Lake Country Builders: New Home Gold

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New Home Gold
Lake Country Cottage

The goal of the project was to construct a home in the Linden Hills neighborhood that would be both respectful of the neighbors living space, that would be architecturally fitting and pleasing to the community and that would be sustainable construction.  We wanted to reuse the existing foundation.  Additions are a front porch and a screen porch/ mudroom on footings and an office sunroom with foundation below.   We wanted to stay within a compact a floor plan while creating open light filled spaces that would work for a young family as well as empty nesters and anywhere in between!

The MN GreenStar GOLD certified Lake Country Cottage was designed to be as beautiful as it is energy efficient. The existing home was hand deconstructed by DemoGreen to reuse and recycle materials. The home features a metal roof, Hardie® siding, Marvin windows, geo-thermal heating and cooling, water conserving fixtures and Energy Star appliances. We incorporated recycled materials, local quarried stone, FSC wood and Marmoleum flooring, FSC and formaldehyde-free cabinets and low VOC water based finishes. The Greenscape includes native, drought tolerant plants and a rain garden, irrigated by a rainwater captured drip irrigation system.

By Sue & Pete Jacobson, Lake Country Builders

For more information on this project visit www.lakecountrybuilders.com.

Rinnovare Inc./Acacia Architects: Remodel Type III Gold

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Remodel Gold III

Rinnovare/Acacia Kitchen
Photo by Dana Wheelock

Empty Nesters

This small rambler was a great find – to the right couple. Only modestly modified since its original construction, this home had good bones, a great location that abutted a marsh and was ripe for an extensive renovation.

The customer and Acacia Architects spent a significant amount of time and effort specifically designing the home to meet their needs as well as to achieve at least a Silver Certification from MN GreenStar. Nearly a year later, the project was complete and exceeded customer’s expectations of achieving a Gold certification within budgetary guidelines.

Rinnovare, now working on its 2nd MN GreenStar remodel, provided a smooth and well planned project to insure green planning through documentation was executed in the most efficient manner. From deconstruction services to reuse as much of the old cabinetry and woodwork to asbestos abatement to radon mitigation, zoned heating and tankless water heating, the project was truly green. Finishes were deliberately all low VOC and surprisingly, after construction and the client moved in, the house was without that typically noticeable “new car smell” of chemicals off gassing. The project was completed with an exceptional landscape design which will minimize water needed for irrigation.

This project exemplified the standards of holistic green building and will be a showpiece for the client for years to come.

By Mike Williams, Rinnovare Inc.

For more information on this project visit www.rinnovareinc.com and www.acaciaarchitects.com.

Design Forty Five LLC – Lake Of The Isles Project: Remodel Type IV Gold

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Remodel Gold IV

2002 w. Lake of the Isles Parkway, Minneapolis, MN

Having been well preserved for nearly 70 years, this 1899 home, overlooking a lake in the heart of the city, was looking for a fresh 21st century update. While the owners loved the house, they saw lots of potential to make things just perfect.

The whole-house renovation features a super-green design for modern living balanced with a strong respect for the history and character of the home. All of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are new. All siding and sheathing was removed and replaced, allowing new foam insulation to be applied from the exterior, thus preserving select interior finishes.

Almost all of the spaces in the house were remodeled in some way—taking a great house and making it better.

Two existing areas received special focus: the kitchen and central stair. The owners are gourmet chefs who do a lot of entertaining. A small but strategic kitchen addition allows an expanded and modernized kitchen with every amenity and expansive views of the lake and side yard. A new southeast-facing breakfast nook provides a cozy alternative to the remodeled historic dining room.

The existing central stair was very tight and awkward in places. To create a spacious and beautiful new stair, the center of the home
was demolished, roof reframed and center hall topped with a large skylight spilling light all the way down to the main floor.

A new outbuilding was constructed to house the owner’s workshop and a new 2-car garage. This “carriage house,” which is designed to echo the historic proportions and detailing of the main house, is linked to the house through a tunnel beneath the yard.

A welcoming, open front porch was built with lake views and a low-slope green roof.

