Green Building : Jetson Green

62 Innovative Green Homes of 2009

2009-12-27T23:30:00-07:00

Notwithstanding all the factors hammering the real estate world in 2009, we had the opportunity to cover over sixty-two innovative green homes. Forward thinkers all over the country, and the world for that matter, are finding ways to develop, renovate, design, and build greener homes in different ways. Some are more affordable. Some are more efficient. Some are certified at the highest level. Some are prefabricated in days. They're all interesting and innovative. Click the text links below for more images and information.

Clayton Homes Unveils the i-House

Modern EcoDEEP Haus Now Complete!

Levine Green Home Rehab in Eagle Rock

Green Prefab Cottage in a Day

Alter Eco LEED Platinum Luxury Home

The BUILDER LivingHome by KieranTimberlake

Ultra Modern, Green Maryfield Home in Utah

Modern Green Atlanta at 81 Weatherby

B-Line Small, Stylishly Green Prefab

A Living House by R&Sie Architects

Taliesin Mod.Fab™ Now Complete!

Ideabox Confluence Green Prefab Now Showing!

Unity House Takes LEED Platinum

Looking for LEED Platinum in Palm Springs

Place Houses Prefab in the Pacific Northwest

Earl's Montesilo House on the Provo River

Metheny Modular Green Wedge House in North Carolina

An Affordable Green Habitat for Humanity House

Platinum Green Home Renovation in Portland

Platinum HGTV Green Home 2009 in Florida

Picton Brothers LEED Platinum Home in Connecticut

Modern Green Home Conserves in Venice

Efficient Modern Home Built for $70k

Modern Passive Solar Cascade House in Toronto

LEED Platinum RainShine House in Georgia

True Zero Net Energy Home in Vermont

Blue Sky Homes Green Prefab in Yucca Valley

Modern Dwelling Shed in Port Townsend

World's First Active House in Denmark

Platinum Off the Grid Buffalo House by Studio 804

Stylishly Small Idea House by Modern Cabana

First LEED Platinum Home in Virginia

Green Cubed Home in Phinney Ridge Seattle

The Ultimate Modern Desert House

New Lazor Designed Home in Sausalito

LionForce Efficient Green Home in San Antonio

Maison IDEKIT Container Home in Quebec

LEED Platinum UR 45 Home in Dallas

Low Tech Container Cabin Retreat in Texas

The Sage Sets a LEED Platinum Record in Eugene

Beautiful Modern LEED Home in Illinois

Green Rowhouse Rehab on Montrose in Philadelphia

Modern Green Homes in Beacon Hill Seattle

100k House Gets All Sorts of Props in Philly

A Simple Yet Functional Container Home in Thailand

Green Simplicity with a Preform Prefab

Modern Green Container House in Houston

Net Zero Energy Workforce Homes on Lopez Island

First LEED Platinum Prefab in New York

English Residence Relies on Solar Power

New Orleans Gets Platinum Style Float Home

Platinum Net Zero Energy Yannell House in Chicago

Mesmerizing House with a Solar Skin by Team Germany

Libeskind Villa Prefab Now Complete in Germany

A Beautiful Green Prefab in Bend Oregon

Zero Energy Idea House in Washington

LEED Platinum Ross Street House in Wisconsin

Efficient SIPs House Now Complete in Portland

A Super Efficient Straw BaleHaus in the UK

Living Smart, Green in Salt Lake City

Efficient SIPs House in Virginia

First LEED Platinum Renovation in Georgia

If you like some of these homes, save this article for reference. Also, for more inspiration, make sure to view our single family archives and last year's innovative green homes. We'll have more in 2010, and maybe it'll be your home? Drop us a note when you get a chance.

Green Trends, Energy Neutral Housing, Toxic Home Interiors, + The Future

2009-12-26T23:43:39-07:00

The builders' manifesto.
Four green building trends to watch in 2010.
Builders zero in on energy-neutral housing.
2/3 of homes had excessive formaldehyde levels.
Green movement good for restaurant business.
The transportation revolution starts in 2010.
Green construction code to debut in 2010.
A green future that doesn't work.

