Foundation Funds Green Homes for Habitat for Humanity
The Home Depot Foundationannounced the grantees of a new round of funding for their Partners in Sustainable Building (PSB) program last week. More than 135 Habitat for Humanity affiliates across 42 states will receive grant money to help pay for sustainable homes. Habitat will receive $3,000 for each home that is Energy Star certified, and $5,000 each for higher green home certifications.
The PSB program was launched by The Home Depot Foundation in 2009, and has already helped fund over 1,500 Habitat homes nationwide. It is expected that this year’s grantees will build over 2,400 homes through the program.
“We believe that healthy homes are the building blocks for thriving, affordable and environmentally sound communities,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. “Through our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, we are focused on bringing the practical financial and health benefits of green building and maintenance to families of modest incomes. By showing that green building and efficient maintenance of a home can truly keep more money in a family’s wallet, we also hope this effort has a ripple effect on all homeowners nationwide.”
The homes save their residents money every month by drastically reducing energy costs. Here are just a few examples of the savings:
One PSB homeowner in Rushford, Minnesota reported that her heating bill averaged only $2.50 per day during January.
In Fort Bend, a Texas homeowner who recently moved from his mobile home into a PSB home reported energy savings of $500 a month.
After months of 100+ degree temperatures, a homeowner in Grayson County, Texas reported that her highest electric bill was only $100.
In St. Louis, Missouri a homeowner saved so much in utility bills that she was able to purchase everything her children needed for the new school year, an annual expense she could not previously afford.
For Habitat, the partnership continues its commitment to quality, energy efficient housing for low-income families. “Our collaboration with The Home Depot Foundation is providing Habitat affiliates with the resources to continue building energy-efficient homes in neighborhoods throughout the country,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International. “At the end of our $30 million five-year effort, 5,000 families will have benefited from this partnership.”
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
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Some of our favorite projects
Storm Meadow
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
Aluminum Cube Jigger, RISD Works, 20 North Main St., Providence
Cocktails are having a moment.
Many restaurants and bars are crafting drinks with fresh and out-of-the-ordinary ingredients; they’re a recurring character on TV shows like “Mad Men;” and the cocktail’s influence on fashion and design is the focus of a new exhibit at the RISD Museum.
Making and serving drinks at home is also a big part of the tradition, whether you sip them solo after a long work day or with the whole neighborhood at a cocktail party.
It’s not difficult to create high quality cocktails in the comfort of your own kitchen or living room, but investing in the proper ingredients, tools and glassware makes it a lot easier. Here’s a guide to everything you need (plus some extras you might want) to create a home bar.
INGREDIENTS
The possibilities are limitless, but you’ll want to have certain basics on hand, says Eric Taylor, general manager of Bottles liquor store in Providence.
To get started stocking a home bar, pick up one bottle each of vodka, gin, dark rum, light rum, tequila and two different types of whiskey, he recommends. Mid-priced brands are fine, he adds, saying it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money on premium spirits.
“I think a bottle in the mid-teens is perfectly acceptable, especially if you’re going to be mixing it,” he says.
If you want to make classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned or Sazerac, you’ll also need bitters.
“Bitters are the salt and pepper of cocktails,” Taylor says. “A little goes a long way. They come in a rainbow of flavors, from orange to celery to rhubarb, and add depth and complexity.”
Jesse Hedberg, a bartender at Providence restaurant Cook & Brown Public House, says every home bar should have three types of bitters: Angostura, Peychaud’s and another flavor such as orange.
From there, depending on what you want to make, you can get creative with add-ons such as liqueurs — think St. Germain, Amaretto, Triple Sec — and fortified wines including vermouth and sherry.
Fresh citrus and herbs, plus sweeteners such as honey, simple syrup and agave, are also important components of high-quality cocktails.
“Seasonal, fresh ingredients are almost every bartender’s secret,” says Bottles owner Gil MacLean.
In the spring and summer, they might be available right in your backyard.
“Go out and pick stuff from your garden,” Taylor says. “Basil, rosemary, lavender, the possibilities are endless. I grow chamomile and have made a chamomile cocktail.”
While there are many stylish ways to display bottles, including carts, cabinets and built-in bars, it’s not necessary to store spirits in any particular conditions, Taylor says. Just be sure to keep caps sealed tight.
