A house isn't just a house. Sustainable living is taking a turn to be more healthy and green, We spoke with Marla Esser Cloos. She is a "Healthier Home Advocate", author and podcaster that shares insights on about healthier, more comfortable (aka green) homes,
She believes in inspiring the next generation to build better homes with her "Build My Future OKC" program with its efforts for getting more high school students into the building industry.
What is a Green Home Coach?
Green Home Coach is working to empower home professionals, and home dwellers, to create safer, healthier, and more comfortable homes. All homes can be better, a little at a time or all at once. She provides education and services to help people learn how to create these better homes.
When she lived in STL (up to late 2016), she had the opportunity to work on a number of build and remodeling projects for both single-family and multi-family homes in a green certification support capacity. Check out Work with Marla page for more information.
What are some of the projects you're working with now?
Her most recent project working with a woman builder and interior designer, Christy Howell of CRH Design Build, is to green certify her first solo build. As an ICF (insulated concrete forms) home, it falls broadly in the category of modular or system-built homes as well. This home is healthier, more efficient and beautiful.
It is one of the first (if not the first) ICF home in Oklahoma green certified with the National Green Building Standard. There is not a lot of green home building yet in Oklahoma, making this home even more of an achievement. ICF blocks were used in this build process.
Lastly, Build My Future OKC. Christy and I met as leaders of Professional Women in Building of Central OK - a council of our local Home Builders
Association. The "signature" project for our PWB is Build My Future OKC, a 1-day construction career day to inspire central Oklahoma high school students to
careers in the building industry and skilled trades. We held our inaugural event in 2019 with about 450 students. 2020 went online and we developed
BMF Online with resources and dozens of hours of online courses for the basics in construction. Our 2021 event took place October 26 with over 700
students
We were honored with a NAHB Professional Women in Building National Council of the Year award in January with our Build My Future OKC experience and how it connected us with our community being the center of that honor.
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