Built-ins and eco-sensitive furnishings ensure that the home’s indoor air quality isn’t compromised. All lighting is CFL or LED.
The home has no furnace or boiler. For passive solar backup, it relies on a 600-ft. geothermal loop and electric in-floor heating mats. The mats supply about 3kW, or 10.5k BTU—enough to heat the home on the coldest winter night.
A grid of steel exterior stairs provides private access to upper floors and leaves more room indoors for living.
Ongoing Improvements
The architect notes that by monitoring the home’s performance during the first year, the team was able to identify hidden energy wasters. “For instance,” he says, “we now know that the well pump was using a lot of energy—12% of the home’s consumption for a year. That was easy to improve.
“At the same time,” he adds, “some of the appliances out-performed our original estimates, in part because they weren’t used as much as expected. But we’re now extrapolating from the lifestyle impacts.”
Too often, notes the architect, home owners look at the aspects of a home that are not important—things that “are really going to go down the drain.” Not so, with this house, he says. It’s a project that ultimately gives the owner freedom—so “he won’t owe monthly bills to anyone.” GB
PRODUCTS
Structure — Reward (ICF)
Appliances — Leibherr (refrigerator), Thermador (cooktop), Bosch (DW), Miele (dryer)
Cabinets — Crystal Cabinetry
Decks — TimberSIL
Door Hardware — Emtek
Siding — Sto Global (EIFS)
Lighting System — Lutron
HVAC — Lufta (HRV), Nuheat (in-floor system)
Pavers — Vast
Windows — OptiWin (Germany)
Interior Surfaces — American Clay
Water Filtration — ECO-Smarte
Window Shades — Warema (automated)
12.2011
www.greenbuildermag.com 44
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