“One of the nice things about spirits is they don’t go bad,” Taylor says. “A bottle of whiskey or gin will last indefinitely. You can use a little bit of it, set it aside and come back to it whenever you want. You can build your library of ingredients over time. ”
TOOLS
Start by investing in a shaker, cocktail spoon and a jigger for measuring, MacLean recommends.
The Cobbler Shaker, with a metal base and a cap with a built in strainer, is the type most commonly found in home and department stores.
Hedberg prefers the Boston Shaker, a two-piece tool consisting of a pint glass and metal bottom that fit into each other. The glass part can also function as a container for stirring drinks that do not require shaking, he said.
Boston Shaker users will also want to have a strainer on hand to separate ice and/or unwanted pieces of citrus or herbs from the liquid.
If you plan to use fresh herbs and citrus, a hand juicer, muddler, cutting board and pairing knife are also good to have around, MacLean says.
Ice is a key ingredient in many drinks. While not essential, an ice bucket with tongs or a scoop is nice for presentation, Hedberg says. If you want to get really fancy, there are new silicone trays that create ice cubes perfectly sized for particular drinks, he adds.
Hedberg says every home bar should also have a couple of good mixology books, such as Dale DeGroff’s “The Craft of the Cocktail” and “The Essential Cocktail.”
GLASSWARE
“Having the right glasses to serve in adds to the look and celebration of the drink,” says Evan Larson, director of the RISD Museum’s shop RISD Works and a former bar manager at Waterman Grille.
The basic glasses you’ll want to have on hand include the lowball glass, typically used for drinks served on the rocks or stronger cocktails such as Old Fashioned; the taller and thinner highball glass, suited for mixed drinks including gin and tonic; and the martini glass, a cone shaped bowl on top of a stem and flat base.
“Glassware is really important, and there’s no getting around it,” Taylor says. “But you can spend as much or as little as you want. You can go to Target and get some basic everyday glasses or go all out with nice crystal.”
Champagne coupes — small, round bowls on a stem — have recently become another popular way to serve craft cocktails, Hedberg says.
“If you want to go old school, try a coupe,” he says. “They have great visual impact and are a fun, elegant way to present a drink.”
Glass martini sets, with matching pitcher, stirrer and glasses, are another striking way to present cocktails. RISD Works is stocking a few high-end blown glass versions to tie-in with the exhibition, and antique shops such as the Rhode Island Antiques Mall in Pawtucket frequently carry vintage sets.
“A set with a pitcher is good to have because, remember, a martini is meant to be stirred, not shaken,” Larson says.
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
Retailers are collaborating with rising-star and established home-décor designers for special collections they sell in their stores under the designers’ names in hopes of drawing consumers to the name as much as the housewares.
Bernard Brucha of Mash Studios designed a dresser for CB2 and is featured on its blog. (Just Ries, Just Ries / April 22, 2011)
As one of the many vendors who sell designs to CB2, the affordable modern offshoot of Crate & Barrel, Bernard Brucha was used to working anonymously. Last year, one phone call changed all that.
“They asked if they could use my name and likeness on the website,” said Brucha, founder of the Venice, Calif., furniture firm Mash Studios, who now appears in a designer profile on the CB2 blog.
Brucha is not the first American designer to be promoted as a rising star by a retailer. Nor will he likely be the last. A quick flip through catalogs and visits to stores over the last few months has revealed a growing trend: In a recession-rocked economy, home décor manufacturers are using established brands and building home-grown designer-name franchises to entice increasingly savvy customers and hoist up the bottom line.
“As manufacturers swallow each other up, design becomes the differentiator,” said Grant Kirkpatrick of KAA Design, an architecture interior and landscape design firm that recently launched the Rusa outdoor furniture collection for Design Within Reach.
“Corporate America used to think beauty was frivolous,” he added, “but the great revolution has been that design sells because people want beauty in their lives.”
