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Coverage of the first-ever New York House Best in Green Building Competition by Nancy Meyer, editor. Story appeared November, 2008
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44 NEW YORK HOUSE / November 2008
Best In Green BuIldIng
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Modest, sustainable home in Canaan takes top honors in the first-ever New York House Best in Green Building Competition
W hen it comes to being green, modesty counts.
That was the message conveyed by the judges of New York House magazine’s first annual Best in Green Building Competition, who selected a small, Energy Star-labeled home in upstate Columbia County as the grand prize winner.
But there were so many exceptional entries among the 12 finalists, the judges decided to additionally recognize two Ulster County homes—a net-zero energy antique timber frame home in Gardiner, and a “green spec house” in the heart of New Paltz, for their creativity in renewable energy and sustainable living practices.
The competition, sponsored by Mohonk Mountain House, was created to identify, recognize, and showcase the outstanding and innovative work of architects, builders, designers, and energy experts in the region, as well as the homeowners who fund and support that work. Our goal was to spotlight exemplary home projects in order to bring them the attention they deserve, educate and inspire our readers, and promote green building practices in our region and beyond.
A panel of judges carefully considered each of the detailed entries, narrowed them down to 12 finalists, and at the end of September made the final picks, based on specified criteria [see sidebar].
Simply the beSt
graNd prizE wiNNErs triNa portE aNd KristiNE cottom built this 1,600-squarE-foot ENErgy star ratEd homE iN caNaaN to optimizE ENErgy but miNimizE impact to thE ENviroNmENt. thE housE bENEfits from
passivE solar gaiN aNd rEliEs oN a supEr-EfficiENt, propaNE-powErEd boilEr for radiaNt hEat. it was dEsigNEd for agiNg iN placE, with low-maiNtENaNcE aNd loNg-lastiNg appliaNcEs aNd furNishiNgs.
newyorkhousemagazine.com 45
In selecting the winning house in rural Canaan, owned by Trina Porte and Kristine Cottom, the judges made a strong statement about the value of appropriateness of means and optimizing a home’s efficiency.
Completed in July 2006 by builder Jason Smith, the 1,600-square-foot house serves as both a residence and a workplace for its owners. There were many compelling energy-saving and sustainable features about this house, but what set it apart from the luxury homes and conventional center-hall colonials that didn’t make the cut was its modesty and practicality.
Details such as the heating system, for example, and its unconventional design impressed the judges. It consists of a sensible blend of passive solar and radiant heat, powered by a high-efficiency Buderus propane boiler with a super-insulated hot water heater of the same brand attached.
In the end, what mattered most to the panel was advocating a new way of looking at green and sustainable homes: that of reducing energy demand.
“The scary thing for me is that after 30 years, green building comprises just three percent of the building in the U.S.,” Michael McDonough said. “The sad reality is that energy consumption per square foot has gone up. What’s that tell us? Something’s wrong.”
McDonough and the other judges felt that net-zero energy buildings aren’t responsible if they’re oversized ‘energy hogs’ that simply use systems such as solar and geothermal to cancel out the increased energy consumption.
Paul McGinniss said he felt that “powering your home completely by renewable energy is essential if you want to call it 100 percent green.”
The judges debated all aspects of alternative energy.
McDonough questioned the site-and-building-specific appropriateness of solar photovoltaic panels, a technology that can have a 30-year payback in the Northeast but may not last 30 years. He raised the same questions regarding heat pump-based geothermal systems, noting their potential complexity and related need for skilled service technicians, and an economic viability that may be tied to subsidized electrical rates. McGinniss advocated net-zero energy, while Jack Christmann placed a high value on affordability.
In the end, they took a stand on energy optimization of each building. With that in mind, the Porte-Cottom home emerged as the clear winner.
“The reason I like [this house] is its modesty and appropriateness to its site. It tries to go beyond the conventional building,” McDonough stated.
