ECO-Friendly Practices

OVERVIEW:

1500 square feet or 10,000 square feet, we apply our 25 years of experience
to create plans which will use maximum energy efficiency with minimal costs
so your home performs as well as it looks.

Overview
1. Intelligent design
2. Eco materials
3. Energy efficiency
4. Smart water use
5. Healthy interior environment

ECO PRACTICE #1: Intelligent Design

We design with your lifestyle in mind to create easy flowing traffic patterns
and interesting accommodating spaces.

  • We design with the premise of bringing natural light into your home and enhancing views to the outside
  • Our homes are oriented in the landscape to maximize energy efficiency and take advantage of the natural terrain
  • Our homes are built with quality products and techniques using top notch craftsmen so your home will last for a long time
  • Our inside and outside spaces are as flexible as possible to accommodate utilizing your changing lifestyle
  • Our homes are crafted with an eye towards sustainability while maintaining wonderful elements of design

ECO PRACTICE #2: Eco Materials

We use as many eco friendly materials as possible in our homes.

  • Recycled materials: we use composite decking materials and other recyclables
  • Reduced on-site waste: we recycle our cardboard, drywall and wood scraps. We design to use less of both.
  • Low maintenance and long lasting materials: metal cool roofs, cement siding, brick exteriors, coated exterior windows and doors. Most materials are long lived and maintenance free

ECO PRACTICE #3: Energy efficiency

There are many ways to incorporate energy efficiency into your home. We
explore most methods and arrive at a cost effective solution for your particular
needs:

  • The efficient building envelope: We utilize Low E windows with argon gas, cool roofs, Energy Star Class I rated insulation techniques, foamed
    band boards, sealed electric and plumbing protrusions, air barriers, and insulated recessed lighting
  • Energy Star appliances
  • High SEER energy miser heat pumps with sealed ducts or geothermal heating and cooling systems

ECO PRACTICE #4: Smart water use

Water is becoming a very important resource to all of us. We strive to help use
it wisely without sacrificing comfort:

  • Reduced water use low gpf toilets, low flow showerheads, on-demand hot water systems
  • Minimized storm water run-off using advanced landscape techniques
  • Better delivery of water using the Manabloc water system to give each fixture and faucet its own water delivery quicker and more efficiently
  • Purification system on kitchen faucets

ECO PRACTICE #5: Healthy interior environments

Your home needs to breathe the same way you do, so we fashion systems to help
with clean air:

    • We use only very low or no VOC paints in our homes
    • We design windows for natural cross ventilation
    • Our appliances are all Energy Star rated
    • Our fireplaces have coaxial direct vent exhaust to bring in fresh air
    • Our HVAC and exterior envelope protect against stagnant, stale air and mold growth
    • We use as much hard surface flooring as possible (tiles and hardwood with water born finishes) so allergens and mold have no good place to grow