And home décor manufacturers, which, contrary to popular belief, are staffed by product developers and buyers but rarely maintain in-house design departments, are happy to oblige. In addition to Brucha’s Mash Studios, CB2 offers goods by some two dozen young designers and artists. Williams-Sonoma‘s West Elm hypes its ongoing collaboration with event designer David Stark and 24 others in the “We Love” page on its website. On a more upscale note, Garnet Hill has exclusive bed and bath linens by fashion designer Eileen Fisher. And Ballard Designs recently paired with Atlanta interior decorator Suzanne Kasler, a designer for Hickory Chair furniture and Safavieh rugs.
“Working with Ballard Designs has been a way for me to share my design aesthetic and bring some of my ideas to products that are affordable,” says Kasler, who is known for high-end interiors.
“Connecting with a designer is a great way to inject a fresh perspective to your assortment in an increasingly noisy and crowded marketplace,” said Ryan McKelvey, president of Ballard, which launched more than 100 Suzanne Kasler items last August. It was the first such collaboration in the company’s 27-year history and is showcased in 37 million catalogs mailed out each year.
This marketing approach is certainly not without precedent. Ikea and Design Within Reach have built reputations by cashing in on designer currency, often providing headshots and biographies of creators on catalogs, websites and in-store displays.
In the 1990s, Target pioneered the idea of designer exclusives, teaming with architect Michael Gravesto produce modernist housewares, and the chain continues to partner with of-the-moment international designers such as Philippe Starck, Tord Boontje and Marcel Wanders for limited-run collections. The retailer also has an ongoing line of home accessories created by interior decorator Victoria Hagan.
Crate & Barrel has a 4-decades-old relationship with the Finnish textiles and table wares company Marimekko, which has produced exclusive designs that account for 5% of the store’s merchandise, and in mid-May will open the first of a string of Marimekko store-within-a-store boutiques at its store at the Grove in Los Angeles.
“Marimekko had to come to us and say you need to use the name more,” said Raymond Arenson, executive vice president of merchandising and design at Crate & Barrel. “We do tend to be shy of using the name. We’ve always thought to shout another brand within our brand seemed odd. Once you become a vehicle for brands you are a department store and not a brand yourself.”
If the business model of the 2000s was brand building, it might be said that, for many home décor companies, the 20-tween years will be about strategic alliances — using other brands to survive and evolve.
“In today’s flattened market, the ability to have product that is not available anywhere else is a significant competitive advantage,” said Russ Gatskill, chief executive of Garnet Hill. Not every venture has been a hit, he conceded. The catalog company tried to sell the trendy Indian block print bedding of John Robshaw, but Gatskill said, “It did not resonate with our customer.”
Many in the home décor industry find less risk in heritage brands: In addition to Marimekko, Crate & Barrel reissued Classic Century, a 1952 collection by modern dishware designer Eva Zeisel. TheSundance catalog carries reissued pottery from Los Angeles-based Bauer; Garnet Hill carries Pendleton blankets and Frette sheets as well as exclusives from glassmaker Simon Pearce and linens and bath goods featuring licensed designs from the archives of preppy prints queen Lilly Pulitzer.
Such licensing arrangements, Gatskill said, “allow us to expand into new product categories where we may not have perceived expertise.”
Other retailers, particularly young modernist-oriented CB2 and West Elm, which don’t have designers on staff, forge relationships with lesser-known names.
“We’re building our brand on the shoulders of all the new fresh designers,” said CB2 director Marta Calle. “We don’t know how many people actually know who they are, but we think people deserve to know.”
Working directly with a designer instead of buying already manufactured goods from a factory is a more arduous process. It requires finding resources and materials, creating prototypes and getting designer approvals before products can reach the shelves. According to Calle, it is well worth the effort.
“Having merchandise that doesn’t look like cookie-cutter products churned out by a computer brings credibility to a brand,” she added. “And there is no greater joy than seeing a young designer who thinks there is no way in hell he can get his product made and then we do it and get him a royalty check.”
Having collaborated with some 25 designers and artists in the last few years in a design scene she compares to indie music and film, West Elm Creative Director Alex Bates calls the trend a celebration of individual talents in a world of mass-produced goods.
“Consumers are romantic. They care about how they spend their money and love the stories behind the things they buy,” she said. “I mean, who really needs a vase? But if you buy one that you love and it supports a new artist, it’s a win-win.”
