Courtesy of Rick Byrd
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While Darren, Boise, and Angela may have been the faces of this season of Alter Eco, the man who ran the transformation of a 1920s Los Feliz casa into a LEED-Platinum gem was Rick Byrd, a real estate developer with a passion for environmentally friendly luxury. Rick kindly took a little time out of his hectic schedule at Byrd Development, Inc. to let shed some light on what happened behind the scenes of Alter Eco and what we can expect from him next.
Planet Green: How did your passion for eco-friendly luxury architecture develop?
Rick Byrd: I have always had a passion for anything luxurious, and luxury architecture has always been my business, so eco-luxury was a natural progression. When I realized my industry was one of the largest polluters of the environment, I knew I had to make a change. The problem until recently was that there was no standardized system for green homes. A contractor could put solar on a home and call it green. When the LEED rating system was established, however, I knew it was my time to become involved, because finally, there was an indisputable system to determine the "eco-ness" of a project. The home we built in Los Feliz in part of the LEED "pilot" system, meaning it will be one of the first in the world to meet these standards.
PG: What was the biggest challenge on working on the Alter Eco house?
RB: The biggest challenge of the Alter Eco home was the time and shooting schedule. On the show it looks like we had a year to complete the home. In reality, my team had just 14 weeks! On top of that impossible schedule, we sometimes had to stop or start construction to accommodate filming. This was by far the hardest home build we have ever attempted to build. We had to build during the day and research products at night. When the show wrapped, my whole team took three days off, and from what I heard, I don't think anybody got out of bed in those three days.
PG: What's your favorite part of the house?
RB: I received a lot of flack for the conversation Adrian and I had regarding the size of the shower and the number of girls we could fit into it. This was all in fun, but in all seriousness, the master bathroom turned out to be my favorite part of the house. My greatest triumph, though, is breaking the stereotypical mindsets of what a green home has to look and feel like.
PG: What are the biggest lessons you learned from the Alter Eco house?
RB: One of the most important things we learned is that green building is not rocket science. The products and systems are readily available. It's the lack of knowledgeable people with the ability to put all the pieces together that is the problem.
Another lesson we learned is that, with a little extra thought and time, huge amounts of waste can be diverted from landfills and sent to the proper recycling facilities. For example, in the Alter Eco home, we reused waste framing-lumber to make all sorts of things, including the front door and master vanity.
PG: You're a board member of Pharmaka, a community-based art gallery that was featured on Alter Eco and is helping to revitalize downtown L.A. Why did you get involved?
RB: Pharmaka is a passion of mine. We will continue to adhere to our core philosophy of supplying a venue for community-based artists to exhibit their works, where otherwise they might not have the opportunity. This gallery has done more for the revitalization of "skid row" than any other developer or development in the downtown area. Pharmaka has proven that a small team and a vision can change a neighborhood. When Shane Guffogg started Pharmaka, people were throwing needles at him, threatening his life, and vandalizing the gallery. Now, 5,000 visitors come to our art walk every first Thursday of the month.
PG: What does the future hold for you as a green builder?
RB: In the short term, we will continue to lead the way in residential LEED-Platinum projects. In the long term, I see myself as a green Donald Trump... only without the bad hair.
PG: What projects are you currently working on?
RB: We have three LEED-Platinum projects slated for the Hollywood Hills, Laguna Nigel, and San Diego. Each is in an area that has no green homes, and will be a shining example of leadership in environmental consciousness and architectural design.
PG: What advice would you give to budding artists and architects who want to go green?
RB: My advice is to do the proper planning and research. Don't try to wing it. Have all your goals mapped out and budgeted beforehand.
PG: Okay, that about covers it...Or does it?
RB: Without giving up too much information... [Byrd Development] is about to launch a revolutionary retail concept for energy conservation -- a service with proprietary products -- that is sure to blow the doors off the green world. We are working closely with investment bankers and venture capitalists to roll out our plan across the nation, with Santa Monica as the first location. Keep your eyes open -- you won't be able to miss us.
Are you a green hipster looking for all things green and cool? Then you'll love actor and eco-activist Adrian Grenier and his team of environmental experts, who live it up with sustainable style on Planet Green TV's Alter Eco.
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