PENDING LEED® CERTIFICATION

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A 'DEEP GREEN' CITY REMODEL

Pending LEED® Certification with goal of Platinum Level

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Meadowlark Builders has taken a run-down Vicotrian home built in 1910 and transformed it into a showplace for energy efficiency, smart building technology and family-friendly design.

The homeowners, tired of their suburban Detroit "McMansion", looked toward Ann Arbor and purchased a home on the northwest side of town that had nothing more to offer than a great location and a great view of downtown Ann Arbor.  Most builders/remodelers would have strongly urged the owners to tear the home down and build new.  However, the owners knew that there was value in this building and that part of their goal of living in a depp green home meant recycling anything that still had value.  

By taking advantage of salvaged and restored items, including the original chimney brick and the old main beam from the foundation, and found treasure like the original "gingerbread" Victorian wood siding with a beautiful sunburst design, the finished home is a transformation beyond compare.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL MODULAR HOME

Pending LEED® Certification with goal of Platinum Level

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The homeowners purchased a vacant lot in the City of Ann Arbor that would bring them closer to the vibrant downtown and closer to their children's community school.  They wanted an "environmentally friendly" home and had a specific budget in mind.  With these parameters they approached Meadowlark Builders.  

The site chosen presented a long list of restrictions.  The lot was small and sandwiched between two streets, creating a difficult entry point and very close proximity to the neighboring homes.  A portion of the lot was on a flood plain, requireing FEMA permitting and very strategic site planning.  In spite of all of these drawbacks, the owners were intent on building their dream home.

GREEN TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS

  • Integrated Planning Process
  • "Not-So-Big"™ Design Techniques
  • Modular Construction
  • Installation of Drought Tolerant Landscaping
  • Geothermal Heating and Cooling
  • Spray Foam Insulation Hot Roof
  • Exterior Rigid EPS Foam Wrap with Taped Staggered Seams
  • PEX Plumbing System with Recirculating Hot Water on Demand
  • Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV)
  • Low VOC Paints and Finishes
  • Energy Star Appliances
  • High Efficiency Hot Water Heater
  • Low-Flow Water Fixtures
  • Locally-Sourced Durable Materials

 

A NEW OLD HOUSE

Pending LEED® Certification with goal of Platinum Level

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Situated on the north side of downtown Ann Arbor, this traditional single-family has all of the necessary features to be easilty transitioned into a duplex in the future--a primary goal of the the homeowner.

Green materials and/or resource efficiencies that were used in this project include:

REUSED MATERIALS (no new resources required to produce)

  • Tile for kitchen backsplash—from Habitat for Humanity Restore
  • Basement bath cabinets—from Habitat for Humanity Restore
  • Tile for master shower— leftover from a previous MLB job
  • Garage windows—leftover from a previous MLB job
  • Landscaping pavers—from Craig’s List
  • Bathroom sink—from Craig’s List
  • French doors—from Craig’s List
  • Oak flooring—from Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit (ASWD)
  • Redwood flooring for deck and porches—from Odom Reuse in Grawn, Michigan
  • Cedar paneling for screened porches—from ASWD
  • Cedar closet shelving milled from salvaged cedar beams—from Sawmill John in Whitmore Lake
  • Stained glass windows—from Williamston Antiques and Materials Unlimited in Ypsilanti
  • Decorative tiles for fireplace—from Williamston Antiques
  • Basement sink and cabinet—from Northville antique shop
  • Laundry sink—from Odom Reuse in Grawn, Michigan
  • Bowling alley wood for countertops—from Odom Reuse
  • Transom window—from ASWD
  • Linen closet cabinetry—from ASWD
  • Antique interior doors—from ASWD and Materials Unlimited in Ypsilanti
  • Decorative pillars—from the previous house (that we tore down)
  • Clawfoot tub—from previous house
  • Garage window—from previous house
  • Medicine cabinet—from previous house

REDUCED RESOURCE USE

  • Advanced framing uses less lumber in the structure
  • Wood trim assembled from castoffs
  • Long-lasting, 50-year roof shingles
  • Long-lasting Hardiplank Lap Siding
  • Long-lasting cedar exterior trim
  • Laminate countertops (laminate is a thin layer of pressed paper applied to wood that can be non-formaldehyde, so is potentially more green than other countertops)
  • Bentley Prince Street commercial grade carpet lasts longer than residential carpet
  • Note that Nylon 6 carpet is easily recyclable

LOCALLY SOURCED MATERIALS (Manufactured within 500 miles)

  • Tile in foyer and downstairs bathroom from Crossville, Ohio
  • Kitchen cabinetry from Branch Hill Joinery, an Amish workshop in Coldwater, using wood harvested in southern Michigan
  • Walnut for fireplace mantle and eating bar countertop from local urban trees (e.g. felled by storms in people’s yards), milled by Sawmill John in Whitmore Lake

 

THE PHOENIX HOUSE

Pending LEED® Certification with goal of Platinum Level

 

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