What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?
Super- insulated
5.4 Kw PV system
Passive solar
Constructed with non-toxic materials
Masonry heater- heat all season with 2 1/2 cordsProperty Description
This home was built by a professional contractor and his wife who wanted a house that does more than the typical home. It should not be radical to say that a house’s design should fit the site, as well as the people who will occupy it; that it should produce most of the energy it consumes; that it should not slowly poison its inhabitants; that its vital functions should be based on simple, resilient technologies; that its design should be open, day-lit, and well-ventilated; and that its service life should be measured in centuries.
In the nine years in which we have lived here, we have found the house to work even better than we hoped- and we still were able to fine-tune many improvements. The house interacts with the weather and the seasons, more like a living creature than a inanimate structure. In all seasons, the comfort level is greater than a typical modern home. We appreciate many aspects of the house- such as feeling the winter sun warm the house to 70 degrees, when it is 0 degrees outside. We especially like the heating system- whereas most houses consign their ugly, noisy mechanical heating system to the basement, ours has the place of honor in the center of the house. It is a handsome brick masonry heater, and it is fueled by local cordwood. It gently and silently radiates heat for 24 hours after each burn cycle, and even has a bench to sit on. It has three moving parts, and keeps the house a steady 70 degrees all year with only 2.5 cords of wood. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of security you get when you look into your full woodshed, and know that whatever happens in the world, your family has an 8 year supply of heat.
The electrical system also is a source of satisfaction. In addition to a standard grid connection, we also have a 5.4 KW solar array mounted on the woodshed. For most of the year, we can run almost exclusively on the battery bank. It is very entertaining to watch the system’s readout and see how much electricity the system is silently and cleanly producing. The batteries can be charged by the grid during periods of no sun.
In addition to the house and woodshed, we have a 24’ x 30’ timber frame barn, featuring a tastefully appointed upstairs studio, with a kitchen. Attached to the rear of the barn is a roof covering a brick BBQ and wood-fired pizza oven.
Just as the house produces so much more than other homes, so also does the surrounding landscape. For 12 years we have run a Certified Naturally Grown market garden, supplying ourselves and the local community with fresh, chemical-free produce, herbs, fruit, eggs, and chicken. Irrigation is handled primarily by stored rainwater, or by a pond. It is such a source of satisfaction to see your hard work be rewarded by thousands of pounds of produce from 1/6 th of an acre garden.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions, or to request a visit. Thanks for looking!
By the numbers:
House : 1700 sf two-story saltbox, with a full basement
3 bedroom, 1.5 bath ( easily convertible to 2 bath )
Insulated R-38 walls, R-100 ceiling
Full- length porch on north side
12’ x 30’ attached sun space on south side
walk-out basement
Water softener and purification system
Masonry heater
slate floors, and locally-sourced hardwood floors
Neighborhood Description
Hilly, forested rural areaMarket Area
Located in Allegeny County, NY about 90 minutes south of Rochester.School District
Bolivar-Richburg School DistrictCommunity
Rural and small town, quiet and peacefulLocation of Home or Land
Rural
Elevation of Home
Mountain
Air Quality
| Agriculture in Area | no |
| Industry in Area | no |
| Air Pollution in Area | no |
| Pesticide Free | yes |
| Fragrance Free | yes |
| Cleaned with Green Products | yes |
Interior Environment
| Heating System | Solar - Passive |
| Cooling System | Passive Cooling |
| Ventilation System | Other |
| Whole House Filtration | None |
| Whole House Vacuum | no |
Energy & Water
| Energy System | Solar - Photovoltaic |
| Water System | Rain Water Collection |
| Wastewater System | Septic System |
Construction Information
| Exterior Finish | Other |
| Interior Finish | Gypsum Board - Sheet Rock |
| Interior Paint | No VOC |
| Floor Material | Tile |
| Roof Material | Asphalt Composition Shingle |
| Window Material | Wood Dual Glazed |
| Insulation Material | Fiberglass |
Garage / Car Port
| Garage / Carport | yes |
| Garage Type | carport_detached |
| Number of Cars | 2 |
| Garage Area | 720 sqft |
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