Ceramist Sarah Cihat, who became a darling of the DIY décor set with her Rehabilitated Dishware, agreed. “Design has become more accessible and people actually seem to care about it,” said Cihat, who worked with West Elm on a June collection based on her over-glazed vintage plates. “They are interested in the person behind the piece that they put into their homes and ultimately their lives.”
For everyone involved, this wave of designer décor is a tide that lifts all boats.
“Companies are getting a product specifically for them, and are able to charge a little bit more if it has an association with a designer,” said Mash Studio’s Brucha, who created one of CB2’s hottest sellers, the lobster red Shop chest.
Designers who license their creations get to see their visions realized by companies with the resources to manufacture and sell products.
And for the consumer, the product has cachet, because it’s not something that the company just bought off the floor at a trade show in Shanghai, Brucha added. “People who buy my furniture at CB2 think, ‘Oh he’s an L.A. designer who lived in Brooklyn. He’s one of us.'”
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
NAHB Green: HGTV’s Mike Holmes opens National Green Building Conference & Expo
Mike Holmes
Mike Holmes is on a mission — a mission to teach people about green homes and high-quality homebuilding.
Holmes, host of Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection on HGTV, talked about his drive to create a ripple effect in the homebuilding industry that makes top-quality, energy-efficient green homes the norm when he delivered the opening keynote session Monday at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City. The conference was at the Salt Palace Convention Center May 1-3.
Holmes began by talking about his childhood in Canada and how as a young kid he watched his dad, Jim Holmes, a self-proclaimed “jack of all trades” working on homes.
“I thought he was superman. He took down walls,” Holmes said. “He cared and I think that was the difference. Every family on the street said, “hire Jim, hire Jim.”
Holmes began working with his dad early on.
“I was six when I rewired the entire second floor of the house under his supervision. I was 12 when I finished the entire basement,” he said.
At age 19, he started his own contracting company and, at age 21, founded his own renovation company. During that time, he kept finding mold in the walls that he tore down and wanted to know why.
Holmes told the audience of about 200 people, the majority home builders, along with some architects, that he is determined to educate people about green homebuilding because he’s seen so many homes built so badly. Going back to some of the old ways and combining them with new technology is the way to build a home.
In discussing passive solar in response to a question from the audience, he said, “this is old technology, this is not new technology.”
He compared it to canopies used over windows in the past and how people used the canopies in the appropriate seasons to either block or allow the sun to shine into their homes.
Education is the key to making green homebuilding widespread, he said.
“How can we incorporate old technology with new technology? Using solar passive, this is old stuff. But we threw it out the window a long time ago and I don’t know why. Solar passive design is brilliant, and we should be using it more.
“We’re all seeing green. We’re all talking green. I was talking to the [Canadian] prime minister a few years ago and I said, ‘but who’s teaching green?’ It’s not being taught. We’re still teaching the same things in school – minimum code and minimum code sucks.’ What I said to him was, ‘we need to start changing the education.'”
As a result of his need to create homes that meet more than the minimum building codes, Holmes’ company, The Holmes Group, launched a quality-control program in Canada called Holmes Approved Homes that gives approvals to builders who go beyond industry standards. Calgary is the first Holmes community.
By creating his own program and working on high-profile projects such as reconstruction in Haiti, New Orleans and other locations where disaster has struck, Holmes said he hopes to create a ripple effect by throwing the first pebble into the pond. He said he’s already looking to Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami and Alabama, the site of where tornados plowed through the state.
“Tornados wipe out Alabama. This is opportunity, isn’t it? I know, people got killed and that’s a shame. But this is an opportunity for people to get together and say, ‘we can build tornado proof homes that tornadoes can’t tear down. Round homes that winds go around,'” Holmes said.
Holmes talked about struggles he’s had with city governments in trying to get homebuilding codes to change.
“I’m not going to give up,” Holmes said. “Let’s work together, let’s make this great together and let’s not give up.”
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
Plan Your Remodeling Project During Remodeling Month
Are you thinking about remodeling your home in the near future? If so, now is a great time to begin making your plans since the National Association of Home Builders designates the month of May as Remodeling Month! There couldn’t be a more perfect time to start the plans that will help make your home a more comfortable and functional place to live.
