Sponsored Content: Several years ago, Salvatore Zarrella was reading a trade magazine when he came across a story entitled “Green Without Gizmos.” The article described Passive House, an exacting standard for building energy-efficient homes that had begun in earnest in Germany in the 1990s. “It was transformative for me,” said Zarrella, a Stamford native and … Read more
Yes, I am talking about my home renovation project. As an architect I have helped literally hundreds of people renovate their homes, so it is not unfamiliar territory. With my own house, I can’t honestly say things have been going all that differently than for the average homeowner, but perhaps I have more of an … Read more
In my last column, I made the case for the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability in the construction of new homes and renovation of existing homes. I promised that in my next column I would suggest options for learning and training, whether you are a builder or just an interested homeowner. Magazines Fine Homebuilding … Read more
I don’t know, and I can’t figure it out. The importance of energy efficiency and sustainability are no longer debatable and are highly valued by home buyers, according to the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders). Proof of this can be found in many places, as I detailed in my last column (Home, September 2015). … Read more
“What is a house? Why do the houses in Fairfield County all look the way they look? Why does that house look just like this one, and why does this one have funny fake stone and such boxy proportions This is not my beautiful house! How did we get here? “ These are the thoughts … Read more
Green building may be at Malcolm Gladwell’s famous “tipping point,” which would mean that the growth of the movement has reached that critical point where it becomes self-sustaining and exponential. What’s my evidence? you ask. Well, there’s a lot, actually. Here are a few pertinent facts: •According to the U.S. Green Building Council, about 40-48% … Read more
I recently took a survey of ‘average homeowners’ and asked them what their most burning home improvement question is. The overwhelming answer? How much does it really cost? They really pushed, they wanted answers! Who can tell me? How do you know ahead of time? Is it worth it? Will I get my money back … Read more
Summer is swiftly approaching and the days are already sunny and bright. School is almost out and it’s time to relax. When vacation time rolls around each year, do you find yourself collapsing with relief into that beach or lake house and saying things like “I wish I could live like all year long!” Here’s … Read more
Have you noticed how expensive electricity is lately? Wow. If you heat your house with electric resistance heat, this winter must have been extremely expensive. Thank goodness that’s over. But wait, next up is cooling season. Just about everyone who has a cooling system in their house uses electricity as a fuel source. There just … Read more
Have you been thinking about remodeling your home but don’t know where to start? Do you need an architect? Do you want to make a more energy-efficient and healthy home and at the same time get more space and improve its look and flow? You may need an architect. Or you may not. You may … Read more
How much is your house worth? In many cases the decision to “go green” is based purely on finances. As an architect who specializes in making homes more energy-efficient and sustainable, the biggest question I get is, “What is my ROI?” Return on investment is important. Most of the things we recommend to homeowners are … Read more
This is the 10th and final entry in a series of columns about the design and construction of my newly certified Passive House. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) offers certification programs for highly energy efficient homes, and the home design and building professionals seeking to build them (www.phaus.org). Those of you who have hung with … Read more
This is the ninth entry in a series of columns about the design and construction of my newly certified passive house. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) offers certification programs for highly energy efficient homes, and the home design and building professionals seeking to build them (www.phaus.org). Because my heating requirements are so small, my house … Read more
This is the eighth entry in a series of columns about the design and construction of my newly certified Passive House. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) offers certification programs for highly energy efficient homes and the home design and building professionals seeking to build them (www.phaus.org). In my previous columns, I’ve written about how foundation, … Read more
This is the seventh entry in a series of columns about the design and construction of my newly certified Passive House. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) offers certification programs for highly energy efficient homes, and the home design and building professionals seeking to build them (www.phaus.org). Let me answer the rhetorical question I asked at … Read more
This is the sixth entry in a series of columns about the design and construction of my newly certified Passive House. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) offers a certification program for highly energy efficient homes and separate certification programs for home design and building professionals seeking to build them (www.phaus.org for more information). The Passive … Read more