exterior showing solar panels
kitchen looking towards stairs
skylights provide light to stair, from first floor to attic
solar hot water panels
corner window at bathroom
Greenovating a Cottage
When this client decided to add on to their home, it was important to them to do it in a sustainable way, without compromising on design. Rather than increasing the footprint of their house, they added a second floor and attic, increasing the usable space in their home from 1250 sf to 3200 sf. The project was our first deep energy retrofit and was awarded Arlington Green Home Choice certification in September 2007.
The original first floor masonry walls had no insulation, so studs were placed inside the walls and the cavities foamed, both sealing and insulating the house. New second floor exterior walls were made of 2×6 framing filled with open cell spray foam. The roof framing was treated in the same manner. The existing crawl space below the house was insulated and sealed, to create a complete energy envelope for the house.
The most difficult part of adding a second floor to any house is always where to put the stairs. In this case we carved out a spot off the living room to create a stairwell lit by operable skylights at the third floor. This approach gave us two added benefits: natural light to the interior of the house, and a central shaft for whole house ventilation.
Other sustainable features include:
- Solar hot water
- Spray foam insulation.
- High efficiency heating and cooling equipment
- Energy Star appliances
- Water-saving plumbing fixtures
- Low VOC paints
- Roof drainage system to underground lines into garden beds.
The owners and their two daughters have now lived in the house now for four years and report a total household energy cost of $3.60/sf—a reduction of 52% in the house’s energy use per square foot. Less quantifiable, but as important, the renovated home is far more comfortable and quiet.