A new Rutland county home designed by Cornwall architect Jean Terwilliger has been awarded for “Excellence in Architecture” at the Annual Meeting and Design Awards Presentation of The American Institute of Architects/ Vermont Chapter. The honorable mention in the “Residential” category was awarded by the jury for “the playful exterior vernacular design, the interior material experimentation and the fluid spatial relationships. The result is a fun, comfortable home for a contemporary lifestyle.”
In addition to the design award, the home is the first in Rutland County and only the fourth home in Vermont to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for achievement in green design and building. LEED-certified homes complete a rigorous process that includes a home energy rating and onsite inspections provided by Efficiency Vermont.
The siting and design of the home takes advantage of southern views and solar exposure. By orienting living spaces to the southern sun and service spaces to the north wrapping around an open tower over the stair hall, the compact 1,630-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home with an eat-in kitchen opening to a great room, feels warm and spacious.
As a result of incorporating energy saving design and technologies, the home uses only thirty-six percent of the energy of a typical new home. The home features a mix of double- and triple-glazed energy efficient windows oriented to the south for winter passive solar gain absorbed by radiant heated concrete floors.
Energy-saving elements include increased insulation with cellulose (recycled newspaper) and rigid foam, careful attention to air sealing, and Energy Star appliances and light fixtures. Energy production upgrades include solar hot water heating, 2kw of solar photovoltaic panels and a high-efficiency propane boiler. Carefully sized roof overhangs shield windows from the summer sun, a tower promotes natural ventilation, and ceiling fans and a screen porch provide summer comfort without air conditioning.
“Good green homes come about through the engaged collaboration between client, architect and builder,” says Terwilliger, who worked with builders Chris North and Alex Carver of Ripton-based Northern Timbers Construction to select cost-effective green materials that contributed to the LEED rating.
Advanced framing techniques reduced lumber use. Local wood was chosen for flooring, trim and porch framing. Fiber cement siding and metal siding and roofing were chosen for low-maintenance and recycled content. Dual-flush toilets and native landscape plantings contribute to water conservation.
Terwilliger specializes in the design of sustainable homes, additions and renovations using collaborative design methods and cost-effective green building technologies.
A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Terwilliger has more than twenty years of experience and extensive training in sustainable design. Her work can be viewed at jeanterwilliger.com. She is a member of the Cornwall Planning Commission and donated the design for the 2009 Middlebury Habitat for Humanity house.
