Traditional home styles plus a net-zero building standard is a winning combination in the Homes at North Pointe development in Frederick, Maryland.

North Pointe was a dormant development whose design pattern was set when developer NEXUS EnergyHomes, Inc., adopted the project. Nexus took the existing set of plans for the project adjacent to Frederick’s historic district and proceeded to “energize” them, according to Mike Murphy, president of Nexus’ construction division, in order to achieve NAHB’s Emerald certification and reach the net-zero goal.

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KitHAUS recently shared photos of a prefab writer’s studio installed in the Brentwood area of western Los Angeles.  The building was made with bolt-together aluminum framing, windows and doors with low-E glazing, and SIPs that are CFC, HCFC, HFC, and formaldehyde-free.  The new studio is from KitHAUS‘s standard K4 module.  K4 has 187 square feet, assembles in about four days, and costs from $39,750.

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A while back, I mentioned The Crib, an “enviresponsible shelter” by Broadhurst Architects that can be used as a weekend cabin, backyard office, exercise studio, or guest house — you name it.  Well it’s time for a short update from our last article, if you haven’t already noticed, that a 250 square-foot Crib was built on the grounds of the Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland.  It’s being used as a visual arts studio, a lab, and a gallery and is open to visitors during certain events and various other times.

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This is the Live Work Home, one of the winning proposals (with the R-House) in the From the Ground Up Competition in Syracuse, New York, designed by Cook+Fox Architects.  The home was awarded LEED Platinum certification earlier this month, a fitting one-year anniversary since the homeowners John and Kathy Miranda moved into the home in November 2010.  Here’s more about this beautiful, durable home with an inventive design.

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KitHAUS makes kit structures like this one with a bolt-together aluminum frame and SIPs floors, walls, and ceiling.  With 117 square feet, the kitHAUS K3 is being used on a Shea Homes project in San Diego as a leasing office, though it could easily be used elsewhere as an artist studio or home office.  A Halcyon model mini-split from Fujitsu cools the space, which costs about $40k with decks and accessories (but not the mini-split).

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