This is the last installment in our series called Energy-Efficient Windows 101 made possible by Marvin Windows and Doors. Last time I discussed how Marvin windows contribute towards LEED certification, and today want to wrap it up with this showcase of an award-winning home in Leicester, North Carolina. Designed by Eric Gartner of New York-based SPG Architects, the energy-efficient home has a custom configuration of Marvin windows providing expansive southern and western views.
The Solar Homestead by Appalachian State University was the People’s Choice winner in the Solar Decathlon 2011, and now virtually anyone in the world can get the same home from North Carolina-based Deltec Homes. Deltec, a pioneer of round prefab, will build and ship the self-sustaining home, and send royalties from their sales back to the university located in Boone. This is apparently “the first time a Decathlon winner is being made available to the consumer,” according to Deltec Homes.
If in a pinch for extra living space at home, a detached structure could be just the solution. Especially if an addition isn’t an option, there are companies all over the country that provide prefabricated structures that can be used for a home office, studio, in-law suite, or cabana, etc. North Carolina-based Outdoor Environs is one of these companies with a backyard shed from about $40,000.
This home by North Carolina-based Chandler Design-Build was named Project of the Year in the Small Volume Single Family category of the 2012 National Green Building Awards. Certified to both Energy Star and the National Green Building Standard, Paar Residence was built with a panelized, double-stud wall system and “serves as a showcase for a cutting-edge, air-to-water heat pump combined with a radiant heat and water heater application,” according to the NAHB. Plus, it’s a good example of “mainstream green,” said NAHB, with a traditional look that’s widely appealing.
North Carolina-based Meld USA, maker of several materials we’ve mentioned including ecoX, Micro, and Plus Plus, introduced a new material in the last year called Luxe. Luxe is made in Raleigh with up to 74% pre-consumer recycled-content material and can be used with various products, including countertops, tiles, and wall paneling. Meld offers six standard colors – Natural, Cement, Graphite, Saddleback, Caper and Southern Mud — and basically infinite custom colors.
When we first profiled Anchorage Builders in 2010, they were in the construction phase of North Carolina’s first Passive House. We followed up with the project in a subsequent post and were quite impressed with the completed home, both aesthetically and sustainably. Building on this successful experience, Anchorage and architect Jay Fulkerson have recently collaborated on yet another Chapel Hill home designed with Passive House building methods.