News Times Live Company builds with environment in mind
By Robert Miller
THE NEWS-TIMES
NEW MILFORD -- The green seeds got planted in Steve Schappert's head when he was a kid.
"In kindergarten, my best friend's father was Bernard Baker, who found FuelCell Energy in Danbury," Schappert said. "He drove a blue Fiat with six batteries in the back -- it was an electric car. It caught my attention at a very early age."
On Monday, Schappert, the 43-year-old president of Connecticut Real Estate and Construction of Brookfield, watched as his environmental aspirations began to take shape.
He is a principal and prime mover of Bios Building, a company that will specialize in construction of homes and commercial buildings that use green technology.
He and his partners broke ground on a small lot on Railroad Street to build what will be the company's showplace -- a 12,500-square-foot building that will feature three condominium units and office space -- a "smart growth" mix of uses in a downtown area.
Schappert said he hopes the building will be open by the end of the year...
It will get its electricity from 108 solar panels that will cover the southern side of the building's roof. It will be heated and cooled by a geothermal system that takes advantage of ground temperatures below the surface.
It will also feature such smart building features as shades that automatically open to take advantage of the sunlight, then close when the sun sets."
