ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

This Southern Florida farmhouse may look like it’s been there for generations but this brand new home is built by PBS Contractors to withstand everything that mother nature can throw at it. The exterior walls are constructed with our ship-lap style 10″ Plank EverLog Siding and our vertical Board and Batten, pre-finished with a custom color we call Western Tan and Weatherall chinking in the same tone. The siding is attached to 1×3 treated furring strips over rigid foam insulation and all are anchored to the 8″ CMU and cast-in-place concrete wall with concrete screws. Our product is perfect the tropical climate of Florida and can withstand the daily rain, humidity, bugs, termites and when combined with solid building methods like CMU and ICF, hurricanes.

100% Mahogany wood solid, 100% hand carved & handcrafted Frames are reinforced with Mahogany solid wood corner blocks throughout for strength and rigidity Seat cushions ( Reverse-able ) are made up of a high resiliency foam that is wrapped with low-mil Dacron Upholstered with fine polyester on body and Motif jacquard fabric for seat cushion Designer finishes and different fabric also available Pillows included same as picture Finished : Antique silver

This Breccia Paradiso and Daino Real stone spa features a tub custom-made by Damon Battles. The tub was formed from a large block of rigid foam; the tub cavity was reinforced with wire and rebar before smoothing the final surface with mortar to accept the flat pebble tile.

LEED certification level: Platinum. Builder: GCCM Construction Services LLC dba UberGreen Spaces & Homes. Mark Twain said it best, "If the world were to end today I'd move to Kentucky because they are 20 years behind everyone else." There is some truth to that because Kentuckians believe that 'if it aint broke dont fix it'. We designed and built Kentucky's first LEED Platinum Net Zero Energy Net Zero Water home in the private sector. We named the home 'My Green Kentucky Home' playing off the state song 'My Old Kentucky Home'. Our take on a home should have people and the planet in mind. We found LEED to be the best most credible third-party green certification program to address these important challenges today. The envelope of the home was designed to minimize energy losses and maximize inside comfort by using Insulated Concrete Form walls from the footers to the roof, spray foam and blown in cellulose in the attic, rigid foam beneath the Lower Level basement slab and triple-pane fully insulated casement windows. The home was oriented with the back facing south to maximize daylighting, passive heating in the winter and solar production. Our HVAC is geothermal with a storage tank to preheat domestic water. A fresh air system was installed in the return side of the HVAC system to filter and then mix with supply air to the home. All paints were zero VOC. The reclaimed KY horse farm fencing turned into beautiful hardwood floors was finished with a low VOC sealer. Carpets were low VOC and the 100% recycled padding was zero VOC. The custom cabinets for the kitchen and baths were made locally and built with FSC certified plywood with no added formaldehyde. The home collects 100% of the rainwater that hits the roof into a 3,300 gallon rainwater collection tank. The primary use of the collected water is to irrigate the lawns, landscaped beds and supply the hose bibs. When the tank is low it automatically shuts the tank valve and opens the city water valve to operate with city water pressure until the tank fills past a certain level, saving electricity and wear and tear on the pump. The cistern is designed to service all the homes domestic water needs when KY State Plumbing code will allow it in the future. All appliances are Energy Star and locally made by GE. The counter tops on all cabinets are recycled materials and durable without requiring sealers or maintenance. We went a step further for indoor air quality and installed AirRenew drywall by Certainteed which works like trees do in the environment by pulling in VOC's into the drywall and making it inert. The Florida Tile was made in Kentucky with recycled content. We monitor all utility usage per electrical circuit and monitor the amount of energy produced by the solar panels as well helping the owners make more informed decisions. The home was such a hit that it was the catalyst that sparked development in a dormant neighborhood of vacant lots. We had the home open for three months to the public where hundreds of folks toured it as it was laid out like an art museum. We had actual walls open all the way to the outside layer of ICF insulation where they saw the concrete and steel inside the walls. We also had the lower level basement slab cut open to show how we insulate beneath the concrete and how we drain and mitigate radon. It was a super inspirational project that made people think about people and the planet much differently than before. We hope to continue making great projects like these to help inspire, educate and create awareness around some of the most important topics and challenges we face today. Thank you to everyone at the USGBC for helping us make this happen and the great work you do every day!

