David Wax

At FreeGreen we hope to encourage progressive building practices by making green home designs free for everyone.

We developed a new business model because green design should be accessible to all. Today’s homes are assembled from a combination of products and raw materials. If you are building a new home, or even renovating an existing one, then you have a lot of decisions to make. At FreeGreen, our team of engineers and designers works with industry-leading product manufacturers to present you with different combinations of products, materials, and vendors. We also provide 3-dimensional images, energy simulations, and written descriptions to help you find the right fit for your lifestyle. Ultimately you and your builder will choose the products and materials that are right for your house. We just hope that our designs help you build the home you want.

FreeGreen would not exist without paid placement from product manufacturers. In order to avoid product bias, we present every product and material in a fair and clear light. Users can see ratings from established third-party green certification programs such as LEED and NAHB for each product (good or bad), or research performance through our energy modeling reports. Our goal is to show you a multitude of material and product possibilities through various lenses, including quality, health, and energy performance.

We encourage users of this website to help us develop new designs. Feel free to tell us about the products and features you would like to see in our upcoming plans.

“Green” means different things to different people. What is important is that as a society we are constantly improving our building culture. The goal at FreeGreen is not to produce the “greenest” possible home but rather to provide a variety of different home plans that allow people to create homes that fit their lifestyles in a responsible and equitable manner. We hope to produce house plans that demonstrate the green options that are available. As we move forward we will be producing homes of different sizes, styles, and levels of environmental commitment. We want to encourage participation in a progressive process rather than dictate consumption.

FreeGreen’s founders are an energetic, young, progressive, and diverse group of designers, engineers, and businesspeople. It is this variety of expertise that has helped us develop our core belief: “Good home design comes from a collaborative effort in which aesthetics, performance, and value are constantly discussed, debated, and maximized.” This mantra of collaboration has permeated every part of our business. From our HR policy of only enlisting designers who have a long-term focus on green plus real-world construction experience, to our unique dedication to involving HVAC engineers and building science experts in every aspect of our design process, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to design better homes.

Our founders have been working together solely on residential green design and construction projects for more than five years. During that time together they have designed and constructed (with their own hands) a national award-winning off-grid home, designed solar-powered green homes ranging in size from 700 to 7,000 square feet, conducted residential energy modeling for Fortune 500 companies, and consulted to heads of state on various foreign energy policies.

This passion for green design and positive societal change has been passed down to each member of our staff, and can been seen it is evident in our work and designs plans. We look forward to sharing our enthusiasm with you and helping you create the green home that’s right for you.