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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 J U LY 2 2 , 2 0 1 9 F O C U S R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / D E S I G N the immediate future, not what will happen in 50 years. "ere needs to be a balance," he says. e Acetos and ompson say they rarely discuss adaptability with clients. Instead of discussing how a design is "good for the planet," Nick Aceto says, "we convince them to do it because it's good for their bottom line and their business plan." Native plantings, minimal turf, slow- ing storm water at the source, are all things that make financial and long- term maintenance sense, he says. Landscaping that has less impact on the environment is almost always more economically viable and more efficient, he says. ompson says energy efficiency, too, is a better economic choice. It's about 3% to 4% more expensive to build a passive house building than a traditional one, down from 10% a few years ago. But passive house design cuts energy costs by 90%. All of Kaplan ompson's single- family home designs have a conduit to run electricity to the roof for solar panels and to the garage for an elec- tric car charger, even if the home- owner isn't installing solar or driving an electric car. "It's future-proofing," ompson says. "It's 50 bucks to put it in when the house is being built, and cutting open a wall to put it in after is going to cost thousands." Solar energy can be stored in the electric car charging battery, and can run the house electric system in a power outage. "People are very worried they can't afford the good stuff," ompson says. Fear of bad weather events is also a "bad motivator." "We talk about the good things, we talk about making buildings more comfortable, making them safer." Energy efficient buildings, for instance, have ventilation that brings in fresh air all day, helping ease or prevent illness. "ere's filtered clean air available in every room, and it just happens that it'll heat the building, too." "ink of it as high-quality build- ing design," he says. "ere's good fresh air, good insulation, and they are good, tough buildings." Caitlin Aceto says designers are in a unique position. "Not all of our clients subscribe to, or care about, cli- mate change. But we're in a position to make a difference." Maureen Milliken, Mainebiz senior editor, can be reached at mmilliken @ mainebiz.biz We live and work here, so we understand the unique needs of our community and your business. We take the time to get to know you because building relationships is a key to success. That's why so many of our business clients also consider us their friends. If you're looking for a dedicated banker who genuinely cares about your fi nancial well-being, we should talk. We're in the business of helping local businesses succeed. AUBURN • BRUNSWICK • LEWISTON • WINDHAM 207.786.5700 or Toll-Free 1.800.325.7553 MechanicsSavings.com Commercial Lending + Cash Management Team: Left to Right: Kristina Cote, Ray Teixeira, JoAnne Campbell, Jeffrey Gosselin, Justin Laverriere, Ed Powell and Pamela Reynolds. e bu yers . I Av e. ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR DEVELOPERS When partnering with our sister company Cornerstone Building & Restoration, we're uniquely positioned to help any size developer from site acquisition to sales success. Our in-house team of industry experts includes architects, interior designers, builders, financing experts, investors and Realtors ® . When considering your next project, choose a fully integrated team that's focused on YOU. Learn more at benchmarkmaine.com/develop INFORMED ADVICE AND GUIDANCE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

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