West Green Homes

Grant - 01 East View

A Santa Fe Adobe Gets a Modern Addition

Nov 20, 2011 | Santa Fe, New Mexico

Michael Grant has been building, renovating, and designing high performance homes in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for almost two decades.

My wife Julia and I stumbled upon this dumpy little adobe home in Santa Fe, NM, which was for rent back in 2003. I thought the place had hidden charm; she was skeptical. After all, it still had double-hung single pane windows that dust could blow through, a smelly gas wall heater, and no insulation to speak of.

Clifton - front after

A Deep Energy Retrofit Using Nailbase Insulation Panels

May 17, 2011 | Oak Harbor, Washington

Ted Clifton has been building and remodeling homes for more than 45 years. But he continues to recognize good innovations as they come along. That’s why he decided to use nailbase insulation panels on a recent green remodeling project for Bob and Tobie Johnson of Oak Harbor, WA.

What is nailbase insulation?

Chautauqua - cottages + Flat Irons

The Colorado Chautauqua Cottages

May 4, 2011 | Boulder, Colorado

There really is no greater remodeling challenge than green historic preservation. After a 25-year career in East-coast remodeling and then Colorado production homebuilding, Jeff Medanich is tying together all this experience in his green retrofit work at Chautauqua.

A bit of Chautauqua history

Kremer - view to ocean

The ‘Shamrock Shack’ Retrofit – A Family Style of Green

Dec 21, 2010 | Pacifica, California

In 1938, Carl McCarthy started his “Shamrock Shack,” a small (700 square feet) weekend retreat overlooking the golf course in Sharp Park (now part of Pacifica), Calif., while he and his wife, Grace, lived 10 miles north in an apartment in San Francisco. He had virtually no building experience and no power tools.

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