Green Building : Jetson Green

LEED Platinum Ross Street House

This is the Ross Street House in Madison, Wisconsin.  It's located just a mile from the University of Wisconsin campus and the first LEED Platinum home in the entire state!  I first noticed the home in an article on Cadalyst, where author Kenneth Wong discussed the use of ArchiCad software to model the home and neighboring properties for context.  Owner Carol Richard, partner in the Atlanta firm of Richard Wittschiebe Hand, also used modeling to optimize the amount of natural light brought into the home. 

Five Unique and Green Home Designs

Architect and interior designer Johnna Barrett, Barrett Design, Inc., recently launched a set of five modern green home designs ranging in size from 1,800 to 2,500 square feet.  Offered for sale on Sustain House, the designs are contemporary and provide for energy savings of 20-30% above a home built to code.  The plans also include a LEED checklist designed to facilitate the earning of a LEED Gold or Platinum level certification, assuming an optimal site selection.  Check out these five homes in the Modern Forest Series ... do you have a favorite design?

Green Clayton i-House Set in Kentucky

There's been a lot of talk of the i-House ever since Clayton Homes announced its launch in about January of this year.  The home is contemporary, affordable, and energy efficient.  Landowners Bob and Melinda bought a 37-acre swath of land in 2006, hoping to someday build a home on it and live the good country life.  They're 95 miles from Louisville in western Kentucky and had an i-House delivered just about a month ago. 

Hive Modular Completes X-Line Prefab

Hive Modular, a Minneapolis-based company that sells modular, contemporary homes, recently sent us photos of this X-Line prefab in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota.  The X-Line 003 features an exterior of fiber cement, steel, and locally harvested cedar, while the interior features stylish modern elements.  Pay particular attention to the translucent polycarbonate walls by Polygal, the red IKEA kitchen, and the custom tables from Eastvold Custom Woodworks. 

Small Modern Green Home in California

Michelle Kaufmann is continuing her work on a modern green home in Northern California.  Located on a constrained lot, the 1,550 square-foot home will be prefabricated -- as currently planned -- with two modules.  And although the home will be a lot smaller than the average new construction home in this country, Michelle Kaufmann Studio has designed it to feel bigger. 

Fortino Modern Green Prefab Debuts!

We’ve mentioned Ideabox several times over the years, and their new offering, the Fortino, has to be one my favorites.  The Fortino was on display at the Seattle Home Show 2, although, unfortunately, there was a huge pole at the show obstructing photos.  You’ll have to imagine the Fortino in a well-manicured, xeriscaped setting on the lot of your choosing.  Something like 30,000 people saw the Fortino in Seattle, and Jim Russell, founder of Ideabox, tells me the response was incredible. 

Zero Energy Idea House in Washington

It's time to follow up on a project a cool project, the Zero Energy Idea House, that we mentioned at ground breaking in July 2008.  Located at Bass Cove near Bellevue, Washington, the 1,630 square-foot, two-bedroom Zero Energy Idea House was designed by Clinkston Brunner Architects and built by Shirey Contracting.  Overlooking Lake Sammamish, the home is planted into the hill as a demonstration of energy efficiency -- the goal is to show that it generates as much energy as it uses.  

A Beautiful Bend Oregon Green Prefab

Since we first mentioned Stillwater Dwellings in March, the new company has been extremely busy.  Not only have they lined up plans to build green prefabs in Portland (Or.), Santa Barbara (Ca.), and Healdsburg (Ca.), but they've recently completed their first prefab home in Bend, Oregon.  The company was kind enough to send us a few photos of the inside and outside, and the modern home is just stunning. 

Nation's First LEED Platinum Log Home

We've seen all kinds of LEED Platinum homes -- manufactured, prefab, traditional, and modern -- but this is the first LEED Platinum log home that we've seen.  It's likely the first LEED Platinum log home in the country.  The home was designed by Eric Hughes of Image Design LLC, and built by Hybrid Homes LLC out of Muskegon, Michigan.  Located on 6060 Longbridge Road in Pentwater, Michigan, the green log home features a number of green elements:

Libeskind Villa Prefab Now Complete!

Several months ago, we mentioned news that Studio Daniel Libeskind designed a modern prefab with the prototype of the prefab under construction in Datteln, Germany.  That home, more precisely a visitor center with conference rooms for the time being, was celebrated in an inauguration ceremony on September 29, 2009.  The Villa, a first in the Libeskind Signature Series of homes, is super efficient and uses minimal energy, despite its size.