Jim Westphalen
Mid-sized minimalist entryway photo in Burlington with brown walls and a light wood front door

100% Mahogany wood solid, 100% hand carved & handcrafted Frames are reinforced with Mahogany solid wood corner blocks throughout for strength and rigidity Seat cushions are made up of a high resiliency foam that is wrapped with low-mil Dacron Upholstered with fine polyester on body and Motif jacquard fabric for seat cushion Sophisticated styling using lustrous, fashion-forward fabrics Graceful lines and precise tailoring with attention to detail Designer finishes and different fabric also available Pillows included same as picture

This Southern Florida farmhouse may look like it’s been there for generations but this brand new home is built by PBS Contractors to withstand everything that mother nature can throw at it. The exterior walls are constructed with our ship-lap style 10″ Plank EverLog Siding and our vertical Board and Batten, pre-finished with a custom color we call Western Tan and Weatherall chinking in the same tone. The siding is attached to 1×3 treated furring strips over rigid foam insulation and all are anchored to the 8″ CMU and cast-in-place concrete wall with concrete screws. Our product is perfect the tropical climate of Florida and can withstand the daily rain, humidity, bugs, termites and when combined with solid building methods like CMU and ICF, hurricanes.

100% Mahogany wood solid, 100% hand carved & handcrafted Frames are reinforced with Mahogany solid wood corner blocks throughout for strength and rigidity Seat cushions ( Reverse-able ) are made up of a high resiliency foam that is wrapped with low-mil Dacron Upholstered with fine polyester on body and Motif jacquard fabric for seat cushion Designer finishes and different fabric also available Pillows included same as picture

This Southern Florida farmhouse may look like it’s been there for generations but this brand new home is built by PBS Contractors to withstand everything that mother nature can throw at it. The exterior walls are constructed with our ship-lap style 10″ Plank EverLog Siding and our vertical Board and Batten, pre-finished with a custom color we call Western Tan and Weatherall chinking in the same tone. The siding is attached to 1×3 treated furring strips over rigid foam insulation and all are anchored to the 8″ CMU and cast-in-place concrete wall with concrete screws. Our product is perfect the tropical climate of Florida and can withstand the daily rain, humidity, bugs, termites and when combined with solid building methods like CMU and ICF, hurricanes.

New custom home specifically designed for the client including a two car garage with 12' ceilings to accommodate a car lift and an air-conditioned workshop. Modern interior includes Italian Cabinets with organizers, Thermador appliances and Cambria Countertops and backsplash. The spacious covered patio has a summer kitchen with leathered granite countertop, porcelain tile flooring and retraceable screens. The home was awarded a Gold certification by the Florida Green Building Coalition and includes high performance windows, spray foam insulation, rigid insulation along with Core Foam block insulation. Non conditioned spaces have radiant barrier roof sheathing to reduce radiant heat from entering.

This Southern Florida farmhouse may look like it’s been there for generations but this brand new home is built by PBS Contractors to withstand everything that mother nature can throw at it. The exterior walls are constructed with our ship-lap style 10″ Plank EverLog Siding and our vertical Board and Batten, pre-finished with a custom color we call Western Tan and Weatherall chinking in the same tone. The siding is attached to 1×3 treated furring strips over rigid foam insulation and all are anchored to the 8″ CMU and cast-in-place concrete wall with concrete screws. Our product is perfect the tropical climate of Florida and can withstand the daily rain, humidity, bugs, termites and when combined with solid building methods like CMU and ICF, hurricanes.

Paul Despenas: EcoSmart Custom Built 2-Lite Sliding windows, picture units and patio door were installed before the siding crew came to do their part. EcoSmart windows feature Smart Core insulated master and sash frames: EcoSmart windows come standard with our patented insulation in all primary frame and sash cavities. This is high density insulation provides a NFRC determined R-Value of 7.25 per inch of thickness. SmartCore insulation provides almost two times the insulating proprieties of typical fiberglass insulation, making EcoSmart windows more energy efficient and your home more comfortable. Performance Glass Options are the heart and soul of any good window. You’ll find a great selection of options to deliver the energy savings your home deserves. Fusion-Welded Frames: The frame and sash on EcoSmart windows are 100% fusion welded for superior sealing against water or air infiltration and no expansion and contraction. Added strength provided by our I-Beam & Rigid Core Fiberglass Reinforcement. All EcoSmart windows are custom built to fit into your home. American Classic Insulated siding features: Lifetime Non-Fade Protection Progressive Foam Fullback Insulation is laminated to the back of the siding to add rigid backing to the siding panel to give straight wall lines Four Times the energy savings value than conventional siding underlayments High permebiliyty lets your walls breath to minimize the opportunity for mold growth Deters termites and carpenter ants The list goes on and on……….American Classic Insulated Vinyl siding and EcoSmart Windows = ENERGY SAVINGS FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE HOME

