What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?
The thermal characteristics of this property are described by its owner...
Thermal conservation features: The house was built as a solar envelope: the south-facing windows open on three solariums facing south: the solariums, in turn, are accessed by glass doors and sliding windows. The solariums (and double south facing windows in the upstairs bedroom) are also connected to the basement (or a separate crawl space in the downstairs office), by slatted panels. The basements were built directly on bedrock, so, their floors remain near earth temperature year-round. The basement spaces in turn, are also linked to the windows on the north side in the main part of the house, by the east and west double windows in the office, The double windows in both parts are linked by air columns to the basement spaces, so that the interior windows can be opened to permit complete air circulation from sun heated spaces on the south side. In operation, the effective production of heat was limited to the two most westward sets of windows: the upstairs bedroom's south-facing double windows and the kitchen/family room solarium. The other solarium spaces, however, contribute insulation/ heat buffers, as well as light, to the eastward half of the house. The western solarium is also usable as an inside greenhouse for starting vegetable plants in late winter.
The wide roof overhangs prevent solar overheating in the summer, when the sun is high.
In addition to the solar features, the house is super-insulated, with double walls necessary to accommodate the double windows on the north side and a foot of insulation in the roof. Together with the earth temperature of the basement floors, and the solar buffers and heat production, the core of the house should never freeze, protecting the bulk of the plumbing. Only the currently disconnected water line to the unfinished bathroom in the downstairs office is subject to freezing, and would have to be wrapped in heater tape if the office bathroom were to be finished, since it passes through the unheated storage space/attic east of the living room.Property Description
Energy efficient, private retreat in lovely Hudson Valley protected woods with a pond and garden space. Architect-designed for passive solar & geothermal efficiency, & built w/ local materials house features solaria across the entire southern side, air-circulating envelope around the entire house, foundation that maximizes thermal transfer from bedrock. Vaulted ceilings, wideboard ash flooring, walls from reclaimed barn siding & the solaria create a unique & pleasing interior. Setting is close to the Taconic Parkway & world-famous Omega Institute.
Square-foot figure includes the solaria and a second-floor "attic," which are not heated mechanically during the winter. Additionally, there are two finished offices that are separated from the rest of the house. One, off the garage, is on the first floor and is plumbed for a half bath; the other is on the second floor over the garage and includes a deck with benches at the level of the tree-tops!
Here is one owner's essay about the property...
Welcome to 44 Schultzville Road
When we first lived here twenty-eight years ago, we called the house Overwood, because the house looked down on the tops of the maple and oak trees that have since grown to shelter it. If you come to live here, perhaps you will find your own name for the house and the surrounding land, for you will become part of its spirit and history. May your time here be as happy as ours has been.
We built the house when our family was young. It was designed by architect Mike Rubin, a childhood friend of my husband’s. Some people wonder why we have most of the bedrooms downstairs and the kitchen and living room upstairs. To us, it made common sense. Heat rises, so downstairs bedrooms are cool and comfortable for sleeping even in the summer, and the upstairs is always cozy even in deep winter. The house, an envelope house, facing south, has built in cooling and heating properties. When the sun is low in the winter, the solarium is flooded with light and warmth. In the summer, the trees and the overhanging roof shade the house. The heating/cooling system circulates warm air in winter and cool cellar air in summer throughout the envelope. We have never needed air-conditioning. For years we heated the whole house with woodstoves alone, adding a gas furnace for convenience.
I have always loved having the kitchen and living room upstairs. It feels like living in a tree house, especially with the old wooden boards and the field stone, hand-gathered by my husband. I will take credit for the west-facing window in the kitchen, which makes it a magical place at sunset. The large bathroom downstairs with the tub next to the window is also thanks to me. When the moon is full, it shines in through that window right into the bathwater. If you like or have longed to moon bathe, then this bathtub was made for you.
Oh, one more credit for me: the retreat room in the attic that opens on to the deck. That is where I wrote many novels, where I spent time when I needed solitude in the midst of raising a family. The windowed woodstove easily heats the space. Many springs, phoebes would nest under the eaves on the deck. I had the thrill of hearing the first peeps of their young and watching them learn to fly. The deck is wonderful in all seasons. Since it faces south you can sometimes sit outside in the sun even in the winter. In spring you get a close up view of the unfurling leaves and in autumn you can lose yourself in the light of the golden leaves.
Before I go on about the outdoors, just a little more about the house. It was the gathering place for our families and friends at holidays. Tall Christmas trees stood in living room. The fireplace glowed with the Yule log. Extra tables filled the kitchen and people feasted by candlelight with the doors of the woodstove open, the crackle of the wood fire adding the festive spirit. This house has embraced our joys and comforted our sorrows. After we moved, someone lived in the house for a few months in exchange for painting and repairs. He came there when his life was in disarray. He told us: “There is something about the house, the spirit there. It helped me put my life back together.” He went on to a life of full employment and a home of his own.
What I love about the yard and woods: The house was built in a natural glade. No trees were disturbed. It is enfolded by the hill behind it and the one across the stream valley. There are many friendly trees in the yard, several oaks, lots of maples, an ash tree that turns a subtle gold-purple in the fall. I will always carry with me the memory of sitting outside by the front steps, listening to the stream, whether it was a summer trickle or in spring spate, the dappled light of the trees, the sense of being held by the land. And beyond the stream and up the hill farther than you can see, the land is protected by conservation easements. That is our gift to the land, the trees, the animals and the birds.
That is our gift to you.
Neighborhood Description
This is lovely rural setting where farms and pastures alternate with woods. The area is famously attractive to New York City and Greater Metro Area dwellers seeking a convenient retreat.Market Area
Despite its rural character, the neighborhood is close to such world-class recreational and cultural destinations as The Omega Institute, Bard College's remarkable Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, and Rhinebeck Village. Woodstock and Hudson, the Catskill and Berkshires Mountains, and the magnificent Hudson River are all close at hand.School District
This property is in the Rhinebeck Central School District: http://www.rhinebeckcsd.orgCommunity
The property is located in the Town of Clinton and in the Clinton Corners Postal District: http://www.townofclinton.comLocation of Home or Land
Rural
Air Quality
| Agriculture in Area | yes |
| Industry in Area | no |
| Air Pollution in Area | no |
| Pesticide Free | yes |
| Fragrance Free | yes |
| Cleaned with Green Products | yes |
Interior Environment
| Heating System | Electric Radiant |
| Cooling System | Geothermal |
| Ventilation System | Other |
| Whole House Filtration | None |
| Whole House Vacuum | no |
Energy & Water
| Water System | Well |
| Wastewater System | Septic System |
Construction Information
| Exterior Finish | Wood |
| Interior Finish | Other |
| Interior Paint | Other |
| Floor Material | Wood - Solid |
| Roof Material | Asphalt Composition Shingle |
| Window Material | Other |
| Insulation Material | Fiberglass |
Garage / Car Port
| Garage / Carport | yes |
| Garage Type | attached |
| Number of Cars | 2 |
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