Green Strategies:

The project earned Gold-level MN GreenStar certification by employing dozens of sustainable strategies, including:

• On Site Energy. 13 wells beneath the garden provide highly efficient geothermal heating and cooling, and a 2.2 kilowatt rooftop solar array offsets electrical loads.

• Energy efficiency. The building envelope was made airtight and reinsulated to Energy Star levels; all windows are reconditioned or new.

• Resource efficiency. Advanced framing techniques reduce lumber required. All lumber used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

• Healthy Air. Energy Recovery Ventilator provides fresh air exchange while saving energy. Low/No VOC paints throughout. Radon capture system installed beneath basement slab. New cladding with rainscreen detailing helps prevents mold from moisture intrusion.

• Site & Community. Green roofs capture rainwater on site while reducing heating/cooling loads. All material reused if possible; all possible construction waste was recycled, including concrete, wood, and asphalt shingles

To learn more about this project and Design Forty Five please visit us at www.designfortyfive.com.

Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build: Remodel Type IV Gold

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The purpose of this project was to update a 1913 Federal meets Prairie style home in Minnesota. The home suffered from poor flow and a lack of bedrooms and bathrooms. The kitchen had been remodeled in the 80’s to an all-white melamine which didn’t match anything in the house and was cramped and confining.

The homeowner wanted to be respectful of the original architecture and period of the home while adding some personal elements to the home. Design that accommodated both family living and gatherings of friends was a requirement.

An addition was placed on the back of the home on both floors to resolve the home’s many flow issues. It houses the new library, kitchen, bedroom, and yoga-room. It is now possible to circumambulate the home on both floors which greatly enhances the rhythm of the space both on the interior and the exterior.

A new metal roof, sand-float finish traditional stucco, rain-barrels, and extensive landscaping make the exterior of this home as classy as the interior. The lines of the addition greatly enhance the architecture of the home and the lines of the patio create natural flow around the home.

The home is now heated with a geothermal system, captures 40% of the stormwater from the roof for use in irrigation, and achieves a 95+% stormwater retention on site. Plantings are all drought tolerant or native, and the grass is a no-mow blend that needs little to no irrigation or mowing. All of the finishes were low or no VOC. Furnishings and fabrics are made from 100% organic or 100% recycled materials and are low VOC. Furniture is made using FSC certified wood, and many materials including doors, countertops, flooring, millwork and the entire patio were made from salvaged materials.

From the Homeowner:
“[The remodeler] managed to design the house to meet all of these specifications, without adding a lot of square footage which would have eaten up more of the backyard than I wanted.”

“Changes to the plans were made relatively late in the process, but [the remodeler] and his team did a fantastic job rolling with the changes.”

“Finally, I want to say that I cannot think of one [of the remodeler’s] employee or one contractor that worked on my house that didn’t do a great job and wasn’t pleasant.  And I was there a lot.  Good character and trust are extremely important to me, and I trusted and liked everyone that I came in contact with.  Frankly, that was a very nice surprise.”

By Michael Anschel, Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build

For more information on this project visit www.otogawa-anschel.com.

Buck Brothers Construction Inc.: Remodel Type III Gold

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Remodel Type III Gold

Buck Brothers Construction

This 1960 rambler nestled along West River Parkway in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis, possessed owners who were dedicated to both the concept and the spirit of sustainable and healthy construction.  The impetus for their project was to provide better living space for themselves and their two daughters by adding a second floor.  The new level houses two bedrooms, a common bathroom and a laundry room.

When Buck Brothers Construction broached the idea of attaining GreenStar certification, the home owners enthusiastically signed on.  From beginning planning through the construction phases a collaborative process was put into play to ensure that all the participants (designers, contractors, suppliers and homeowners) “owned” the goal of creating a highly livable, energy efficient addition.

During demolition the roof framing was salvaged and re-sawn to create the railings for the new staircase.  A dozen re-claimed doors were installed in doorways by the carpenters and as a unique closet partitioning system by the homeowner.  Trees harvested from the neighborhood were transformed into beautiful flooring and cabinetry by a local company, Wood From the Hood.  A new high-efficiency furnace and air-to-air exchanger, coupled with super tight construction standards put a lid on energy costs while raising indoor air quality.  Water conservation was achieved by installing low-flow toilets, water restrictors on faucets – and rain barrels to feed the xeriscape garden.  Even the dumpster service played a part, by recycling over 66% of the construction debris.

