I urge everyone who ia interested in green architecture to take a look at
this article in The New York Times. Tom that means you! You can also just go directly to the
slideshow. This house, built on a lot in Racine Wisconsin with a stunning view of Lake Michigan has many great features including a well-designed small kitchen (notice the 27" Sub-Zero on the right) built of sustainable materials. Some other highlights:
- This is a small house (that's a compliment incidentally), large sections of the cube are occupied by garage and decks. the living space is comparable to a typical suburban ranch.
- The geothermal heating system reportedly cost more than 100K. I love geothermal, but it is not for the faint of heart!
- Innovative cement-board exterior. Cement board (typically used as tile-backer or underlayment) is a very durable, inexpensive and accessible material. It can be used as weatherproof exterior shell. The challenge is to use it in a visually appealing way. Here the architects have succeeded admirably.
Apart from the technological solutions, this house evokes some of the best principles of "naturally" green design:
- Site specific design
- Well-planned inside-outside transitions
- Not-So-Big (thanks Sarah)
- Extensive use of natural light
- Extensive use of natural ventilation
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