Morningside Cottage
PROJECT SUMMARY
The project goals of this highly efficient 4,200 sq. ft. bungalow in the Morningside Neighborhood of Atlanta included the achievement of a HERS rating of 50, which means that the house should use 50% of the energy a similar sized non-sustainable up-to-code home. The only constraint to this effort was that we wanted to ensure the owner could recoup the extra costs associated with this latest generation sustainable home within five years.
Through our specifications of insulation, high efficiency HVAC systems, Energy Star appliances, and tight building envelope we came close to our goal, achieving a 44% reduction in energy costs.
This home includes in a number of sustainable products new to the Atlanta market such as Cambria and Stile Stone composite counter tops. We also used OSMO polyx oil as the low voc finish on our locally sourced hardwood floors. We installed a 700 gal rainwater harvest system. Through the use of Xeriscaping, it supplies more than enough water for the yard as well as for car washing. From the lessons learned on these homes, our next generation of sustainable homes will exceed the 50% benchmark.
A great deal of attention was paid to the interior design. This 5 bedroom, 3-½ bath house flows very well and all room sizing was appropriate for the specified furniture placements. The home includes a 1,000 square foot unfinished terrace level for future expansion and is fully wired for home automation and sound. It also has a central vacuum system and the following sustainable features.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
- Hot water supplied from our proprietary tankless system
- Drought tolerant landscaping
- The incorporation of passive solar design and 29 U factor windows.
- All trim is sustainably forested hardwoods and all cabinets are custom made sustainably harvested wood with Low VOC finishes
- HVAC with MERV 10 filters, fresh air intakes, and air cycling system.
- All counter tops are quartz composite or Paperstone.
- 97% of lighting is with CFL bulbs
Click images to enlarge
