Easton Carriage House by Under the Sun Building & Remodeling- Schaghicoke, NY

Located just outside of Albany, NY, the Easton Carriage House was designed to look both modern and traditional and fit seamlessly into the existing farmland that includes an 1860 farmhouse that is surrounded by barns built in the early 1900s.  Not only did the design exceed the expectations of the homeowners, but in their words, “After living in this carriage house for over six months, I can confidently say it's the most comfortable home I've ever lived in.” A homeowner’s project requirement was the integration of aging in place features to ensure that the home, which has been in the family since 1920, will evolve with the family needs over time, thus ensuring older generations can continue to live on the farm. This Under the Sun Building project included features such as no threshold doorways, non-slip flooring, natural daylighting, 3-ft doorways, an ADA-compliant 5-ft turn around in the guest bath (wheelchair accessible), decorative grab bars in both bathrooms in the tub/shower and toilet areas, hands free paper holders, and a no-step entry into the home.

ZERH + Fortified Hurricane Home by Scott Norman and WATERSHED- Fairhope, AL

When the homeowners first visited the lot where this beautiful home now sits, there was one major challenge. A huge “live” oak tree sat right in the middle of the property, making it difficult to fit a home on the lot. Rather than remove the tree, the Watershed team proposed wrapping the home around the tree. This change precluded the home from having a solar array due to tree coverage, so the team focused on energy conservation measures such as shading and a high-performance insulation system to meet the ZERH energy performance requirement. The windows in the house come with interior motorized blinds to better control light and shading within the home. The home, located in a hurricane-prone area, was designed and constructed with resiliency and durability in mind by meeting the Fortified Gold standard.

Modern Farmhouse by S.D. Jessup Construction Inc.- Pilot Mountain, NC

The Modern Farmhouse in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina prioritizes health and comfort in its design and construction. “After moving into this home, my sinus problems have gone away. I used to have to get up in the middle of the night because I couldn’t breathe, but that hasn’t happened at all since we moved into this home,” the homeowner reported. The home’s exceptional indoor air quality derives from the careful selection of low-VOC (volatile organic compound) products in every place possible, the builder’s meticulous vacuuming and sealing during construction and afterward, and the installation of indoor air quality sensors for homeowner awareness. In addition to these features, this home’s living areas don’t require any additional lighting on clear sky days because of its large, tall windows, high ceilings, and open balconies.

House in a Hollow by TC Legend Homes- Bellingham, WA

As a custom builder, TC Legend has established themselves as a leader in their market by building the most certified DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes in Washington State. The House in a Hollow is a modern Scandinavian-style home that blends itself into its surroundings with live edge wood planks and a forest green exterior. This home was designed with the utmost attention to energy efficiency (achieving a HERS-23 rating) that’s also comfortable to live in. The home includes a heat recovery ventilation system that is controlled by indoor air quality sensors that respond to harmful pollutants and keep the home’s air healthy and clean.