The best testament to the success of the project, and the enduring quality of the relationships, is that the clients have contracted for another remodeling project with the same quest for “green” practices and certification!

By Bob Buck, Buck Brothers Construction Inc.

Buck Brothers Construction - Stairs Buck Brothers Construction - Bedroom

Buck Brothers Construction - Bathroom

For more information on this project visit www.buck-bros.com.

Building Arts Sustainable Architecture & Construction LLC: Remodel Type IV Gold

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Remodel Gold IV

Building Arts Front Room

Building Arts KitchenBuilding Arts Living Room

For more information on this project visit www.building-arts.net.

Morr Construction: Remodel Type III Gold

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Eian Residence — Minneapolis, MN

This neglected and partially obsolete 1927 Minneapolis home was in desperate need of repairs and updates. Not only was it lacking a design identity—all trim and period details had been yanked—but its performance (comfort and energy bills) was extremely poor as well. Homeowner and German-born architectural engineer Tim Delhey Eian used a holistic approach pioneered locally by TE Studio to address both shortcomings and bring his family home into the 21st century.

The house features around 2,500 finished square feet in its two-story layout, including a finished basement.

Over the course of 8 years, the home saw key updates and enhancements in these categories:

  • Building envelope updates consisting of new ventilated metal and fiber-cement board siding, vented standing-seam metal roofing, new continuous weather barriers, improved airtightness, and added insulation levels; new windows and exterior doors
  • Second-floor addition built with reclaimed, recycled and FSC lumber and local materials; advanced stick framing techniques
  • New building envelope surfaces with high R-values (walls R-25 to 30; roofs R-60) with closed cell spray foam and cellulose insulation; diligent air-sealing techniques
  • Mechanical systems including new heating plant and zoned distribution with programmable thermostats; new domestic hot water system and plumbing with low-flow fixtures throughout; addition of heat-recovery ventilation and heatpump air-conditioning
  • Energy star appliance package
  • Low and no VOC finishes throughout
  • Earth-friendly landscaping and stormwater management
  • Dimmed low-voltage halogen, CFL and LED lamping throughout

The Eian family is dedicated to living green, sustainably and energy efficiently. The approach chosen resulted in a durable and sustainable retrofit that enables the home to be an asset for the family for years to come. In combination, the carefully tailored design and solutions yielded a GreenStar Gold certification.

For more information on this project visit www.morrconstruction.com.

Design: Tim Delhey Eian, TE Studio, Ltd.
Construction: Various Structural
Engineering: Eric Bunkers, Bunkers and Associates
Photo Credit: Richard Schultz via TE Studio, Ltd.

 

Buck Brothers Construction – Bath Project: Remodel Type I Gold

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Previous to this bathroom project the homeowners contracted with Buck Brothers Construction to construct a GreenStar “Gold” Certified 2nd floor addition. They wanted to continue the “Green” renovation of their home with the decision to complete the installation of their master bathroom. Space and basic mechanics had been planned and laid out during the development and construction of their 2010 2nd floor addition.

Supported by an established collaborative relationship and clarity to the goals of sustainability and efficiency the owners and our staff finalized the scope and details for the bathroom. Reclaimed pedestals sinks and faucets from a local salvage company, a dual flush, water conserving toilet, low VOC paints and flow restricted faucets were folded into the shell constructed in their previous project. The completed bathroom presented them with an open, airy room including a porthole view of their front yard treetops.

The design process, construction and, most conclusively, the final product were a testament to the initial commitment and planning invested by the homeowners. Decisions made three years earlier ensured a continuation of their dedication to a sustainable construction and life style. An added plus for them was achieving another Gold certification for their Green home.

For more information on this project visit www.buck-bros.com.

Buck Brothers Construction Inc.: Remodel Type I Gold

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Remodel Typr 1 Gold

Buck Brothers Construction

 For more information on this project visit www.buck-bros.com.