Remodeling can be both exciting and intimidating, but the good news is that the entire process doesn’t have to be stressful if you have planned carefully. The National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry have lots of resources on their websites that are helpful for every step of the remodeling process, covering topics like hiring a contractor, green remodeling, budgeting, and more!
Trilogy Partners can help you with your remodeling plans, too. Contact us to learn how we can assist you with your remodeling needs. Also, check out our posts on remodeling topics for great information and inspiration, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for the latest updates!
Images Courtesy of Nahb.org and Nari.org.
Some of our favorite projects
Storm Meadow
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
Using green building materials and products represents one important green building strategy. In fact, the nationally accepted benchmark for high-performance green building, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, includes Materials and Resources (MR) as one of eight categories used to measure a home’s overall performance.
Green building materials are renewable, recyclable, and consist of salvaged or refurbished materials. They offer specific benefits to the homeowner including reduced maintenance and replacement costs. For example, a deck constructed of a plastic wood product (100% recycled plastic) never needs to be painted or stained and will last longer than a wooden deck. Energy and resource conservation are also benefits of using green materials. Photovoltaics and low-use water fixtures are two green products that help conserve energy and water. Additional benefits of using green building materials are improved occupant health and productivity. Using synthetic green products in the home results in lower chemical emissions, and they contain fewer pesticides and pollutants.
Depending upon project-specific goals, an assessment of a potentially green material may involve evaluating one or more of these criteria: resource efficiency, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, water conservation, and affordability. Often, it is difficult to accurately assess the environmental performance of a building material or product over its entire life cycle. Another viable option, therefore, is to rely on third-party certification organizations. For example, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifies wood products that come from sources that follow a set of FSC sustainable forest management practices. Other recognized third-party certification organizations include: Green Guard, Green Seal, Green Cross, Energy Star, and Scientific Certification Systems.
In addition to self-assessment or third-party certification, you can use material lists and databases to find green materials and products. GreenSpec, a fee-based service, is a comprehensive source of green building product information. It includes more than 1,850 green building products and materials selected by the editors of Environmental Building News, a monthly newsletter published by BuildingGreen, Inc. (www.buildinggreen.com). Organized in Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) MasterFormat, GreenSpec includes descriptions of each product, along with environmental considerations and manufacturer contact information.
Other notable sources about green materials and products include:
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
Hiring a Contractor for Your Green Remodeling Project
Many homeowners are now leaning towards going green to save energy costs and to create a more comfortable and healthier place to live. There are many ways to go green from switching to energy-saving appliances to repainting your homes with non-toxic paints. These kinds of changes you may feel comfortable doing yourself. But should your project be more complex, you might want to consider getting some help.
Remodeling whether green or not can be a huge undertaking. It’s one thing if you’re going to be turning a bathroom into a mini spa. But many makeovers involve changes to floor plans, electrical and mechanical infrastructure, or structural elements. There may be a significant amount of demolition and even exterior reconstruction if you plan to add windows, doors, and skylights. Any physical change to the exterior envelope of the house is going to be rather complex and will involve careful planning, design, and materials selection.
Why Hire a Remodeling General Contractor?
Professional remodeling contractors have the skills, knowledge and experience to successfully plan and complete a remodel. The pros will save you from major stress and significant time commitments during the course of the project. And because you will avoid costly mistakes, you probably won’t end up paying any more for their expertise than if you had done the project by yourself.
And since you are specifically doing a green remodel, you will need additional expertise. Installing solar panels, adding insulation and eco-friendly home fixtures must be left to your trained tradesmen. Contractors can also identify other things that need upgrading during the process of remodeling such as defects in mechanical systems, wiring problems, mold issues, and structural abnormalities. These can and should be remediated during the course of the remodel.
Tips on Hiring a Contractor
There are many people in this world who call themselves contractors but lack the expertise you will be needing for your project. Putting the project in the hands of the right person is critical to the success of the project. So where to start. The best source of information on a contractor comes from direct referrals. Friends and associates can often recommend someone who did work for them. You can also contact professional organizations such as the National Association of the Remodeling Association (NARI) or the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers. Ask for a project resume, sample budgets and inquire into the method of accounting the contractor will employ. Do check references. Do make a call to the Better Business Bureau. And if possible, ask to see other completed projects in person. The contractor should at least have a portfolio of photographs from completed projects to show you. And certainly, if this is to be a green remodel, the contractor should have a commitment to green practice and procedures as well as expertise in the specific areas of sustainability you wish to employ. And last but not least, be open in discussing a budget and put procedures and policies in place, and in writing, to help control the project costs. It’s better to delay the project and take some time in the beginning to lay everything out with the contractor than it is to rush in and have things spiral quickly out of control.
