4 projects that prove lavish homes don’t have to be wasteful!
Many green-building advocates would say that “high-end green” is an oxymoron — that large, lavish custom homes can’t possibly be sustainable. While clients may not walk into a builder or architect’s office thinking green, much like other home buyers they’re still looking to reduce their utility bills and do something smart for the environment. How far they decide to take it is just a matter of degree.
“Every client has different shades of green interest,” says Michael Lenahen, president of Aurora Custom Homes in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. “I find out what’s important to them.”
Lenahen notes that many of the products used today, including dual-speed air handlers, low-flush toilets, Energy Star appliances, and low-VOC paints, have been around for a long time. “I give my clients a menu of different ideas and they just start checking them off,” he says. “But they never walk in and say they want a green home.”
While building green is important, certification isn’t critical to every project. For instance, the home featured on page 12 was built to LEED guidelines but is not LEED-certified. “As far as we’re concerned, it’s an extraordinarily enriched green home,” says Lenahen. “We made a significant contribution to energy and resource conservation; the plaque or the designation wasn’t important to me, or the client.”
Courtland Building Company is building a new “Italian Farm House” spec Green home. The Green home will feature a central courtyard with an outdoor breakfast area and with an arbor, a covered seating area with a two way fireplace, a water feature and stone columns. Green features include energy saving whole house vent fans, Green framing with 2×6 exterior walls, foam insulation, a hybrid Tankless water heating system with circulating hot water pump, special vented windows, Passive Green design and orientation to the sun and wind, two large covered porches, humidstats and three clear story vaulted ceilings. Other features include stone and stucco exterior, tile roofing, a summer kitchen, an outdoor shower, a fire pit, and a master bath with a cathedral ceiling, a double walk in shower, his and hers commodes, two vanities, a sunken tub, and window wall to a private walled in, landscaped courtyard. The one story home will also have a private casita with a full bath, a three car garage with separate storage area, a wine cellar w tiled groin vaulted ceiling, a large combination game room and media room, a mud room with separate built in desk, a large with commercial kitchen and wet bar with wine cabinet and ice maker.
Courtland Building Company would love to help you plan your green home, call us today: (281) 932-4494 – Contact Us
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