Building Green

Copyright 1990 Wilfred von DausterBridgewater Innovative Builders is deeply concerned about the stewardship of our planet. We hope to make the world a better place by promoting healthy, energy-efficient and resource-efficient building practices.

We believe building high-performance homes, in an environmentally responsible way, is the best way Bridgewater Innovative Builders can make a difference, today.









We recognize that most industries, including ours, have an impact on the environment. Home building generates a variety of concerns that we address in the best ways we can and we continually strive to improve the minimization of our impact.

A home and its occupants will impact the earth. It is a fact of being human. We have to make a cut in the ground to pour a foundation made of cement quarried from somewhere. Trees are cut to generate wood needed to construct a home. Products for the home are manufactured, packaged, and shipped. There is no such thing as a no-impact process. But there is a better way to build a home and building with Bridgewater Innovative Builders is a step in the right direction.

Our first project to use the NAHB’s National Green Building Certification Program is located in Whitefish, Montana. This new custom home will be measured against the best existing definition of green and sustainable home construction available. The principles of green building being incorporated in this project will address seven key green construction areas — Site, Resource Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Homeowner Education, and Global Impact.

Bridgewater Innovative Builders’ builds each home as a system to create a truly high performance home that is sustainable, durable, safe, healthy, energy efficient, and comfortable.

Our building techniques specifically focus on:

  • passive solar orientation
  • best use of space
  • an energy-efficient envelope
  • water efficiency
  • use of renewable materials
  • easier maintenance
  • better indoor-air quality
  • the use of less toxic materials

We believe our building techniques are better for the environment. Our building practices are more energy efficient, which reduces the need to burn fossil fuels and helps to fight climate change—one of the most pressing environmental issues of today. Our building practices create homes that are more efficient in their use of water and other resources; our homes minimize pollution and waste, and thus reduce the overall environmental impact. Our high-performance homes cost less to operate because, among other things, they use less energy and water, and require less maintenance. They have better indoor air quality because they minimize chemicals, mold and other harmful substances.

Our commitment to sustainability gives you the peace of mind in knowing that the homes we build are better for the environment, healthier for the occupants and will save money over the long term.  Our homes are quality homes and they are built to last.


Bridgewater Innovative Builders is a
member of the NAHB Green
Building Program.

We employ a number of green building techniques as standard in our custom homes, are actively involved in the NAHB’s Green Building Program and are a member of the Green Building Initiative, a national alliance of builders committed to mainstream green building techniques.
Bridgewater Innovative Builders is a member of American Forests Global Releaf program, which plants a new tree for every tree harvested in the building of our homes.
Our systems approach to construction includes:

  • Design to include passive solar
  • Homes that aesthetically blend with natural landscape
  • HVAC systems and strategies, proper ventilation & air exchange
  • Natural cooling ventilation
  • Energy efficient appliances
  • American Forests Global Releaf replacement tree planting program
  • High rating insulation - spray polyurethane foam or wet-blown borate-based cellulose wall cavity insulation
  • Efficient design and use of construction materials
  • Green Plumbing
  • Healthy Indoor Air Strategies
  • Use of engineered lumber for structural framing
  • Use of weather barrier systems to protect against infiltration & humidity
  • Client Education and thoughtful programming
  • Use of recycled content materials on request
  • Radon Mitigation
  • Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints on request
  • Low-toxicity floor finishes on request

Many of our custom homes built over the years have incorporated both passive and active solar systems.

Here’s one of our recent projects featuring a full PV solar system for an off-grid home built in 2004 near Ward, Colorado. The second photo is a more recent project that featured a solar hot water system heating a home office completed in 2006 in Nederland, Colorado.

Please check in on our current project periodically to see how Bridgewater Innovative Builders’ newest home becomes certified with the NAHB’s National Green Building Certification Program. The principles of green building being incorporated in this project will address seven key green construction areas—Site, Resource Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Homeowner Education, and Global Impact. There are four green home certification levels available in the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines—Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald —and we hope to certify this home at one of these levels.

4 Pine Avenue Project, Whitefish, Montana