Design has wrapped up on the Green Home in Wheaton. SWA Architects and JAW Builders have worked together to devise a strategy for building what is planned to be an Emerald level certified home through the NAHB Green Building Program.
Home size is a key element when designing a home, and it is important to design a home that is appropriate for a families needs without adding unnecessary or excess space. At 3,600 square feet, the home is larger than what some would consider an ideal “green” designed home, but numerous factors, including the need for a home office, dictated the design. Limiting transition spaces such as halls and foyers to only what is needed helps create an efficient floor plan where living space is maximized. The open floor plan gives the home nearly 1,200 square feet of living space on the first floor which includes; an office, kitchen, dining room, family room, and a piano/sitting room. This allows for two-thirds of the first floor square footage to be usable living space while the other one-third is comprised of a mudroom, laundry room, pantry, and a full bathroom with shower. The floor plan also includes provisions for a future elevator to allow for accessibility throughout the home should the need arise.
Other green design features of the home include appropriate sized overhangs and an awning roof on the southern exposure that provide sun shading during the summer months while allowing sun to warm the home in the winter. The addition of future solar panels was kept in mind when designing the roof that not only maintains the character of the home, but also has over 400 square feet of south facing roof appropriate for solar panel use.
The plan also was designed to be structurally efficient, limiting the amount of steel beams and using right sized wood headers necessary in construction. A hollow-core pre-cast garage floor also allows square footage to be added to the basement below the garage without increasing the footprint of the building.
Some of these design features give credits toward the green certification process while some are just smart design. Designing a quality home that can be built efficiently is the ultimate goal when designing green. The resulting home will meet the lifestyle needs of the homeowners, while also providing a comfortable, healthy and energy efficient home. Our next blog in the series on the Wheaton Green Home will discuss the material selection process, and how those materials contribute to building green.
Next to come: Going for Green: Part III
Tags: Energy Efficiency, Green Construction, Gregg Stahr, Jaw Builders, Residential
[...] Read Going Green Part II [...]
[...] Read Going Green Part II [...]