Also, follow @jetsongreen on Twitter for more news, links, and commentary.

Happy Holidays from Us to You

2009-12-24T10:25:28-07:00

It’s that time of year and the crew here at Jetson Green would like to share well wishes for the holidays. Stay healthy, keep warm, and enjoy friends and family. We’re going to kick out some compilation articles over the next week that we hope you like. Reflect on some things and look forward. It’s been an interesting year with much to be thankful for ...

New Upcycled Container Cafe in Austin

2009-12-24T00:05:59-07:00

Mark Meyer of Austin-based designSTUDIO recently pointed us to one of his newest projects, la Boite. La Boite is a green, environmentally sensitive cafe with locally baked goods, sandwiches, and coffee. It was built from an old shipping container, and if you're interested in details of the transformation, read more about it on designSTUDIO's blog. For the project, DesignSTUDIO used Rainwater HOG's for greywater collection, biobased spray foam insulation, and Forbo linoleum for the floor and one wall. You can find la Boite on 1700 South Lamar Boulevard in Austin, Texas. Looks fun, doesn't it?

Photo credits: designSTUDIO.

First Platinum Home Rehab in Georgia

2009-12-23T10:46:04-07:00

Recently, the home of architects Doug Glasgow (Lord, Aeck & Sargent) and Yun Lee (HDR CUH2A), located at 715 Kirk Road in Decatur, Georgia, was awarded LEED Platinum certification. It's the first renovation in the state to achieve LEED certification, and the first renovation in the southeast to obtain Platinum level certification. The gut rehab was performed by Hammertime Construction, a firm with expertise in green building. Take a look inside ...

To get an idea of the transformation, it's interesting to note that prior to renovation, the HERS index for this 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom project came in at 133. After the renovation, the HERS index came in at 53, marking a significant 80 point improvement!

In addition to obtaining LEED certification, the home achieved certification under the Energy Star program, as well as for Earthcraft Renovation. Originally built in the 1950s, the home now includes some of the following green elements:

Energy Star appliances;
LED and CFL lighting;
Triple-glazed low-e windows;
Low-VOC paints and stains;
Dual-flush toilets and low-flow fixtures;
Recycled content countertops (IceStone, Paperstone, stainless steel);
Solar thermal hot water w/ evacuated tube collector panels;
Basement 120-gallon storage tank w/ on-demand hot water recirculation system using motion sensors and switches for faucets;
5,000 gallon rainwater harvesting system for irrigation;
Supply lines for future rainwater or greywater use for toilets;
Drain lines for future greywater collection;
Efficient enveloped insulated with Icynene spray foam; and
Efficient HVAC system and ERV.

Wood from dead hickory trees on the lot was used for the laundry room flooring and screen porch ceiling. Also, prior to construction, all interior materials were removed and donated for reuse, while all other non-salvageable materials were recycled through a local building recycler. The home at 715 Kirk Road is, start to finish, a fine green renovation.

Photo credits: Hammertime Construction.

Make Sure to Vote in The Homies 2009

2009-12-22T20:11:24-07:00

Last year, Apartment Therapy started The Homies to find and reward great shelter blogs. With shelter magazines going out of business left and right, I guess it’s a good idea to reward the best shelter blogs around. So, this year, they have five categories for the The Homies: home design, home tech, kids at home, home cooking, and green home. We’re proud to have been nominated for the green home category – thanks for putting us on the list!

Make sure to cast your vote if you have a chance. The category includes a number of other great blogs, including Inhabitat, Michelle Kaufmann, and ReadyMade, so pick the one you like.

If you need a reason to vote for Jetson Green, feel free to spend some time in our archives of green homes by type: condominium, townhouse, and single family. And don’t forget the green prefabs either. Happy reading ...

