Field pussytoes / Antennaria neglecta

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Welcome to an extraordinary land. One where nature's bounty is evident at every turn. Where salt marshes, dunes, antebellum oaks and rivers lie in harmony with five glorious miles of private beach. Our commitment to environmental responsibility guides our vision and lives on in a lifestyle that honors the past and protects the future. Ideally located, Sea Island borders the Atlantic coast of Georgia, and is situated midway between Savannah, GA, and Jacksonville, FL. Mild sunny weather is a mainstay, with temperatures averaging 65–89 degrees. Sea Island is located on the Atlantic coast of southern Georgia, and is part of the group of islands known as the Golden Isles. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Black Banks River on the west, Sea Island is easily accessible by bridge.

Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder Rattlesnake Master / Eryngium yuccifolium

The master bedroom has two points of access to the upper wraparound deck. The angled ceilings and walls allow the windows to provide a 180 degree view of the ocean and beaches. Photo: Melisa Bleasdale

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

A colorful and bold bar addition to a neutral space. The clean contemporary under cabinet lighting inlayed in the floating distressed wood shelves adds a beautiful detail. Photo Credit: Bob Fortner

Photo: F. D. Richards, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic American Elderberry / Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Welcome to an extraordinary land. One where nature's bounty is evident at every turn. Where salt marshes, dunes, antebellum oaks and rivers lie in harmony with five glorious miles of private beach. Our commitment to environmental responsibility guides our vision and lives on in a lifestyle that honors the past and protects the future. Ideally located, Sea Island borders the Atlantic coast of Georgia, and is situated midway between Savannah, GA, and Jacksonville, FL. Mild sunny weather is a mainstay, with temperatures averaging 65–89 degrees. Sea Island is located on the Atlantic coast of southern Georgia, and is part of the group of islands known as the Golden Isles. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Black Banks River on the west, Sea Island is easily accessible by bridge.

Small elegant gray one-story mixed siding gable roof photo in Charleston

Inspiration for an eclectic home design remodel in Boston

Located in, Summit Park, Park City UT lies one of the most efficient houses in the country. The Summit Haus – designed and built by Chris Price of PCD+B, is an exploration in design and construction of advanced high performance housing. Seeing a rising demand for sustainable housing along with rising Carbon emissions leading to global warming, this house strives to show that sensible, good design can create spaces adequate for today’s housing demands while adhering to strict standards. The house was designed to meet the very rigid Passiv House rating system – 90% more efficient than a typical home in the area. The house itself was intended to nestle neatly into the 45 degree sloped site and to take full advantage of the limited solar access and views. The views range from short, highly wooded views to a long corridor out towards the Uinta Mountain range towards the east. The house was designed and built based off Passiv Haus standards, and the framing and ventilation became critical elements to maintain such minimal energy requirements. Zola triple-pane, tilt-and-turn Thermo uPVC windows contribute substantially to the home’s energy efficiency, and takes advantage of the beautiful surrounding of the location, including forrest views from the deck off of the kitchen. Photographer: City Home Collective

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Black Cherry / Prunus serotina

Tuscan limestone wall cladding, and a limestone reclaimed fireplace mantel are the back drop for this sitting room, maltese limestone flooring is throughout, a traditional antique indian rug flanks the modern sitting area. For inquiries, contact us at (310) 289-0414 or info@neolithicmaterials.com

Snowberry / Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus Photo: Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Welcome to an extraordinary land. One where nature's bounty is evident at every turn. Where salt marshes, dunes, antebellum oaks and rivers lie in harmony with five glorious miles of private beach. Our commitment to environmental responsibility guides our vision and lives on in a lifestyle that honors the past and protects the future. Ideally located, Sea Island borders the Atlantic coast of Georgia, and is situated midway between Savannah, GA, and Jacksonville, FL. Mild sunny weather is a mainstay, with temperatures averaging 65–89 degrees. Sea Island is located on the Atlantic coast of southern Georgia, and is part of the group of islands known as the Golden Isles. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Black Banks River on the west, Sea Island is easily accessible by bridge.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Welcome to an extraordinary land. One where nature's bounty is evident at every turn. Where salt marshes, dunes, antebellum oaks and rivers lie in harmony with five glorious miles of private beach. Our commitment to environmental responsibility guides our vision and lives on in a lifestyle that honors the past and protects the future. Ideally located, Sea Island borders the Atlantic coast of Georgia, and is situated midway between Savannah, GA, and Jacksonville, FL. Mild sunny weather is a mainstay, with temperatures averaging 65–89 degrees. Sea Island is located on the Atlantic coast of southern Georgia, and is part of the group of islands known as the Golden Isles. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Black Banks River on the west, Sea Island is easily accessible by bridge.