The owners of this urban
house were at the end of their rope. They had lived here for 12 years
and had several of the areas remodeled twice before. They had planned to
move, but were unable to find a house with the same qualities or as good
a location as this one. The chronic problem was that many part of the
house were too dark, even in full daylight. In addition to wanting more
natural light, they wanted to incorporate as much green technology and
sustainable building practices as the design would allow. By adding
skylights, enlarging the window openings and opening up the rooms, the
natural light problem was solved. There were a host of “green” elements
that are too numerous to list, but some include:
radiant heating on all levels of the home, low glazing, energy efficient
housewrap and insulation, using natural oils to finish the cabinetry,
the salvaging of all old windows, doors, fixtures and cabinets, all
lumber was salvaged and reused or recycled, the use of engineered lumber
to save old growth forests. This is an example of how “green” principles
can be incorporated without any sacrifice of design or function.
National Award
2008 Best Green Remodel
