Green Homes

Recent Features

Comments

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.

Comments

Building the Best Baltimore Rowhomes — and Neighborhoods

Oct 14, 2011 | Baltimore, Maryland

At just around 1,000 square feet, existing rowhomes in Baltimore represent a true design challenge. Of course, any redesign or retrofit should be green and affordable.

Streamlining assessment, design, and permitting

Comments

Mid-Century Gem Revived in Austin

Aug 30, 2011 | Austin, Texas

Just after World War II, Austin architect A.D. Stenger began designing and building what would amount to about 100 custom homes in the Austin area. These Eichler-esque single-story homes had low-slung roofs, exposed roof beams (extending right through to extensive overhangs), characteristic clerestory windows, and really big wood-burning fireplaces.

Comments

Jefferson City Deep Energy Retrofit

Aug 1, 2011 | Jefferson City, Missouri

At face value, 802 West McCarty is nothing special, just one of 800 vacant or foreclosed homes in a distressed Jefferson City, MO urban neighborhood. But you don’t end up with the team listed to the right without creating something special indeed: the deepest green Habitat for Humanity (HFH) remodeling project in the Midwest. “We took it from the past 100 years and will be able to give it another 100 years of life,” says Ken Thoenen of Ken Thoenen Homes, the project chairman.

Humble home, humble owners