Green Building (grēn bild ing) noun
1) The practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and their use of energy, water, and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better siting, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
2) Timber frames
I guess that says it all. Timber frames were designed and built green long before building green became buzzwords. Timbers are a renewable resource. Enclosing timber frame homes with insulated panels ensure that the energy used to heat and cool them will be minimized. That is a huge step in building green.
So if you are thinking about building a sustainable, energy efficient home, your best first step is to build an original green home … a timber frame.