EDITOR'S LETTER

Green design is coming into the forefront today as concern for the planet escalates. In a relatively short period, technology has advanced, allowing architects and designers to incorporate an array of green initiatives into their designs. This past month, HC&G met with the Designer's Collaborative in Manhattan to discuss designing green. This group of interior designers and architects meets monthly to share ideas, problem-solve and grow further in their practices through educational opportunities in the industry. Tim Button of Stedila Design and Michael Gubbins of the Albanese Organization led the discussion. The Albanese Organization—responsible for the environmentally advanced residential towers The Solaire (America's first residential building to be LEED certified by the U.S. Green Council), The Verdesian and The Visionaire—hired Button to design the interiors (the hallways, the public spaces and the apartments) of the buildings designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. While we will be bringing you this roundtable discussion in a future issue, I wanted to mention here in our Green Issue how informative it was. In fact, because the Albanese group is at the forefront in using the latest green technology, they are working with such universities as NYU, Columbia and Cornell on green design programs. They even offer tours of the buildings and share information from the design and business point of view.

East Hampton architect Maziar Behrooz has long been creative with green initiatives, as can be seen in his design for a house inspired by an airplane hangar that he created for art dealer James Salomon. We can't wait to publish the completed home, but in the meantime we give you a preview of this environmentally sensitive structure in plan form.

Last September we spoke with Bridgehampton architect Michael Lomont about the eco-friendly house he had recently completed for his family. This issue he discusses why he did what he did. What is also important to mention is that building green isn't an all-or-nothing project, but rather is often a process. This fall Lomont plans to install a green roof and additional solar panels.

Also in this issue, HC&G's Garden Pundit Dianne Benson brings us glorious green in the form of gardens she saw on her recent visit to the Cotwolds. And Art Ludlow of Bridgehampton's Mecox Bay Dairy gives us an inside look of how he makes his delicious artisanal cheeses. Both of these stories give us glimpses of green in positive yet very different ways.

To incorporate green techniques into a design is to be aware that each of us can play a part in improving our homes and our lives. May you enjoy this issue and your surroundings and the lushness that is the Hamptons. And may we all be aware of what we can do, however small, to take care of our planet.

Barbara L. Dixon
Editorial Director
barbara.dixon@hcandg.com