When Angela Dean was an architecture student, the only choice that followed her personal ethics was to go into green building.

Now as an architect for AMD Architecture, which specializes in residential and commercial green building, Dean helps residents around the valley make choices to not only make their home more environmentally friendly, but also to be more energy efficient.

"(I think it) goes beyond being environmentally friendly — the homes better serve their owners. They're more efficient (and help in) extending healthfulness," she said.

Dean helped design one of the 10 homes that will be on display for the Second Annual Green Homes Tour this Saturday. The tour highlights homes built with the environment in mind, designed to save energy. Eight of the homes are in the Salt Lake Valley, and two are in Park City.

"The tour is intended to showcase homes in this area ... that demonstrate (green) building and finishing materials and let people actually be in the rooms and see how they look and feel compared to more traditional building," said Kevin Emerson, a management staff member for The Green Building, which sponsors the tour.

Features on display will include a strawbale construction, ICF (insulated concrete forms), structural insulation panels (SIPS), active and passive solar, bamboo flooring, Marmoleum flooring, low VOC paints and more. Participants can learn about environmental building techniques, materials and using sustainable building practices on any budget.

One of the reasons Green Building decided to hold the tour was to showcase what a home built in a more environmentally friendly way looks like.

"We wanted to expose those who've heard of different green or more environmentally responsible techniques to see them in action," he said. "We also wanted to expose those architects and designers and green builders in the area to let the community know they're around."

"I think the power of example is really strong. It's difficult to visualize how a system can apply to someone's lifestyle without seeing it in action," she said. "We want to show people that they don't have to live in a straw hut in the wilderness. They can live mainstream in an urban setting and that may even be greatest thing they do, so they can live close to public transportation."

Tickets to the Green Homes Tour are $15 per person with a discounted price of $10 for students, seniors, bicyclists and children under 12. The Green Building is providing vans for public transportation which will meet in the parking lot at 3900 S. Wasatch Boulevard at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. However, seating is limited, so reservations must be made before Saturday.For any questions about the tour, or to purchase tickets, contact The Green Building at 484-6278 to stop by the store, 1952 E. 2700 South in Salt Lake City.

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E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com