Added Christmann, “If you were to ask me what house I would build as an energy-efficient house, it’s Porte-Cottom because it’s oriented well; it’s optimized on a lot of levels.”
Porte, who served as general contractor on her house, explained the intricacies of siting and building a home to optimize every aspect of the landscape and natural resources.
“Our goals were to build a non-toxic, locally-sourced, environmentally- and worker-friendly, small, low-maintenance, energy-efficient home,” Porte relates. “Interestingly, in the short time since we built, a number of the products and materials I had great difficulty sourcing here or obtaining at all are now becoming popular ‘green’ products.”
The house is super-insulated, with Icynene sprayed foam below the metal roof and in all the exterior walls, including the screened porch walls and under the porch roof. Additionally, there is Tuff N’ Dry insulation around the concrete foundation, rigid foam insulation both underneath and on top of the concrete slab under the Advantek sub floor and ash or tile flooring, and Good Stuff spray foam insulation around pipe and vent outlets and to touch up the gaps in the Icynene.
In addition to the propane boiler and hot water heater, the major appliances are propane-powered, including the Crystal Cold refrigerator, which claims to be 100 times more energy efficient than an electric model, and a propane stovetop and dryer. Last year, the propane bill totaled roughly $231 per month for about 10 months and significantly less for the remainder of
TO bE EligiblE, projects must be single-family homes built between January 2000 and December 2006 and located in one of the New York counties that comprise our upstate editorial coverage area: Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Sullivan, Dutchess, Ulster, greene, Delaware, and Columbia. All submissions were made between April 22, 2006 and December 31, 2007.
New York House’s selection criteria are based on best-practices guidelines as outlined in the U.S. green building Council’s lEED for Homes Pilot Rating System.
ENTRiES WERE EvAlUATED on these criteria:• Use building resources efficiently—through
appropriate home sizing, improved design, material selection and utilization, and construction practices;• Consume less energy—through proper insulation, HvAC sizing, and renewable energy systems, such as photovoltaic and wind;• Use land wisely—through careful site selection, orientation, and landscaping;• Provide comfort and health through improved indoor air and light quality; • Last for many years with minimal maintenance.• Homes were also judged on their design aesthetics.
crItIerIa
205-E
103-A
ELEVATION - NORTHWEST
Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0"1
LOWER FLOOR
EL 89'-8" = 153.00 ON SURVEY
TOP OF FOOTING
EL 86'-0"
TOP OF BEAM
EL 115'-8"
TOP OF SILL
EL 102'-0"
TOP OF SILL
EL 93'-2"
TOP OF WDW
EL 106'-8"
TOP OF WDW
EL 96'-6"
1/2" X 1 1/4" STL
PLATE WELDED TO
FORM FRAME W/
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201A-A
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ELEVATION - SOUTHEAST
Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0"2
UPPER FLOOR
EL 100'-0" = 163.33 ON SURVEY
LOWER FLOOR
EL 89'-8" = 153.00 ON SURVEY
TOP OF FOOTING
EL 86'-0"
TOP OF WINDOW
EL 110'-2"
TOP OF ROOF
EL 115'-8"
TOP OF WALL
EL 113'-4"
TOP OF SILL
EL 103'-0"
TOP OF WINDOW
EL 107'-0"
TOP OF BEAM
EL 96'-10"
TOP OF FOOTING
EL 93'-10"
UPPER FLOOR
EL 100'-0" = 163.33 ON SURVEY
TOP OF BEAM
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TOP OF WALL
EL 108'-0"
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36" WIDE
CORRUGATED
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I HERE BY CERTIFY THAT THESE DRAWINGS
WERE PREPARED BY ME OR UNDER MY DIRECT
SUPERVISION AND THAT I AM A DULY
REGISTERED ARCHITECT UNDER THE LAWS OF
THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.
