Ann Arbor has gotten off the gold standard when it comes to achieving the loftiest level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. LEED Platinum in whole home remodeling projects is the new black.
In fact, Tree Town has one of the highest concentrations of such homes in the U.S. According to the
U.S. Green Building Council. As of mid-March 2011, only 27 LEED Platinum remodeled homes exist in the nation, and three are in Ann Arbor. And a fourth may soon be added to that list. All four homes have had the same Ann Arbor-based architect-builder team of
Architectural Resource and
Meadowlark Builders.
Their latest collaboration,
Sora House, a mid-century modern built in 1959, is undergoing a complete revamp and is scheduled for completion by June 21
. Features include a building thermal envelope system design that uses a new technique of putting insulation on the exterior of the wall assembly; a geothermal heating and cooling system; and rain water harvesting.
The home also had a large living room sunk two steps below the first floor – impractical for the aging or disabled. "One of the core concepts of deep green design is the idea of long life and loose fit," explains Michael Klement, principal of Architectural Resource. "And by that we mean that it's not a very green
strategy to build a super high-performance home if you've built into that home obsolescence in terms of its usability due to physical constraints."
Klement also points to the home's new standing seamed metal roof, which reduces cooling loads in the house due to its high solar reflectivity aspect. In the future, solar energy collecting devices, be they for hot water or electricity, can be added to the roof with a special clip system that won't affect its water-shedding performance.
"Deep green" design is a term coined by Klement and Doug Selby, principal of Meadowlark Builders. Selby thinks you've entered the deep green realm "when you start getting to that point where you're cutting the energy use of a home by 70 or 80 percent..."
Take the 3,400-square-foot Sora House*. "It's going to heat and cool on average for $52 a month. That blows people's minds... But who says a house is not supposed to do that?" Klement argues.
Sources: Michael Klement, principal of Architectural Resource; Doug Selby, principal of Meadowlark BuildersWriter: Tanya Muzumdar* On Sunday, April 3, the public is invited to tour the in-progress Sora House, 1045 Chestnut Street in Ann Arbor. The event is free, but
registration is required.
Renderings provided by Architectural Resources
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