[+] Vote for Jetson Green in The Homies 2009.

New Solar Shingle Hits the Market!

2009-12-22T10:49:53-07:00

We’re starting to see a number of interesting products in the building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) area of solar innovation. A company out of Grass Valley, California – Sun Energy Engineering Co. – has developed a low-profile solar shingle, or Sun Energy Shingle, to be used instead of roofing shingles or over existing shingles. It’s available in custom colors, too, depending on what kind of look you’re trying to get on the rooftop.

Currently, the company is building up a dealer base and can design and install a system that fits the needs of any given building. Shown in these photos is an installation of the solar shingles over asphalt shingles on a building in Northern California.

Sun Energy Engineering Co., as discussed in a recent article in The Union, is not a manufacturer. Components of the solar shingle are manufactured outside of the U.S. and assembled in Union City, California. Taking this approach, Sun Energy has been able to bring the product to market quickly.

Perhaps they’re trying to beat out a certain competitor, Dow Chemical Company. In October 2009, Dow introduced the POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle, which is made with CIGS photovoltaic cells. Dow’s solar shingle, therefore, differs in at least one regard because the one offered by Sun Energy is made of multicrystalline cells.

In addition to Dow and Sun Energy, roof-integrated solar products provided by other companies include the Solé Power Tile for clay roof tiles and the EnergyPeak system for standing seam roofing. And we're certain to see more ...

Photo credits: Sun Energy Engineering Company.

NanaWall Launches Folding Glass Wall System with Triple Glazing

2009-12-21T23:23:17-07:00

NanaWall Systems provides a sleek, folding, glass wall system that's seen in a lot of green homes that we mention (for example, see this Sunset Breezehouse). A homeowner may purchase a NanaWall for any number of reasons, whether to blur indoor and outdoor spaces, provide views, or draw natural light into interior spaces. Now, though, all this can be done with greater efficiency using NanaWall's new SL70 with triple glazing system.

The system is pictured above in a glass pavilion at the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn Bergbahn, a ski resort in the Alps over 8,000 feet above sea level. The pavilion features 46 door and window panels of the triple glazed SL70 system.

If you're interested in specifics, the product has an NFRC certified U-value of .30 and a solar heat gain coefficient of .24. Moreover, it meets Energy Star requirements for all areas of the U.S. and areas A and B of Canada.

Ebrahim Nana, president of NanaWall Systems, in a press release, proudly declared that Nanawall Systems is the first folding door company to provide triple glaing. The product is available for architectural openings from 3-36 feet wide using anywhere from 1-12 panels.

[+] Get more information on NanaWall Systems.

Efficient SIPs Green House in Virginia

2009-12-21T09:40:28-07:00

In Powhatan, Virginia, there's this three-level home that Handcraft Homes built with SIPs. Designed by Watershed Architects, the project anticipates a minimum of LEED Silver certification and, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, was built for about $280,000. The owners expect to recoup the extra cost of their green investment through energy savings gained over about seven years.

Green features include a small footprint on cement piers, passive solar heating and cooling ventilation, energy recovery ventilator, balanced interior natural lighting, regionally sourced materials, high-performance windows, zero-VOC primers, coats, and paints, water efficient system layout and fixtures, highly reflective roof, and Energy Star appliances.

[+] Building a very green home in Powhatan by Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Photo credits: Handcraft Homes.

Unhealthy Tap Water, Asphalt Jungle, Appraising Green, + Top Green Products

2009-12-19T23:33:00-07:00

Cooling the asphalt jungle.
EcoHome top 20 green products for 2009.
The tap water is legal but it may be unhealthy.
Seattle pilot program could lead to 12 living buildings.
San Francisco launches financing for green building renovations.
Interplay: green building appraising and financing issues.
Green roof is meant to grow interest in nature.
Green payback: getting answers about ROI.
Eco-roof solves high-rise height problem.
Green builders await the green funding.

Also, follow @jetsongreen on Twitter for more news, links, and commentary.