Archives for 2013

In Finnish tradition, wood can be found throughout the home, adding an organic touch that reinforces the curved shape, with concrete and steel playing secondary roles.

Designed by Olavi Koponen and built in Espoo, Finland, the layout proceeds from public to private spaces and balances static rooms with a sense of ongoing movement.

In each space, furniture either floats in the space or is custom-fit to the exterior. This is not an inexpensive proposition, particularly when it comes to built-ins … but it does make everything feel homey and fit-to-purpose.

In plan and elevation, you can see the single major break in the continuous curve, creating a separation for the master suite area, starting with the open-style bathroom and leading into the bedroom.

“The green building market has evolved beyond the crunchy-granola, Boulder types,” says David Johnston, co-author of “Toward a Zero Energy Home,” who is based in Colorado. “We have mainstream builders doing this.”

Big homebuilders, such as KB Home and Nexus Energy, are moving energy efficiency to standard practice.

The government is also providing federal tax credits to help spur demand of green home features, such as tax credits for insulation that reduces energy loss or for geothermal heat pumps. Home owners may be eligible to claim rebates from their utility company, town, or state for certain green features as well.

Green homes tend to cost between 5 percent and 10 percent more than traditional homes, according to Nexus Energy Homes COO Bruce W. McIntosh.

But when it comes time to sell, studies suggest home owners will likely see a boost in price. Homes in California with a green label sold for about 9 percent more than comparable homes without the green label, according to a 2012 study by professors at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Source: “Green Goes Mainstream for New Homes,” The Wall Street Journal