SIGNATURE:
NAME: SCOTT WENDE
LICENSE NUMBER: 18071
DATE:
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CAD File Name
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SET FOR ESTIMATE
Project Title
RESIDENCE
CANAAN ROAD
Consultant
Design Firm
NEW LEBANON, NY
2004-09 Porte Cottom 5
SM
2004-09 PORTE COTTOM
Issue for Construction
PORTE • COTTOM
Owners
19 LOVERS LANE
NEW LEBANON, NY 12125
Phone: 518.794.9980
Email: [email protected]
Hokanson/Lunning/Wende Associates, Inc.
275 East Fourth Street, Suite 620
Saint Paul, MN 55101
Vox: 651.221.0915 Fax: 651.222.6259
Robert Lunning: 651.221.0915
TRINA PORTE +
KRIS COTTOM
judgIngJACK CHRiSTmANN, principal of Energy Appreciators, an energy efficiency consultancy in New Paltz, is a lEED Accredited Professional and HERS rater in the mid-Hudson and Capital regions. Christmann, a civil engineer, has been a construction manager for more than 25 years, and a home
performance contractor since 2006.
miCHAEl mCDONOUgH, award-winning architect and industrial designer based in New York, is a recognized thought leader in energy efficiency and green building technology. mcDonough’s experimental e-House in the mid-Hudson valley was conceived as a
building science and design laboratory, and has been termed the most sustainable building in the world.
PAUl E. mCgiNNiSS is a renewable energy advocate, co-founder of New York Real Estate group and Paul E. mcginniss & Associates, and a New York State licensed real estate broker. mcginniss teaches a green building and renovation class at SUNY Ulster and works as a green building and renovation consultant.
He is also a writer and green media consultant for Scheinmedia and the green advocate columnist for New York House.
Best In Green BuIldIng
Continued on page 46
46 NEW YORK HOUSE / November 2008
Best In Green BuIldIng
lEfT TO RigHT: thE KucEras’ NEt-zEro ENErgy aNtiquE timbEr framE homE iN gardiNEr is powErEd by solar pv paNEls aNd hEatEd by gEothErmal; thE stapEll-fuENtEs homE iN NEw paltz iNcorporatEs passivE solar, high-EfficiENcy wood stovE aNd Natural gas furNacE, aNd usEs raiNwatEr iN its toilEts aNd outdoor hosEs.
the year, while the electricity bill usually came in at under $30 per month, Porte says. “I consider propane to be an alternative energy source because it is a domestic, non-petroleum-based product. Part of our electric bill pays for wind energy generation,” she adds.
Another modest home earned high marks as a runner up. That 2,170 square foot house, located in the Village of New Paltz, was designed by Matthew Bialecki Associates and completed in September 2005 by Kniffen Builders as an Energy Star-rated house and a Green Building Demonstration Home, sponsored by NAHB Research Center and NYSERDA. The project was designed to balance green building principles, marketability, and price. Owned by Hamilton Stapell and Ana Fuentes, the unassuming home incorporates passive solar design and is super-insulated and sealed. A large recycled brick hearth serves as a thermal mass, moderating temperature swings throughout the day. Two Luxaire sealed combustion furnaces supplement the high efficiency, low-emission Scan woodstove, while in summer, temperatures and humidity are kept low with two Luxaire A/C units. All of the HVAC components were carefully sized and are linked to a Honeywell heat recovery ventilator (HRV), ensuring fresh air year round. A Takagi tankless water heater provides hot water to the low-flow faucets and showerheads throughout the house. The flushing of cold water is reduced through the use of a hot water circulation pump and motion sensors in the bathrooms. A 1,100 gallon rainwater collection system provides water to the dual-flush toilets and outdoor hose bibbs.
Says Stapell of his home: “It’s incredibly livable and incredibly comfortable in terms of light and being in the space. It’s a great environment to live in.”
A similarly inviting environment surrounds the next runner-up, a slightly more luxurious home in Gardiner, completed in August 2007 by architect David Kucera, Inc. and owned by Kucera and his wife Paula.