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
I was telling a friend the other day about how I was replacing all the incandescent bulbs in my house with Compact Florescent Light Bulbs (CFLs.) In return, she dampened my enthusiasm considerably by notifying me that what I was doing was bad for the environment. Why? Because CFLs contain mercury. And as everyone knows, mercury is hazardous to health. So I decided to do a little research and it turns out, despite their mercury content, CFLs are still very much the way to go. Here’s what I found:
Each CFL contains about 5 milligrams of mercury, about enough to cover the head of a pin. Incandescent bulbs contain no mercury (but do contain lead.) So lets say that at the end of its lifetime, a CFL ends up in a landfill (forget that there are recycling programs in place) and all of its mercury ends up in the environment. That is indeed unfortunate, but wait. I learned that 50% of the power produced in this country comes from coal powered plants which release mercury into the environment (along with other greenhouse gasses.) How much mercury? The comparison is this: over the 7500 hour lifetime of a CFL the energy requirements of incandescent bulb (of comparable brightness) will cause the release of 13.16 milligrams of mercury into the environment. The energy requirements to light the CFL will cause 3.51 milligrams of mercury release. So the CFL has the potential to cause the release of 4.65 milligrams less mercury over its lifetime than does the incandescent bulb. And once again, that’s assuming the CFL ends up in a landfill and its mercury content not recycled.
Other reasons to use CFLs. According to Energy Star, an EPA program, if each home replaced just one incandescent bulb with a CFL, the electricity saved could light 3,000,000 homes. And prevent greenhouse emissions equivalent to 800,000 vehicles. Over its lifetime a CFL will save enough money to pay for the gas to drive a Prius coast to coast. So this spring make it a point to replace your dead incandescent bulbs with CFL’s. And even if a CFL breaks in your house and that tiny bit of mercury spills, clean-up requires minimal precaution (the real danger is cutting yourself with the glass.)
So I thank my friend for bringing up the topic of mercury in CFLs so that we can all be better informed. For more information on the safe handling and disposal of CFLs, go to Popular Mechanics or Treehugger.
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
Homes fit for a King: Fancy building your dream house? William and Kate could lead the way
In the lead: Will William and Kate be getting their own house built?
There’s much fevered speculation surrounding Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, but in the property world, everyone’s talking about where the royal couple will call home.
Word has it that when Prince William’s posting at RAF Valley in Anglesey comes to an end in 2013, the young royals will move to the Harewood End Estate, near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.
The estate was bought by the Prince of Wales’s Duchy of Cornwall in 2000. there was a fine country house on the site, before it fell into disrepair.
In 2007, Prince Charles obtained outline planning consent for a replacement dwelling and two detailed schemes have been approved. A royal self-build is set to take place, though exactly who will live there is uncertain. But it could well become the country seat of a future monarch.
And to that end, Homebuilding And Renovating magazine commissioned three of Britain’s leading house designers — Pete Tonks, Meredith Bowles and Stephen Mattick — to design a home fit for William and Kate. They were asked to follow the principles of sustainable design and use the approved dwelling as a guide for scale.
‘We understand that Prince Charles would like to see an eco-friendly and contemporary update of the old manor house on the site,’ says Jason Orme, the magazine’s editor.
Mattick was involved in the Poundbury Architectural Review Committee and some of his designs feature in The Prince of Wales’s book, A Vision Of Britain.
He made a name for himself in the Eighties and Nineties converting and designing attractive new houses, based on the local style in East Anglia. He has continued to specialise in the local style and won several architectural awards.
His plan for the royal couple is a departure — it’s much larger for a start. ‘It’s around 1,022 sq m and designed so the couple can evolve into it. My house, which would be built in local stone, is flexible enough for the longer term,’he says.
