Construction is set to begin on the first "active green" home in the nation — right here in Webster Groves.

The Active House Alliance prototype home will be located at 214 Gray Ave. Officials broke ground at the site on Tuesday marking the beginning of construction on the new home.

The Active House Alliance is a European movement that embraces standards in building materials and practices in order to maximize energy and water efficiency and indoor air quality and lessen a building’s environmental impact.

The Webster Groves home will be the first in the United States to have the “Active House” designation.

See previous story: First "Active Green" Home in Nation Planned for Webster Groves

Webster Groves Mayor Gerry Welch was on hand for the ground-breaking ceremony. She noted that the area where the home will be built is a historic neighborhood.

"A lot of times, people don't think you can build a new 'green' home in an older neighborhood," she said. "This is proof that you can."

The homeowners, David and Thuy Smith, told Patch they first heard of the Active House USA possibility from Jeff Day, an architect with Jeff Day and Associates. 

"When he was working on our home addition in Brentwood, Jeff told us he was in the midst of the project," David Smith said. "We thought it was a great opportunity, and we knew the original homeowner. We're really excited about the project."

Smith, who grew up in Webster Groves, said if all goes as planned, the home will be complete in late August. He said he used to play ball at a neighbor's house across the street when he was younger.

Matt Belcher, of Verdatek Solutions, is the project manager for the home. He has been blogging about the endeavor on Patch since the very beginning.

Read more about the project in Matt's blogs:

• Active House USA: High Performance, Durable and Economical
• Active House USA: an American Classic in Webster Groves
• First Priority in Active House USA Is Passive Solar Orientation
• Building for the Future: the Webster Groves Active House USA