Housing First Minnesota members are taking meaningful steps to reduce their carbon emissions impact
Sustainability has become a hot-button topic in the world of residential construction. With new Energy Code advancements set to take effect by 2027, builders across Minnesota are having to rethink how homes are designed and built. Yet many Housing First Minnesota members are already ahead of the curve, integrating environmentally friendly practices into their processes—particularly Designated Green Path Builders, who continue to set the standard for energy-efficient home construction in the state.
Sustainable 9 Design + Build, for example, has long been a leader of sustainable building in the Twin Cities community. The firm is aptly named after its nine principles of sustainability, which ultimately boil down to three core ideas: performance, health, and carbon. “People often talk about health, performance, and carbon separately,” says Paul Trieu, Sustainable 9’s director of architectural design and engineering. “But to us, the holy grail is hitting all three at the same time.”
In practice, that means creating homes that are high-performing, exceptionally healthy, and thoughtfully constructed using locally sourced and renewable materials whenever possible. In fact, material sourcing plays a key role in reducing carbon emissions. “If you build a very high-performance home using high carbon-emitting materials, that’s not fully sustainable,” Trieu explains. “If materiality isn’t addressed, but the home has very high insulation and performance, you’ve checked only one box. It might be low energy, but it could still be toxic and high carbon.”
Hendel Homes shares a similarly holistic approach to sustainability, describing its mission as creating homes that are thoughtfully designed, built to last, and perform at a high level over time. “We put this into practice through building science, high-performance envelopes, high-quality materials, and detailed execution that lowers long-term operating costs,” says Amy Hendel, principal of Hendel Homes. She goes on to explain that sustainable building is not solely reliant on adding “green” products or technology, but rather, “True sustainability comes from thoughtful design, sound building science, and disciplined execution.”
At Hanson Builders, sustainability is approached through incremental, high-impact improvements that add up over time. For instance, Jerrid Voss, vice president of purchasing, points to airtightness and insulation details as examples of upgrades that deliver measurable gains in efficiency. “These practical, common-sense choices reduce energy use and material waste while making homes perform better over time,” he says. Vice President of Construction Mike Carbone adds that improving performance while remaining attainable for buyers is key. “We utilize stick framing versus panelized framing,” he notes. “This allows us to achieve a tighter building envelope, reducing air leakage and improving a home’s air changes per hour (ACH).”
For builders who haven’t yet embraced energy-efficient practices but want to move in a more sustainable direction, the question becomes: where to start? “If a builder is already asking that question, they’re doing great,” Trieu says. “By spring 2027, we’re likely jumping forward many years in code requirements all at once. Things like exterior continuous insulation will become required. Builders are worried, but these changes raise the floor of sustainability.” Because of this, he advises builders to start building above code before it’s required.
One accessible starting point is to address demolition waste, and in fact, there are many organizations to make this process streamlined and simple for builders. In Hennepin County, there is a deconstruction grant program that helps builders and homeowners pay to deconstruct existing homes instead of demolishing them. Better Futures Minnesota, a local nonprofit Sustainable 9 regularly partners with, is another excellent option. Its team removes cabinets, toilets, doors, hardwood flooring, light fixtures, and more, which then go into a reused building supply chain for organizations like Habitat for Humanity—keeping materials out of landfills. Trieu adds, “Managing waste streams, recycling, reclaiming, and building a local supply chain are some of the biggest opportunities to reduce a builder’s carbon emissions impact.”
But ultimately, all three builders agree that reducing carbon impact comes down to longevity. “The sustainable investments that pay off the most over time are those that improve performance and durability rather than chasing trends,” Hendel says. “High-quality building envelopes, efficient mechanical systems, and thoughtful material choices consistently deliver long-term value through improved comfort, operating costs, and homes that continue to perform well for decades.” She also stresses the importance of client budgets, explaining that with increased sustainability comes increased costs, and it’s crucial to help clients make informed, thoughtful choices that balance longevity with investment.
As these Housing First Minnesota members demonstrate, building better doesn’t require perfection—just intention, collaboration, and a commitment to crafting homes that stand the test of time.