He has allowed space to accommodate staff, a nanny and children.
Meredith Bowles, who won the 2010 RIBA Spirit of Ingenuity Award for Sustainability, is known for unusual and innovative homes, from a flat-roofed contemporary solar house, to an extraordinary cantilevered barn in Suffolk.
‘It’s an interesting site in the middle of parkland, next to the classical stable courtyard. The plans Prince Charles has approved are squarish, sombre, almost mausoleum-like,’ says Bowles.
Historic Ross-on-Wye: It is rumoured that the young royals will move to the Harewood End Estate in Herefordshire
He suggests a 720 sq m, four-storey house with a courtyard and sunny, walled garden.
‘Walled gardens give you privacy, shelter and are safe for children. Like the house that’s been designed for Prince Charles, it takes its cues from the stable block with colonnades and round-headed windows,’ he says. ‘We’ve created something that might appeal more to a newly-married couple.’
His house is romantic and fun with five bedrooms and an attic floor. It resembles a dovecot with a white painted timber exterior above a stone or brick base.
PLANS FOR THE ROYAL PLOT
Traditional: Stephen Mattick opts for local stone
Timber frame: Pete Tonks’s dramatic gothic design
Courtyard: Meredith Bowles’s plan
Bowles is working on four large four-bedroom houses in Notting Hill, West London for developer Baylight, destined for sale in 18 months’ time.
Pete Tonks works with English oak to make traditionally framed homes. He has also designed much smaller two/three-bedroom properties and contemporary builds. He worked for Potton, one of the largest self-build timber frame companies, for 20 years, but started his own company, PJT Designs, in 2003.
‘I am inspired by historic houses, particularly the gothic period. I chose to design my house with a gothic revival exterior,’ says Tonks. ‘I was tempted to do a modernist glass cube, but thought this might not be to Prince Charles’s taste, so decided to keep it traditional. I would like it to have a timber frame, which is a sustainable form of construction.’
Tonks’s plan has five en-suite bedrooms, with a large master bedroom with a dressing room and balcony. The interior encourages free-flowing family life with clever use of space, galleries, double height ceilings and lots of glazing.
There are several plots of land for sale around Britain that have planning permission for houses designed by Tonks. In Otford, near Sevenoaks, Kent, an acre plot with planning consent for a four-bedroom, timber-frame, single-storey house has just gone under offer. It was on at £425,000 (Strutt & Parker, 01732 459900).
In Flitton, Beds, a 700 sq m plot with planning permission for a four-bedroom house is available for £250,000, and in Catworth, Cambs, a quarter-acre plot with consent for a contemporary house is £200,000 (both plotsearch.co.uk).
Finding a plot is harder than building your own home. ‘An acre plot with planning permission varies from £140,000 in Scotland to around £750,000 in Surrey,’ says Jason Orme. ‘Don’t buy a plot without current planning permission. There are lots of scams around.’
None of the three bespoke houses has been priced by its architect, but a self-builder should look at spending £600 to £700 per sq m. A project manager would spend around £1,100 per sq m; building a contemporary, high-spec home would cost around £2,000 per sq m.
However there is no VAT on materials and building costs. So once you have the completion certificate, you can claim back the VAT.
The Rocky Region’s best and boldest example of Western – Mountain – Asian fusion. A one-of-a-kind 6000 square foot home with a totally authentic 800 square foot Japanese Tea House surrounded by gardens and a hot springs spa.
This home was another unique collaboration between owner (an engineer with decades of construction experience) and Trilogy Partners. Trilogy was entrusted as Design Build Project Manager and retained bhh Partners for basic architectural design.
Perched in a sublime setting at the base of Three Peaks along The Raven golf course at 9000 feet in elevation, this mountain getaway was created for Denver-based clients who love the mountain lifestyle.
This modern marvel has some of the best views in all of Summit County of the 10 Mile and Gore Ranges. A multiple grand award winner at the 2016 Parade of Homes, bhh Partners served up the principal architecture.
This castle is truly a tribute to energy conservation. Modeled to be Breckenridge’s (and the nation’s) first luxury Net Zero Energy slope side home, at 9000 square feet, the owner refused to compromise on either aesthetics or energy conservation.
