The construction was sensitive to the cottage's environment, so waste had to be kept to a minimum, and few changes were made to the house's exterior. Most of the renovations were designed to keep the house within the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) flood code. Vents had to be able to handle flood waters by equalizing water pressure all around the structure, wood had to be rotproof and all electrical services had to be installed at least 3 feet off the floor.