Recently a student of ours commented on various color combinations for stamped and stained concrete and asked us which colors we used most frequently. Reflecting back on many years of different decorative concrete installations, the color green came to mind. Whether it was just a subtle accent of color hardener or a spritz of green acid stain, it occurred to me how much the color green could add to a project.

In modern-day construction, the word "green" takes on an entirely different meaning. Responsible building, especially with concrete, is no longer considered an "in vogue" fringe fashion but rather one of the most important considerations of sustainable design and construction.

Many of us concrete junkies have used recycled materials such as fly ash, ground slag, crushed glass and metal inlays in our quest to create beautiful works of art without even considering the many benefits of green building practices. We are actually in the design phase on the construction of our own home (out of concrete, of course), and I must admit, it has been and will continue to be a learning experience with green in mind.

We are fortunate to have come in contact with Eric Brock and Frank André of Lord Aeck Sargent Architecture in Atlanta, whose firm specializes in sustainable design. As Eric and Frank put it, normally their firm does not get involved with small residential projects. However, they were so intrigued with our ideas using concrete as the primary medium that they wanted to be a part of this unique project. They certainly brought many important considerations to mind that many times are overlooked or not even considered.

Sustainability starts with choosing a site that will have the least impact on the environment - such as using the natural contours of the land and only removing trees if it is absolutely necessary - and then trying to landscape with native trees, shrubs and plant material.