Custom builder
Years in business: 15
Employees: 65
2009 volume: $40 million
2009 starts: 20
