An Eclectically  Green House Richard Morse, Architect Beyond what many people think “environmental” architecture as being, is the immediate neighborhood "environment" of our structures - how they relate to their Georgian, Greek Revival, etc. neighbors - as well as the social, functional, and financial environments. I like to design houses that look and feel like they were constructed in centuries past and yet are in line with today's living conditions and situations AND are kind to this planet as well.

Type of building: Residential

Building location:	Western Massachusetts
Building gross  square footage:	House  =  2400sf, includes finished 1st and 2nd floors,                   does not include unfinished basement and attic.  Garage =  1700 sf, all of which is unfinished space.
Project cost:	$293,000 at $90/sf for the house and $45/sf for the detached garage.  Costs include septic, well and sitework.  Does not include costs of land or driveway beyond the immediate house area.
Performance  information:	Heatloss was calculated at 24,000 BTU @ 70o difference. The actual amount of fuel used to heat the house for the first two winters averaged 3½ to 4 cords of wood plus about 20 gallons of propane per year.

Design Goals:

1.	Historically styled house – and all the comfort, character, and interest such a style engenders.
2.	Environmentally responsible construction materials (low-embodied energy)  – about 95% of the framing lumber, sheathing, and trim (including interior trim and flooring) came from the site. Products were chosen for maximum recycled content (cellulose insulation, cotton batt insulation) and non-toxic ingredients (marmoleum). All window sash and doors were made regionally (New England) with their frames and trim, and all cabinetry produced from the site wood by a local (in-town) woodworker. Extensive use of recycled (used/refurbished) plumbing fixtures and electrical fixtures.
3.	Minimal energy consumption – Oriented and fenestrated to maximize winter sun heat gain while minimizing summer gain. Double wall construction 10” thick (including sloped ceiling areas 16” thick) and insulated full depth  (less air baffles in sloped ceiling areas) with cellulose insulation.
4.	Minimal maintenance – Durable materials (stone, quartersawn woods) and finishes. Gables over entry (no snow/ice on stoop), judicious perimeter plantings, no gutters required (for drainage control or maintenance).
5.	Heated by renewable resources – masonry heater that burns waste wood.
6.	“Healthy house” – Natural paints, stains, varnishes (shellac). Simple ventilation systems for indoor air quality and separate air inlets for masonry heater and fireplace, boiler is sealed combustion. No composite woods (fiberboards, chipboards, etc.), minimal petrochemical products (no polyurethane finishes, no vinyl flooring, no plastic vapor barrier). Electrical system designed to minimize EMFs.

The Site:
The house and garage are nested against a steep hill to maximize the small level portion of the site and are connected by a stone entry terrace that leads to the house's mudroom or to the side entry of the garage. Though the house faces slightly south from due west (orientated to favor the view) it receives an appreciable amount of solar heat during the winter months. There are maples and a large hickory to the south of the house that minimizes the heat gain during the summer months.

The Garage: The garage downstairs is split into thirds for a gar-den tractor, the cars, and a garden tools area. The upstairs over the garage is space for a studio or apartment. The plumbing and heating were stubbed out with the spaces remaining unfinished.

The House: Just about everything on the inside was designed to appear as if it were original to a house of that age - or as if it were "remodeled" from a house of that age some time ago. The kitchen, mudroom and bathrooms all have painted wainscot and period-shaped chair rails and generous baseboards, and real linoleum flooring. All the rest of the rooms have oak trim and flooring that had been treated with black filler/stain (to bring out the grain) and shellac (as were the original houses).

      
 

Design and construction methodology: The house and garage were designed to be efficiently built with standard procedures - but with a greater regard to environmental responsibility.     Exterior walls were  double 2x4 studs on 2x10 plates with diagonal 1x  board sheathing.

All framing lumber was air dried for 8 months and used without planing. We had assumed edge planing at least, but it turned out not to be necessary probably due to all coming from the same species of tree all about the same age - all had shrunk the same amount. The floor platforms were constructed as usual, the walls had 2x4 studs staggered on 2x 10 plates. Exterior fenestration and interior wallboard jointing determined the spacing of the studs. The exterior was sheathed in diagonal 1x boards. What little waste there was used later in the masonry heater. The exterior envelope was insulated with dry-pack and wet-spray cellulose.

Construction and Finish Materials:
100% of the foundation stone came from the property. About 95% of the framing, sheathing and exterior trim is hemlock logged from the site - the house clearing plus selectively from the surrounding 4 acres (only the central garage ceiling TJI joists and plywood floor decking were purchased). The clapboards are locally harvested and milled quartersawn white pine. 100% of the interior oak and hemlock trim came from the site.

Products were chosen for maximum recycled content (cellulose insulation, cotton batt insulation) and non-toxic ingredients (marmoleum). The window sash and doors were made regionally (New England) with their frames/trim and all cabinetry fabricated by local (in-town) woodworkers from the site’s wood. We installed recycled (used/refurbished) plumbing fixtures and electrical fixtures throughout, augmented by reproduction units from that era.
 

Eliptical and compound curved porch roof under weigh…. Doesn't seem to faze this contractor!

Heating and cooling:
The house is primarily heated with a masonry heater. Its firebox is located in the basement to contain wood debris. The serpentine heating channels are in the main floor space which radiate a gentle heat to the living room, dining room and den. In the center of this Corinthian granite sheathed masonry mass is a precast Rumford fireplace. The masonry heater heats the entire 2400 sf house with one firing/day during the late fall and early spring, and 2 firings (morning and evening) during the mid winter. There is also a complete in-floor radiant heating system. A small wall-hung gas boiler supplies both the in-floor radiant and domestic hot water systems. There is no provision for cooling. With the pragmatic operation of a few window shades, the house is quite comfortable even during the hottest summer days.
 

The firebox for the masonry heater is in the basement with the serpentine flue channels on the main floor.  The sides of the unit on the main floor are veneered with granite and exposed to the Living room, Dining room, and Den - yet heats the entire house.