Michael Carlson, principal of Carlson Studio Architecture, has an architecture and environmental design degree from Ball State University. An architect since 1989, he is one of the first in Florida to become a LEED Accredited Professional. He's a member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

When did you start to use green building elements in your design?

"It was probably about 2000. There wasn't much of a market for it before then. The U.S. Green Building Council LEED system for new construction was introduced in 2000. We had a definition of what 'green' could be, and something we could follow and have independently verified."

How interested in green design are builders and buyers in Tampa?

"I'd say everyone is pretty interested in our area. Sarasota County has done a lot to promote green building in the last five to six years. Part of green building's popularity in the area comes from county incentives. They offer expedited permit reviews and site planning approvals. We've had a water crisis for 10 years, so I know a lot of people think it's the right thing to do. For contractors, green building's a way to differentiate yourself in the marketplace."

What green building standards do you follow?

"We follow the LEED for Homes system. The difficulty with [one of the homes I'm working on] is it's such a big house, that LEED for Homes penalizes you when you go over a certain square footage. In Florida, there's [also] the Florida Green Building Coalition home standard. With this, you don't need a design team and you don't need an architect. It's a little bit more user-friendly. LEED certification is more stringent. It's definitely cheaper than LEED. I'd estimate the cost at a couple hundred dollars."

Are codes and regulations keeping up with residential green building?

"I'm actually working right now with the city of Sarasota to go through their regulations. In Florida, there are complicated issues with pervious pavement, [concrete] pavement that water drains through to the ground. There are definitely some codes that need to get refined. I think the market changes faster than the codes. The code only gets updated every two to four years."