wife purchased early in their marriage—one they did not build—hidden mold exposure slowly took hold. There were no obvious wall stains or visible surface growth. Yet symptoms escalated over time: his wife became increasingly ill, Lenard began noticing his own symptoms, and their daughter struggled with learning in ways that didn’t add up. Toxin testing ultimately revealed elevated mold exposure, and investigation identified mold in concealed areas throughout the structure. Rather than attempting extensive remediation with uncertain outcomes, the family made a difficult but decisive choice: they tore the home down and rebuilt. That experience became the catalyst for Lenard’s training in building biology, a discipline he describes as the study of how the built environment impacts human health and the natural environment. A building biologist, Lenard explains, evaluates materials, assemblies, and design practices through a health and performance lens—reducing toxic load, minimizing moisture risk, and building in a way that helps occupants thrive. It also supports broader sustainability goals, including reducing unnecessary material transport and choosing approaches better suited to the local climate and natural environment. For Lenard, the most unsettling realization was that the conditions that led to mold growth weren’t the result of extreme negligence.They were the product of common building methods—standard practices that did not sufficiently protect against long-term moisture and microbial risk. Once that became clear, he began applying healthier, more durable principles across projects already in progress, shifting his company toward a new standard of performance. A LUXURY BUILDER BY DESIGN—AND BY DISCIPLINE Lenard Crafted Homes builds fully custom homes and has never built the same home twice. Its annual volume—typically five to seven homes, ranging roughly from $1.5 million to $6 million—reflects intentional capacity control rather than demand constraints. Lenard notes that while the company has always built luxury custom homes, the last several years have been marked by significant internal 46 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01
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