Chattanooga Pulse

Winter often reminds me of how poorly many homes are built. With cold chills sweeping under doors and drafts coming through the thin walls, the heat is just seeping out. For those who live in sturdily built, well-insulated houses, count yourself lucky. Many American homes, built cheaply so as to be “affordable,” end up costing families a significant portion of their income. The utility bills (therefore the carbon footprint) for these homes are much larger than they need to be. If builders employed practical building methods, houses that start to fall apart after a few years could instead last for generations.

Collier Construction is a progressive company that has been providing service to the Chattanooga area for about eight years now. It all began when Ethan Collier decided to go into the business of quality-built homes, doing “construction the right way.” It seems that in the interest of profit and quantity, modern homebuilders have been neglecting the basic principals of constructing solid living spaces that are healthy, practical, and enduring.

This company’s philosophy is that building a better way also builds a better way of life. A house will be built to last and use less energy. It will do what a house is meant to do: stay warm or cool, keep the weather out, and keep the inhabitants safe. Ideally, it will be a structure made to utilize its surroundings, and work within, not against, the environment.

One of Collier’s recent projects has been profiled as a prime example of the company’s building goals. Trey Wheeler’s house is 3,200 sq. ft. and houses a family of six. Remarkably, the average energy bill ranges from only $50 to $100 each month. Ethan Collier is very proud of the project and of the partnerships involved in creating a high-quality product,

“With the Wheeler residence, we were able to build a successful high-performance home because of a collaborative effort, involving everyone from the architect and homeowner, to framing crews and finish carpenters,” he says. “To build an energy-efficient home like the Wheelers’, the entire project team has to make adjustments to the normal way of doing things, and Collier Construction has been fortunate to work side-by-side with individuals and companies who have reached a higher level of craftsmanship while placing a premium on sustainability. I think that is what makes this home so special.”

Homes such as Trey Wheeler’s are built to meet Collier’s three core standards: maximizing the use of space, reducing energy costs, and lasting 100 years. Some of the building methods utilized by the company include advanced framing, construction waste recycling, insulated crawl spaces, use of recycled and recyclable materials, rainwater collecting and storage, well-sealed insulation barriers, and foam-in insulation, just to name a few.

A high value is placed on continued learning. The company uses the best techniques and practices as the building industry evolves, serving as a role model in the Chattanooga community, offering workshops and luncheons to educate others about green building. Ethan Collier and Eric Meyer also created a free program, “(re)source” in which they work with high school students to “apply the principles of math and science to sustainable design and green construction.”

Building homes that last longer and providing families with the resources to be educated about their living environment at home and beyond is a true investment in sustaining a community. Ethan Collier and his company have a mission “to promote these methods to community stakeholders and sustainability advocates with the hope that, over time, more neighborhoods are strengthened by energy efficient and sustainable homes.

“Our mission is to build lasting relationships, lasting structures and an enduring legacy in the Chattanooga area,” he says, and with Trey Wheeler’s home as a flagship, the company has made headway in becoming a household name, making itself known for having people’s best interests in mind. Says Collier, “Trey Wheeler and I feel strongly that his home provides a starting point for mainstreaming high efficiency, sustainable homes in the Chattanooga area.”