Pragmatic puts green on display

This home at 2911 N. Bremen St., Milwaukee, features green-building systems that save money. Photo courtesy of Pragmatic Construction LLC

Green is hitting the mainstream.

As the building philosophy earns more exposure, so too do the results of the process. And Aug. 27 only illustrates the point.

That's when Pragmatic Construction LLC, Milwaukee, and the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance teamed up to show that, despite the old saying, it's easy being green. The 2006 Tour of Green Homes featured three Pragmatic projects open for self-guided tours.

"We had a lot of people who were interested in the green systems we integrated," said Steve Servais, who owns Pragmatic with Nikolai Usack and Juli Kauffman. "You can talk all day and only get so far. People want to feel it, see it."

The tour let people do just that. From geothermal heat pumps to rain gardens, the tour showcased a number of passive and active systems that reduce a home's impact on the environment.

One of the homes boasts hardwood flooring ripped out of a Milwaukee Public Schools building. Not only does the reuse of materials reduce environmental impacts, it reduces the cost to the home owner, Servais said.

"People automatically assume green building is more expensive than conventional building, and often it is," he said. "But it doesn't have to be.

"Even if you pay more up front, there is a payback, depending on the system."

It is estimated that a geothermal system used for a home's climate control will pay for itself in eight to 10 years through reduced energy bills. A solar hot-water system usually pays for itself in two years, he said.

One of the tour homes uses a pellet stove to produce most of its heat. Rather than burning logs, it burns palletized saw dust. That home's utility bill averages $50 per month, Servais said.

As utility and gasoline costs rise, more people see the advantage of green building in Milwaukee. That's what gave Pragmatic's owners the incentive to form the business in 2005.

"We were frustrated with the inertia in the building industry," Servais said. "We didn't see anyone filling that [green] niche in the Milwaukee area." — Jennifer Pfaff

Still going strong

David Feldner (left), Milwaukee/ NARI’s executive director; NARI President Paul Kraemer (center); and Ron Ziglinski, Region III rally organizer, help celebrate Milwaukee/NARI’s 45th birthday. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee/NARI

Sapphires are the traditional gift for a 45th anniversary.

While Milwaukee-area remodelors might not need that particular stone, many believe they have a gem in the Milwaukee chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry as it celebrates its 45th year.

At least that's what the numbers suggest. The Milwaukee/NARI grew from 25 members in 1961 to 830 in 2006.

Milwaukee/NARI was chartered July 12, 1961, and the group is celebrating its anniversary throughout the year with members' social events, like a trip to a Brewers' game and a retreat to look toward the next phase of the organization's growth.

And if the association's past is any indication, the future is sure to bring a great deal of change, said Ken Skowronski, Milwaukee/NARI past president and owner of Franklin-based KS Remodelers Inc.

"It's gone from a time when people had a tough time spelling remodeling to now, when so many people are looking to enhance their home and increase its value," he said. "Today, for someone to spend $250,000 improving their home is nothing."

— Jennifer Pfaff