We often hear from prospective clients that they want a home that's environmentally-conscious, but don't know how to achieve it. The process can seem daunting and rumor has it that it also cost a lot more money to build a super green home.
Those are the concerns we were approached with by our clients in Guilford, CT. They wanted a house that was not only beautiful, but also environmentally sensitive. They had found a perfect piece of property overlooking Long Island Sound, hired us and we got to work.
The final result is the house Passive Progressive*, On the Sound published in this month's CTC&G.
*The house is not Passive House-certified, but it is built towards those standards. The house is Net Zero Ready and will be Net Zero after the final PV Solar panels are installed later this spring.
But, is it challenging to build one of these houses?
Here are the key points that we tell our new clients:
We specialize in building Passive House, Net Zero and LEED Homes. If you work in our specific industry it is easy to achieve this level of house. We do it all of the time. Yes, it is hard to find people who can design and build these houses. You need to have the right team.
When you live in a house like this, you can expect:
Extremely low energy bills.
Healthy fresh air and clean green living
A quiet, comfortable indoor environment
Peace of mind that you are helping the environment.
Costs? They are not a lot more than building any other new house in our region. We spend more money in insulation and framing but less in HVAC. The end result may be a 5% to 10% upcharge, but another client might spend more than that on a countertop from Italy. So, it comes down to priorities.
And the Guilford house on the Sound?
Not only did we achieve the environmentally friendly, energy efficiency goals, we also made the beautiful, designer home that they wanted. Just take a look! It’s featured in this month’s Connecticut Cottages & Gardens magazine.
Wood, stone and glass combine to create strikingly modern yet warm exterior and interior spaces.
A wall of triple pane windows faces the water and captures the view and the southern sun.
A solar panel trellis shades the interior during hot summer days.
A central volume clad in wood features the staircase and hides house mechanicals, while long sleek hallways clearly distinguish living spaces.
Now that they can call it home, how did the clients react?
"It's wonderful to be in a space that we love."
And find more resources on how to 'go green' yourself using our resources here :
https://www.trilliumarchitects.com/client-resources
