River Vine's Zero Net Energy custom home is attracting the attention of the media. See more below.

The future of construction lies in sustainable building as the need to take care of the Earth becomes more pressing. Though this industry requires STEM professionals such as architects and urban planners, developing sustainable materials from renewable resources is integral to properly protecting the planet.

For the last 30 years, Tony Sarich has been building modular commercial buildings and schools as a co-founder of Manteca, Calif.-based American Modular Systems (AMS),which recently developed a new line of classrooms called Gen7 that are healthy, smart, and sustainable.

One modular builder is taking green building to the next level by breaking ground on a new concept home that aims to be as smart as it is healthy. American Modular Systems (AMS) has started production on a luxury smart home designed to achieve LEED platinum certification. The final home will sit on a 50-acre working vineyard known as River Vine. To achieve LEED platinum in a net-zero home, geothermal and solar systems will be used as well as environmentally friendly building materials.

A luxury prefab home aims to achieve LEED Platinum certification and zero net energy performance in the California wine country. American Modular Systems has started production on River Vine Vineyards, a new Gen7 Concept Home to be sited on a 50-acre working vineyard along the banks of the Mokelumne River Watershed in Lodi Wine Country.

The first prefabricated-construction winery in California’s Central Valley may aim to produce high-quality reds and whites, but the new establishment is initially getting notice for its “green” credentials.

Tony Sarich of Gen7 knows a thing or two about LEED certification, having helped to build a business around selling “high-performance” prefabricated green classrooms to schools. Now he’s taken what he’s learned and applied it to building his winery and dream home in the Lodi region of California.

Tony Sarich, co-founder of American Modular Systems (manufacturer of Gen7 line of modular classrooms that we featured last year), plans to build an eco-friendly home and winery using what was learning developing Gen7.

Tony Sarich’s two-phase home project in a super-tight building envelope started in December 2010. The pre-fabricated winery spanning 3,000 square feet is called River Vine.

It was somewhat of a high-tech barn-raising. On what had been a concrete pad and block wall foundation, a 3,000-square-foot winery building - with much of its windows, wiring, plumbing, interior and exterior all in place - was erected in less than a day.