New firm aims to build green homes

The housing market may be in a slump, but with concerns about the environment rising, a new company is betting that there will still be demand for green homes built from scratch.

Two local real estate companies said they are teaming up to launch Abode, a company in Nashua, N.H., that will focus on building next-generation green homes.

In a press release, Bob Wildes and Jack McBride, the principals of Commons Development Group Inc., also of Nashua, and Sue Hawkes, principal of the Collaborative Cos., said they have joined forces to form Abode. Collaborative Cos. has offices in Boston and Burlington, according to its website.

According to the release, Abode will be a homebuilding company utilizing advanced building systems to deliver custom and semi custom homes that are greener, more energy efficient, structurally stronger, and quicker to deliver than conventionally built homes.

"The company’s hybrid modular system combines factory built sections and components with custom site built finishes to attain a level of efficiency and quality control that is not possible with conventional site built processes," the press release added.

The hybrid construction process, Abode said, is recognized as "green by design" according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system drawn up by the US Green Building Council, a nonprofit group advocating for environmentally friendly construction.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)