This rustic-looking home set on a meadow overlooking the Shawangunk ridge was built using a repurposed antique timber-frame barn and has antique
Columbia County Sun farm, a 2,400-square foot house designed by Space inc.’s Daniela bertol and David foell, is perched on a gentle rise in abandoned agricultural fields in Claverack.
it’s a post-and-beam, passive-solar house with extensive daylighting and a frame on the southern façade that supports an array of Pv panels. The Structural insulated Panels around the exterior envelope and extensive insulation and sealing ensure a tight home. The construction approach and materials are characterized by minimalist details, while the layout is informed by awareness of the sun’s movement.
DutChess CountyArchitect David borenstein submitted three homes in milan: The farmhouse, an Energy Star-labeled spec house built in 2006; The Red House (2003), a spec house that exceeds Energy Star standards, and the Trevor burgess and gary Hess residence, built in 2005. Each is sited to minimize the impact on the environment, while taking advantage of passive solar gain. The Red House and burgess/Hess home were made using insulated concrete forms, are super-insulated and use radiant heat. The farmhouse, featuring red Hardiplank recycled fiber cement board siding and shingles, has a high-efficiency forced-air system and combines 19th century charm with 21st century efficiency.
ulster County Anthony Abei of greenhill Contracting, inc., built two zero-net-energy houses in Esopus with plans from Ashokan Architecture & Planning of Kingston. One of the buildings was among the first Energy-Star rated homes in the state and recently earned gold designation in the lEED for Homes program by the U.S. green building Council. The luxurious, spacious homes use insulated concrete forms (iCf) for walls and framing; solar Pv cells on the roof, and heating and cooling through geothermal wells and ground-source heat pump system. Additionally, a heat recovery ventilation system ensures healthy air quality.
in High falls, the Alfandre-Koenig residence, built by mountain valley builders with plans from Alfandre Architecture, is a 2,500-square foot, Energy Star-rated house, under consideration for a gold lEED rating. it was one of a handful of projects in the state that followed the pilot lEED for Homes program. The house features thermal solar hot water; a solar Pv
array designed to produce half the annual electricity for the home; passive solar design, radiant floor heating powered by a high-efficiency propane boiler and a wood boiler with water storage tank to supplement heating and domestic hot water needs.
Perhaps the most unusual home design of all was a super-insulated, monolithic dome house in Kerhonkson, built and owned by designer and contractor Peggy Atwood. located on an old hunting camp site, the dome is constructed of sprayed concrete, with polyurethane foam sandwiched between the airform and concrete. locally milled timber cleared from the site is used inside. The home uses passive solar, and has a woodstove, high-efficiency propane boiler and radiant heating in a concrete slab floor. Atwood said she hoped to upgrade to geothermal. The insulated concrete has an R-60 value, and in general monolithic domes claim to save 50 percent on heating and cooling costs compared to a similar size conventional building.
the fInalIsts, By county
TOP TO bOTTOm: suN farm, a post-aNd-bEam housE iN clavEracK dEsigNEd by spacE iNc.; moNolithic domE homE built aNd owNEd by pEggy atwood iN KErhoNKsoN. [sEE “liviNg iN a bubblE,” iN NEw yorK housE, NovEmbEr 2007.]
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Continued from page 45
Continued on page 48
newyorkhousemagazine.com 47
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48 NEW YORK HOUSE / November 2008
Best In Green BuIldIng
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hemlock flooring and a gracious great room-style dining and kitchen area, anchored by a large stone fireplace. An 8.5-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system meets the home’s electricity needs and is used to power its geothermal heating, both installed by Hudson Valley Clean Energy. The geothermal forced air system provides heat, and is optimized by the siting of the structure and placement of the windows. The Kuceras learned from a previous home they owned nearby to place most of the windows on the south side, and just three small windows on the north side, optimizing solar gain while reducing exposure to bitter winter winds. The building envelope of Structural Insulated Panels comprised of plywood sheathing, 6-10 inches of EPS foam and sheetrock, combined with R40 roof insulation and R26 side walls make for a house so tight a whole-house ventilation system was installed to ensure air quality. The result is a net-zero-energy, Energy Star-rated house.
