Architect of Record

The Westford Habitat House is a 1,400 square foot single-family home located in Westford, Massachusetts. Built into an existing community, the three bedroom, two bath house features a front porch that serves to shade dining and living room windows as well as to provide a space for outdoor living. Large overhangs limit direct solar gain through the high performance windows during the summer and welcome solar gain in the winter. Rainwater and snowmelt from the roof drain off the overhang into a gravel drainage system that daylights at the rear of the site.

Part of the Cleveland EcoVillage project, the two 1,800 square foot single-family GreenBuilt homes are built into an existing community in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. By combining architecture and engineering, these infill homes are energy-efficient, accessible and affordable. The main living space along with bedroom and bath are located on the first floor with two additional bedrooms, bath and loft space on the second floor. Covered front porches provide outdoor living space as well as limiting direct sunlight into the living room, decreasing solar gain in the summer.

Project Team: Synergy Companies Construction, LLC, Minglewood Designs, Building Science Corporation

Location: Concord, Massachusetts

Description: 4,322 ft² 5 bedroom, 4 bath, 2-story plus finished basement single family home

Completion Date: June 2010

Project Team: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell, Building Science Corporation, Volunteers and Community Groups

Location: Westford, Massachusetts

Description: 1,340 ft² 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1¹/₂ story single family home

Completion Date: October 2008

Estimated Annual Energy Savings: $1,259 per year

Key Features

• photovoltaic system;
• solar hot water heating;
• design for passive cooling and lighting;
• ducts in conditioned space;
• controlled ventilation;
• high performance envelope, windows and integrated HVAC system;
• advanced framing with structural insulated panels (SIPs);
• designed to promote natural ventilation/controlled mechanical mechanical ventilation for back-up.

You may have heard of ultra low energy buildings*—energy self-s

Project Team: Building Science Corporation, GreenBuilt Ltd.

Address: Cleveland, OH

Description: 1,824 ft², three bedroom with a loft, 2¹/₂ bath with a 1,065 ft² fully insulated basement

The Cleveland Prototype Housing designs will demonstrate sustainable building practices by integrating a number of strategies into one very sensible design solution: using recycled, low-polluting materials and controlled ventilation equipment to preserve natural resources and support environmentally progressive industries. By efficiently using inner city land, this development will help revitalize downtown areas while reducing traffic, pollution and energy use from commuting.

Project Team: Building Science Corporation, Prairie Holdings Corporation

Address: Grayslake, IL

Description: 2,650 ft² four bedroom, 2¹/₂ bath house with an optional fireplace and fully insulated basement and attic living space with optional bath and dormers

Take a look at the Prairie Crossing homes—they are "Heartland" homes that anyone would love to live in, reassuringly traditional. Who would think that they also happen to be among the most sophisticated and finely tuned high performance homes in their region?

Project Team: Building Science Corporation, Sturbridge Construction

Address: Grayslake, IL

Description: Average 2,700 ft², three bedroom, 2¹/₂ bath single family homes