Architect Jeffrey Long of Long & Associates has a philosophy: Build it green and the buyers will come.

At 3927 Kahala Ave., Long took a risk and decided to design a speculative, custom-built luxury home from the ground up—and to make history by becoming the first in the neighborhood to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The five-bedroom, multilevel, furnished home is now listed on the market by Choi International for $6.68 million, with the first open house scheduled for Sunday.

The whole process began about a year ago, starting with the deconstruction of the 1950s, three-bedroom home at the site, which was the first step toward getting LEED certification.

Re-use Hawaii, a nonprofit, took the home apart piece by piece, salvaging lumber, flooring, windows and other materials that could be reused instead of ending up in the landfill.

From the beginning stages of design, Long envisioned a home that incorporated sustainable principles, starting from the orientation of the house to take advantage of tradewinds, to its clean and simple lines.

The home is being marketed as “;Luxury Contempo.”;

“;It should speak for itself,”; said Long from the main living room, which looks out upon a sweeping, ocean view from pocket-door windows. “;You get a sense of comfort and relaxation. This is design in its purest form. It's very simple.”;

Homes are LEED certified when they comply with a set of guidelines that improve everything from the indoor environmental quality to energy and water efficiency. Points are awarded for installing low-flow shower heads, for instance, or a solar electric system.

Different levels, from silver to gold to platinum, with platinum considered the highest, are awarded. Long is aiming for gold-level certification for the Kahala home.

The home's sustainable highlight is a 4.6-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system, made up of 20 panels on the rooftop, as well as an integrated solar hot water heater, which will supply the house with renewable energy.

If the homeowner wants to install more solar photovoltaic panels, the roof has more space, he said.

Besides a high-efficiency Mitsubishi air-conditioning system, every room is equipped with EnergyStar ceiling fans. The kitchen is also furnished with energy-efficient appliances, including an EnergyStar Subzero fridge.

In the bathrooms there are dual flush TOTO toilets and low-flow faucets by Kohler.

Several skylights throughout the house let natural light in, while generous, double-paned windows are designed to let tradewinds cool the house.

Mocha-colored bamboo, considered a more renewable resource, runs along the floors of the home, which features no carpet on purpose. The walls, meanwhile, are covered with paint low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Outside, Long put in a synthetic turf putting green that won't have to be watered, fertilized or mowed. The landscaping also includes drought-tolerant native plants.

Designing a luxury home with amenities that is still sustainable is a balancing act. There are compact fluorescent lights installed in some parts, but not all parts, of the home.

Luxuries include a waterfall swimming pool, a spa tub on the lanai, two two-car garages (which offer outlets for electric vehicles, by the way) and a media room with a wine cellar.

Long says similar luxury LEED homes have been designed on the mainland, and he is confident there is a market for them here. He's already working on two similar LEED projects in the Diamond Head-Kahala neighborhood, expected to hit the market soon.