Serena Luxury Sofa Set 100% Mahogany wood solid, Frames are reinforced with Mahogany solid wood corner blocks throughout for strength and rigidity 100% Hand carved and handcrafted Seat cushions ( Reverse-able ) are made up of a high resiliency foam that is wrapped with low-mil Dacron. Upholstered with fine polyester on body and Motif jacquard fabric for seat cushion Pillows included same as picture Finished : Antique silver

100% Mahogany wood solid, 100% hand carved & handcrafted Frames are reinforced with Mahogany solid wood corner blocks throughout for strength and rigidity Seat cushions ( Reverse-able ) are made up of a high resiliency foam that is wrapped with low-mil Dacron Upholstered with fine polyester on body and Motif jacquard fabric for seat cushion Sophisticated styling using lustrous, fashion-forward fabrics Graceful lines and precise tailoring with attention to detail Designer finishes and different fabric also available Pillows included same as picture

This Southern Florida farmhouse may look like it’s been there for generations but this brand new home is built by PBS Contractors to withstand everything that mother nature can throw at it. The exterior walls are constructed with our ship-lap style 10″ Plank EverLog Siding and our vertical Board and Batten, pre-finished with a custom color we call Western Tan and Weatherall chinking in the same tone. The siding is attached to 1×3 treated furring strips over rigid foam insulation and all are anchored to the 8″ CMU and cast-in-place concrete wall with concrete screws. Our product is perfect the tropical climate of Florida and can withstand the daily rain, humidity, bugs, termites and when combined with solid building methods like CMU and ICF, hurricanes.

This Southern Florida farmhouse may look like it’s been there for generations but this brand new home is built by PBS Contractors to withstand everything that mother nature can throw at it. The exterior walls are constructed with our ship-lap style 10″ Plank EverLog Siding and our vertical Board and Batten, pre-finished with a custom color we call Western Tan and Weatherall chinking in the same tone. The siding is attached to 1×3 treated furring strips over rigid foam insulation and all are anchored to the 8″ CMU and cast-in-place concrete wall with concrete screws. Our product is perfect the tropical climate of Florida and can withstand the daily rain, humidity, bugs, termites and when combined with solid building methods like CMU and ICF, hurricanes.

Bellagio Luxury Sofa Set 100% Mahogany wood solid, Frames are reinforced with Mahogany solid wood corner blocks throughout for strength and rigidity 100% Hand carved and handcrafted, Mahogany wood solid on the side of sofa and loveseat Seat cushions ( Reverse-able ) are made up of a high resiliency foam that is wrapped with low-mil Dacron. Upholstered with fine polyester on body and Motif jacquard fabric for seat cushion Pillows included same as picture Finished : Beige & Dark Gold Bellagio Sofa 104″W x 38″D x 44″H Bellagio Loveseat 77″W x 38″D x 44″H Bellagio Chair 37 1/2″W x 35″D x 46″H

This Southern Florida farmhouse may look like it’s been there for generations but this brand new home is built by PBS Contractors to withstand everything that mother nature can throw at it. The exterior walls are constructed with our ship-lap style 10″ Plank EverLog Siding and our vertical Board and Batten, pre-finished with a custom color we call Western Tan and Weatherall chinking in the same tone. The siding is attached to 1×3 treated furring strips over rigid foam insulation and all are anchored to the 8″ CMU and cast-in-place concrete wall with concrete screws. Our product is perfect the tropical climate of Florida and can withstand the daily rain, humidity, bugs, termites and when combined with solid building methods like CMU and ICF, hurricanes.