Eda Walldorf of Green & Lofty in Chattanooga is now a REGREEN Trained Professional. Walldorf is a sustainable designer who has been implementing restorative and new construction practices in Chattanooga since 2012, with an emphasis on energy efficiency.
“Green & Lofty focuses on environmentally responsible design,” says Walldorf. “It’s about restoration work that considers the pocketbook - from the budget for the project to the expenses for the life of the final product.”
One of Walldorf’s projects involved turning an old bungalow with a choppy floor plan in North Chattanooga into a refurbished home with an open floor plan and a sustainable framework. Natural light now pours in through skylights in the kitchen and through new, energy efficient windows. Walldorf had a third party energy audit conducted on the home, and performed every feasible recommendation.
Her next project was a newly constructed EPB Energy Right Certified home, also in North Chattanooga. The Electric Power Board oversaw the construction of the home from beginning to end, and made sure it met their energy efficiency standards for third party certification.
“Third party certification is important,” said Walldorf. “I worked with EPB to secure a professional evaluation of the home from beginning to end, to make sure we had a final product that met the highest standards of energy efficiency.”
While Walldorf hopes to continue to build with EPA’s highest energy standard ratings – the Energy Star certification – her approach is holistic.
“The home’s highest performance is our ultimate goal,” she says. “We consider the materials used: are we utilizing techniques and materials that enhance the home’s performance and maximize its efficiency? We consider indoor air quality: ninety percent of our time is spent indoors, and there’s a rise in asthma and allergies nationwide. What we breathe in matters. How can we responsibly select products that will deliver a healthy space for families and inhabitants? We consider water and energy and resource conservation. We consider the mechanicals of the home. The list of our considerations is thorough and extensive.”
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Walldorf moved to the U.S. over 25 years ago. She is now a citizen of the U.S., and professes a great love for not only her country but also the town she and her husband, Nathan, call home. “Having been born in a thriving metropolitan city, it’s exciting to see how far Chattanooga has come, and how it’s evolved. I’m a big believer in what our city is growing up to be, and feel it’s a privilege to have a small part in it.”
Walldorf says Green & Lofty was born out of her belief in “making something out of nothing.”
“I have a ‘beauty from ashes’ mentality. I’ve been given many wonderful opportunities in life. I have received so much, and continue to learn and grow as a product of many rich experiences.
“Amongst my adventures, I had the opportunity to work and learn with my husband, Nathan, over the past four years in real estate. Before the Great Depression, his grandfather started Herman Walldorf & Co. Realtors, the oldest real estate firm in the city. They’re a known authority, and have created a great legacy in the local industry. While working with them, I saw an opportunity to make my desire come to fruition: transforming old, dilapidated homes into something beautiful, healthy, timeless, and responsible - and accessible to all Chattanoogans. It was my chance to make an impact and give back.
“I jumped right in. My company gets its name from being ‘green,’ or environmentally minded, and ‘lofty,’ not only because ‘loft’ implies dwelling, but also from the great goals and ambitions I have for its impact.”
On April 9, Walldorf flew to New York City to attend a REGREEN training conference with other designers, architects, and industry professionals, including some renowned sustainability authorities from California. Upon completing the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation (ASID)’s required REGREEN training courses, Walldorf became a certified REGREEN Trained Professional. She’s currently Chattanooga’s only REGREEN Trained professional, and one of only two professionals who have been certified by REGREEN in Tennessee as a whole.
“The training was incredibly beneficial to me,” said Walldorf. “I now have tools I know will make my job not only easier, but even more effective. I’m ready and excited to implement many of the principles that I learned in a practical and beneficial way.”
Walldorf says the most valuable thing she learned at the conference was how to approach projects with a “whole-systems approach.”
“There’s great value in looking at a project from beginning to end and collaborating with the entire professional team throughout to maximize the result and have a fluid and beneficial outcome,” she says. “In other words, there’s great value in cooperation and synergy. We work best when we work together.”
REGREEN was created by the USGBC and ASID. A variety of industry experts contributed to the conception of the REGREEN training program, allowing them to create a comprehensive methodology modeled after the USGBC’s nationally recognized LEED program, and focusing on the implementation and careful planning of sustainable retrofits.
Walldorf says Chattanooga is the perfect place for her to realize her dream of “making beauty from ashes.”
“This is a health-conscious, environmentally mindful place. The people of Chattanooga care, and want to surround themselves with the best choices, from what they eat, to how and where they live. It has a proven track record. To think it was once one of the most polluted cities in the nation, and now it’s hosting triathlons and engaging the nation as leader in the growing health industry.”
For more information about Green & Lofty, contact Walldorf at (423) 400-1756 or eda@greenandlofty.com..