Issue 227 – HOUSES 2012

Santa Cruz Straw Bale

Net-zero-energy use and whimsical details shine in a new family home

From a Leaky Old House to a Tight New Home

A young couple retrofits the house next door as an investment in deep energy savings
Carriage-House Comeback

An 800-sq.-ft. backyard cottage exemplifies the benefits of downsizing and reveals a new housing opportunity
Zero Energy, at Last

The sun lends a big hand to this efficient home in the North Carolina mountains
A House for All Ages

An energy-efficient modern-day farmhouse offers single-floor living wrapped in low-maintenance, charming detail
Designed for Its Place & Time

At the top of his game, architect Obie Bowman orchestrates his signature materials and details into a contemporary retirement house
What is Building Science?

Few people understand it. Nobody agrees what it is, how to learn about it, or who's responsible for it. It has never been more important

A Practical Approach to Passive House

An architect's "best work to date" is a super-efficient home that you could build.
Building a Healthy House

For a chemically sensitive homeowner, a cleaner indoor environment meant focusing on six key concepts.

What's the Difference: Designs for Accessibility

Accessible design, universal design, and aging-in-place design
What's the Difference: Window-Shading Options

Solar screens, exterior blinds, shutters, and awnings

Alternative to Pressure-Treated Decking

Perennial Wood decking from Eastma Manufactured by Eastman 800-530-7495; www.perennialwood.com Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tenn., has been making acetic anhydride for years. In the 1930s, the company used…
Foam Forms for Concrete Caps

Rigid-foam wall-cap forms from Stegmeier Manufactured by Stegmeier 800-382-5430; www.stegmeier.com Cost: $130 to $150 for a box of 10 8-ft.-long pieces; $140 for a box of 10 spring-steel clamps Stegmeier…
Low-Profile Ventilation for Tiled Roofs

Inconspicuous vents blend with the roof surface without being an eyesore.
Seamless Receptacles

Receptacles from Bocci Manufactured by Bocci 815-741-9768; www.bocci.ca/collection Cost: $50 to $75 Bocci 22 electrical components install flush with finished-wall materials, eliminating conventional cover plates for switches, receptacles,…
Lighting: Beyond the Basics

Manufactured by Eleek 815-741-9768; www.eleekinc.com If you’re in the market for ersatz colonial wall sconces or run-of-the-mill pendant lights, you can probably skip the Eleek catalog. If your tastes run…
A Quiet Garage-Door Opener

Garage openers from Sommer Manufactured by Sommer 877-766-6607; www.sommer-usa.com Cost: $350 to $450 Standard garage-door openers have a fixed motor that powers a belt or chain to open and close…

HOUSES 2012 Guest Judges' Favorites

When reviewing the submissions we received for this year’s awards issue, each of our five guest judges discovered a compelling project that didn’t quite fit as a category winner. We…