Going green might be a 21st-century trend, but it needn't exclude history and tradition. Many design professionals, in building smarter, safer and more environmentally sensitive homes, are drawing from the past as they embrace the future.

At its best, eco-consciousness is equally at home with modern technology, such as solar energy, and traditional design principles, such as cross ventilation. The result is a wide spectrum of houses -- whether renovated or new, high-tech or simple and traditional -- that bear the green banner.

New Orleans' own range of green homes will be on display this weekend when thousands of design and construction professionals convene for the National Association of Home Builders' 10th annual Green Building Conference. Participants will tour seven green home projects, including modular, wood-frame and steel-frame new construction, as well as four renovations. The conference will also feature seminars to help builders incorporate sustainable practices into their work.

This year marks the first time the organization's green-building conference has taken place in New Orleans, and local chapter vice-president Jon Luther describes it as a milestone in the city's green growth.