Ultimately, the judges decided that while a home’s LEED certification or Energy Star rating demonstrates vital steps toward promoting sustainability, sometimes less is more – thus, their choice of the Porte and Cottom home as the winner.
Jonathan Schein, publisher of New York House and president and CEO of ScheinMedia, remarked: “What began as a rather humble endeavor to educate and inform the market about the importance of green and sustainability, this competition took on a life of its own.
“We’re very proud of how this has grown in scale and hope it will bring new awareness about this important movement.”
The judges concurred. “Just having this contest is a statement in itself,”
Christmann said. “The quality of the entries is phenomenal.”
Added McGinniss: “I like the way it filtered out.
This competition was made possible with the generous support of mohonk mountain House, a victorian castle resort located in the renowned Shawangunk mountains.
mohonk mountain House is proud to present the grand prize winner with a weekend retreat.
The National Historic landmark resort will celebrate its 140th year anniversary next year, marking the milestone of having provided recreation and renewal of mind, body and spirit in a beautiful natural setting since 1869.
mohonk mountain House has been “green” and “environmentally-friendly” from its inception. in addition to extensive land stewardship and ecofriendly practices, the resort features a new 30,000-square-foot, “green” spa wing, which blends modern, environmentally-conscious design with a noteworthy historic past.
The Spa at mohonk mountain House was carved into a natural glacier-formed stone bluff overlooking lake mohonk. Six hundred tons of quartz conglomerate stone excavated from the site were recycled into stone walls, fireplaces, and retaining walls throughout the Spa (in fact, the spa uses “Shawangunk grit” indigenous quartzite rocks crushed to a powder as a body treatment scrub). A geothermal system uses the constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool the building, resulting in a quiet, comfortable ambiance and the elimination of on-site emissions. And a 2,000-square-foot “green roof” garden terrace with an 8-inch planting bed helps insulate the building, reduces energy use and runoff, and provides a venue for birds and butterflies, yoga classes and meditation. The terrace is one of the most popular areas of the spa wing.
the sponsor: mohonk mountaIn house
TOP TO bOTTOm: thE hEatEd iNdoor pool iN mohoNK mouNtaiN housE’s Eco-friENdly spa; mohoNK mouNtaiN housE sits oN laKE mohoNK; womEN’s rElaxatioN vEraNda iN thE spa.
Continued from page 46
“What’s important
to consider is the
larger environmental
and social costs
of not investing in
renewable energy
and net-zero
building.” —Paul McGinniss
in this first annual competition, renovated houses were not eligible. However, there were two entries from homeowners whose renovations were particularly green and deserve special mention.
in the Ulster County community of Rosendale, lois and Peter Heymann’s renovated, super-insulated, 150-year-old D+H Canal house, designed by Dave Toder, of bolder Design/build, llC, features a radiant heat system powered by a 98-percent efficient propane-fired, wall-mounted buderus boiler. Through mindful planning and careful execution, approximately no waste was generated by the rehab project.
The other honorable mention was a gut-renovated, Energy Star-labeled house in Westchester County, by Absolute Remodeling. The 3,750-square foot home in South Salem, owned by Tisa and Sylvain Cote, is an octagon-shaped structure that used reclaimed wood beams and stone from the site, durable, low-maintenance materials, and advanced radiant heating, solar Pvs, and super-efficient cooling, water and lighting systems.
honoraBle mentIons In green renovatIon
It’s a good cross-section of different strata of building. This made us look at it out-of-the-box, challenge our assumptions. I’m still [a proponent of ] zero net energy, but you still have to look at other things.
“What’s important to consider is the larger
environmental and social costs of not investing in renewable energy and net zero building,” McGinniss said.
For more details and photographs of each of the finalists, visit newyorkhousemagazine.com.
thE tisa aNd sylvaiN cotE housE
