Like the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards that just aired, everyone interested in sustainable living is wondering who the next big “green-building” rock star is. If you were keeping up with the Grammy’s, you were probably just as shocked as we were when Stephen Colbert pulled out Apple’s new iPad to present Song of the Year. And of course, the iPad’s cameo wouldn’t be complete without a little gloating from Colbert himself. “Jay Z, did you not get one of these in your gift bag? Am I cooler than you?!” Bravo, Stephen Colbert. Hit the break for a video clip.

 

Green building and sustainable living lifestyles may not enjoy the same glamour and pop celebrity hype, and they may not have big tech gadgets that Hollywood puts in their swag bags, but there are many environmentally friendly celebrities that support green building, various aspects of sustainability and alternative energy. Being “green conscious” has become a deeply held cause embraced by many of Hollywood’s elite.

 

Dave Matthews Band, Neil Young, Alanis Morissette, KT Tunstall, Sting and Jeff Teeny are just a few of those championing their causes and gaining continued attention to environmental agendas. Oh, you haven’t heard of Jeff Teeny? Well, he may not be a Grammy award winner, or a Hollywood elitist, but here in Oregon, just a stone’s throw away from the state that is breeding celebrities with green missions, Jeff Teeny is a rock star in the green building business. And he has the awards to prove it.

 

The U.S. Green Building Council reviews builder’s claims for sustainable building practices and awards Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications. Good green builders can be recognized by this third party entity, but great green builders can be recognized on the bronze, gold or, better yet, platinum level – equivalent of receiving an Artist of the Year statuette. Green “rockstar” builder, Jeff Teeny, holds three platinum certifications – all received in one resort development: The Villages at Cascade Head. But he’s got more songs to sing. He plans to continue to develop part of an iconic 630 acre piece of heaven on the Oregon Coast where most, if not all, of the homes earn LEED Platinum awards.

 

Hard to imagine that one could buy a place like this under $200,000, but it’s true. Buyers are finding that these homes aren’t just cheap stick-built jobbies with a couple of solar panels on the roof either. Instead, the homes and landscaping have features that blow away the competition and give primary and second-home owners the opportunity to really be proud of their amenity-rich home and their contribution to a better world too.

 

So next time you think “rock-star” think about the green rock stars that give more than just pop entertainment value. Sure, The Villages at Cascade Head can’t fit concrete walls, hydronics heating, wind/solar/water power into goodie-swag bags, but at the resort, there’s a whole new sustainable rock star to sing about these days.