> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # A greener lifestyle is on display - URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-greener-lifestyle-is-on-display/ - Published: 2007-05-18T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T00:46:54.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Events, Santa Monica Airport, #archive-import *AltBuild Expo welcomes the public for first time* BARKER HANGAR Green living has never been more within reach. Thousands of interior designers, developers, architects, business owners and even homeowners from across the region will descend upon the Santa Monica Airport for a two-day event highlighting some of the best and brightest materials in green building. The Fourth Annual Alternative Building Materials & Design Expo (AltBuild), which begins today, will feature more than 100 exhibitors, each offering an environmentally friendly product that can be used in the workplace or home. The Expo is generally considered the largest and most cohesive green building show in Southern California. This is the first year the event will span two days, with a second day earmarked for the public. Green building and incorporating environmentally friendly elements into the business and home has gained popularity over the past few years as words like “LEED certified” become more commonplace. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is awarded by the United States Green Building Council for the environmentally friendly design and construction of buildings. “We’ve seen more clients interested after seeing ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ or news reports,” said LEED builder David Hertz, of David Hertz Architects in Santa Monica. “There’s a heightened sensibility and awareness on environmental issues.” Hertz also teaches a course on architecture and ecology at UCLA and will be speaking at two seminars at AltBuild — one on his work in green building and another on storm recovery system. Interest in green building has been around for decades, but is now really starting to grab the attention of consumers as they learn more about global warming and destruction of the ecosystems, said Christine Dzilzelis, executive director of AltBuild. “Certainly in the past decade, the growth of green building and design materials and advancement of renewable energy technology has exploded,” she said. “As more people become interested in using these products, it enables these companies to do more.” Brenden McEneaney, the green building program advisor for the city of Santa Monica, believes the demand started in the construction sector and slowly trickled down to homeowners and retailers. A MIGHTY WIND Homeowners can gradually incorporate green elements into their home, starting simple with energy efficiency, phasing out the incandescent light bulbs and replacing them with compact fluorescent light bulbs, or buying Energy Star-approved home appliances. The vendors at the expo will showcase various ways homeowners can move toward a green lifestyle. Vendors will exhibit everything from environmentally friendly cleaning products to radiant floors that are known to be more energy efficient in heating the home, McEneaney said. One of the many exhibitors is PacWind, a Torrance-based company specializing in wind turbines, which converts wind to energy. The wind turbines are designed to be silent and safe, accommodating wind speed of up to 120 miles an hour. Though PacWind has participated in trade shows in the past, this is its first Alt Build Expo. Trade shows usually account for 30 to 100 prospective sales for the company, said Ken Johnson, the chief operating officer. For residences, the wind turbines range in price from $12,000 to $15,000, depending on the size of the house. Another energy company, Solar City, is expected to announce a collective purchasing program in Santa Monica during the AltBuild Expo. The program would put solar panels on rooftops of Santa Monica homes for a low price. The program proved to be successful in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the panels were placed on 190 rooftops, saving the homeowners 30 percent off the installation price. The panels are sold at a discount in the collective purchasing program because residents buy them in bulk. The company is setting a target of about 75 homes to convert in Santa Monica. Solar City just opened an office in Culver City and has participated in dozens of trade shows. “It’s a good day to educate homeowners on solar power,” said Solar City Founder and Chief Operating Officer Peter Rive. The event is free to the public. Friday’s show is dedicated to a trade-only day and Saturday is open to the public. For more information, visit the Web site at AltBuildExpo.com. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/051807-04_01.jpg) of Addison Doty A LOO, NATURALLY: All natural interior plaster for walls and ceilings from American Clay. (Photo: Photo courtesy) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/051807-04_02.jpg) GOLDFISH NOT INCLUDED: C&K Landscaping will be featuring such products as its biological, sustainable pond at the AltBuild Expo. (Photo: Photo courtesy) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 18, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/051807.pdf?ref=smdp.com)