Exterior elevation

As we enter Week Three of construction, I've been made aware that I haven't yet posted images of the exterior, and will remedy that now. I've been reticent to post images partly because we haven't settled on a final design, but also because I don't feel that it accurately represents me and my interest in sustainabiltiy. This house is truly for Patrick and the kids and not what I'd envision, but as I said in the first post, we're working with what we have and are making the best of it.

For those of you who know me well, you understand that I'm committed to sustainable living. I try to buy local and organic vegetables and eggs and non-CAFO meats. In our former house, we put in low-flow toilets, used low-VOC paints for the interior, added insulation, used CFLs, and kept off the lights whenever possible. Instead of burning tons and tons of heating oil, we put in an efficient fireplace insert (that spewed far fewer particulates than a traditional fireplace) and kept it burning from dawn until after bedtime from October through April, allowing us to keep the temperature in the house at a frosty 58 degrees in the day and 56 at night, but at least we had one warm room. We try to use as few toxic chemicals as possible, and I drive a reasonably efficient car. I don't do these things to be obnoxious and claim bragging rights, but because I truly believe that it's the right thing to do for our health, children, and future.

Why am I saying all this? It's because I've been having a hard time coming to terms with the conventional method of building we've fallen into. Wichita is sorely lacking in green alternatives, be they building methods or organic farmers' markets. I'm discussing sustainable strategies with our GC, but it's not easy going so far. I would've preferred to hire an architect to design a LEED-rated home, but we were limited by time and school district. Since we never intended to build a home right now, we were forced to make some fast decisions and ended up in a subdivision that, by default, must define the look and feel of our home's exterior. It also determined the size, which I feel is excessive. We're more than doubling the sf of our last home, which was a 1959 Cape and therefore small, but the size and layout worked well, apart from the lack of a master bathroom and the fact that our son had to bunk on the first floor. This 4000 sf house is much more than we need and want, but anything smaller and we'll stand out as being "too" small, should we want to sell in the future.

To counter these "negatives", we've asked our GC to beef up the insulation and we've purchased Energy Star appliances. We're looking at adding photovoltaics or a micro-turbine and either a solar heater, tankless heater, or hybrid heater (GE). I've also requested low or no-VOC stains, paints, and finishes, and we're looking for formaldehyde-free cabinetry. Patrick and I are discussing the benefit of low-flow fixtures for the baths and kitchen, and considering touch-free faucets in the kids' bathroom and kitchen as well as occupancy sensors in the kids' rooms and family room in the basement. We'll use low-e, argon-filled windows to minimize solar gain--surely a big issue here, where it's nearly as sunny as Honolulu. Plus, we're installing ceiling fans in the bedrooms and great room and will add insulated garage doors to lower the heat load.

These are some of the technologies we're hoping to use to make our house as efficient as possible. If any of you have ideas for improving the design or efficiency of our new home, please feel free to voice an opinion. It would be appreciated.

On a side note: for those of you eager for a little eye candy, my sister-in-law has requested images of our new appliances. I'll be sure to include them in the next post for your viewing pleasure.