Matt Kangas  

They contacted local contractor Hugh Lofting, who took an immediate personal interest in the project.

"He said, 'Let me get involved and do it for you,' even though he doesn't actually do much design and construction himself these days," Avrim said.

According to Avrim, it was Lofting who got the Topels interested in constructing a state-of-the-art green home.

Avrim said it was Lofting's project manager Amy Cornelius who met with the couple and started them down the road to green and sustainable living.

Once the Topels were on board with the idea, Cornelius began assembling the team that would make the vision a reality.

"It's a very different concept in building green," Avrim said. "In green building, from the start before you even try to design a conceptual rendering, you put together a team, and it's all done by consensus."

Soon the Topels were meeting with sustainable engineers and eco-architects and learning a whole new language. They started by immersing themselves in the world of green construction, buying magazines and books on green homes, but that ultimately proved frustrating for the older couple, who in Avrim's opinion were far from dumb.

"So many books read in a highly technical language, written for engineers," said Avrim, who has over 30 years in the real estate business. But slowly, as the project progressed, the Topels were becoming more aware.

After reviewing designs of other similar homes, the couple settled on Matthew Moger of Lyman Perry Architects in Berwyn as their main designer, with Tad Radzinsky on board as the sustainable engineer.

As the project moved forward, the Topels learned that for a home to be actually certified "green," there are numerous criteria, all based on the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Environmental Engineering and Design (LEED) program.

"The criteria are very difficult to meet," Avrim said, adding that third party inspectors keep a watchful eye on the project throughout the process, reviewing plans and diagrams as much as the physical site work.

According to a press release, LEED homes offer significantly lower operating costs in terms of energy usage and maintenance as well as increased health benefits. They also minimize site disturbance and support communities by using local labor and resources.

For the Topel's new home, all the materials used in the construction - down to concrete foundation - have some reclaimed content. The wood is engineered with environmentally friendly adhesives or is otherwise certified by the Forest Steward Council, while the interior timbers came from trees harvested on their own property. Stone for the foundation was taken from the nearby Avondale quarry.

The paints are all low VOC (volatile organic compounds) rated, while the electrical system was designed to minimize the use of copper. All light fixtures are either halogen or compact fluorescent bulbs or LED, with a minimum of regular incandescent bulbs. And instead of a lawn, the Topel's have a wildflower meadowland filled with local indigenous plants that requires little maintenance and no cutting.

So far, the new home's utility bills are reduced by at least 70 percent less than the Topel's old home just next door.

Avrim explained that while industry-leading standards were applied during construction, the green project goes beyond solar panels and rain gardens.

"Sustainable building has to do with the community," he said. "It's using local products and local labor and is also about protecting the environment."

Ultimately, after thorough inspection by MacGann Associates of Moorestown, NJ, who acted as the LEED home inspector, the Topel's new 4,500-square foot home received a silver certificate from the LEED program.

In addition, while the Topel's home is the seventh LEED-certified home in the state, it is the first to utilize timber frame construction and prefabrication on a green and sustainable certified homebuilding.

To his end, Avrim is more that pleased with the results.

"We cannot believe it. More comfort, more daylight, less maintenance - the benefits are amazing and it's just what we were looking for."

With so much new information about sustainable living flooding their brains, the Topels took their learning experience and turned it into a book written for couples like themselves who want to go green but have little idea of the processes involved.

"We wanted to teach people about this, and this is an easy way to familiarize yourself. Most books are organized categorically - HVAC, insulation, et cetera - and that's great for references," Avrim said. "We wanted to journal our real life experience that reads more like a novel. We poke fun at personality types involved while we give a real life accounting. It's an eco-memoir."

The new book, titled "Green Beginnings: The Story of How We Built Our Green and Sustainable Home," is written in plain English and is accessible to everyone, according to Avrim. There's even a glossary of terms for those still familiarizing themselves with this new process.