Austin; Where Green Building Was Born

Austin; Chasing Five Stars

For the first time ever, the experts at This Old House travel to Austin, Texas, to transform an historic bungalow into an expanded, eco-friendly home with the help of a team of local green building experts. Newly married homeowners Michele Grieshaber and Michael Klug need more space to accommodate their modern lifestyle and Michael's two growing sons, Sam and David. Architect David Webber plans an architecturally sensitive and modest second floor addition, while local builder Bill Moore has some smart strategies for increasing the efficiency of the house, while preserving the old house charm. He begins with the biggest challenge of the project ? trying to level the house's pier and beam foundation that constantly shifts with the weather due to tough soil conditions. Master carpenter Norm Abram visits another green renovation that Bill recently completed in Travis Heights to see how green building can be tasteful, subtle, and truly mainstream.