A historic neighborhood in Louisville, Colorado, has an upgraded addition after a former Apple high-level design engineer requested a modern and eco-friendly home.
As detailed by Inhabitat, the Fargo home is the first in the city to achieve the distinction of net zero, with its pollution-reducing features negating the emissions released by operations.
One challenge to constructing the home was the limited amount of space. DAJ Design, the architecture firm that made the engineer's vision a reality, explains on its website that the lot is only 37 ½ feet wide. Part of the solution was to make the home three stories instead of a single level, including a subterranean basement.
Meanwhile, the east-west orientation lends itself well to the client's pollution-reduction goals. DAJ Design notes there is plenty of light for the second-floor photovoltaic panels to absorb and convert the sun's rays into clean energy.
That solar power, along with a ground-source geothermal heat pump, means that Fargo doesn't require natural gas like other homes in the neighborhood.
Natural gas is less polluting than coal — the dirtiest form of energy — but that doesn't mean it's a major step up, as gas is part of the trio of fuels primarily driving the rise of global temperatures.
Our warmer planet has caused extreme weather to become more common, leading to increased insurance costs and the search for structures that can withstand damaging events.
Happily, there are several innovative techniques to create weather-resilient homes. However, depending more on clean energy, as the Fargo home does, helps eliminate heat-trapping gases generated by dirty fuels during traditional heating and cooling.
Installing a heat pump also comes with financial perks. While DAJ Design and Inhabitat didn't provide any specifics on electrical costs for Fargo, the energy-efficient devices can save the average person nearly $700 every year.
The 3,453-square-foot home also eschews a high-maintenance, water-guzzling traditional grass lawn in favor of bi-folding windows and doors for ventilation and an indoor-outdoor kitchen to maximize exterior space.
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