Buck Brothers Construction – Bath Project: Remodel Type I Gold

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Previous to this bathroom project the homeowners contracted with Buck Brothers Construction to construct a GreenStar “Gold” Certified 2nd floor addition. They wanted to continue the “Green” renovation of their home with the decision to complete the installation of their master bathroom. Space and basic mechanics had been planned and laid out during the development and construction of their 2010 2nd floor addition.

Supported by an established collaborative relationship and clarity to the goals of sustainability and efficiency the owners and our staff finalized the scope and details for the bathroom. Reclaimed pedestals sinks and faucets from a local salvage company, a dual flush, water conserving toilet, low VOC paints and flow restricted faucets were folded into the shell constructed in their previous project. The completed bathroom presented them with an open, airy room including a porthole view of their front yard treetops.

The design process, construction and, most conclusively, the final product were a testament to the initial commitment and planning invested by the homeowners. Decisions made three years earlier ensured a continuation of their dedication to a sustainable construction and life style. An added plus for them was achieving another Gold certification for their Green home.

For more information on this project visit www.buck-bros.com.

Buck Brothers Construction Inc.: Remodel Type I Gold

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Remodel Typr 1 Gold

Buck Brothers Construction

 For more information on this project visit www.buck-bros.com.

Vujovich Design Build – The Idea Farm: New Home Gold

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New Home Gold

Vujovich Idea Farm

Vujovich Design Build has received MN GreenStar’s highest New Home honor – Gold Certification. The project named, “The Idea Farm” is the first MN GreenStar certified project built by Vujovich Design Build.

Using local materials and building suppliers, The Idea Farm combines the state’s farming history and with modern sustainability. Connecting the home with land and nature, building practices included the use of recycled materials, geothermal heating, rain-water collection, reuse of gray water, composting, and reseeding native prairie grasses and pastures.

“In designing and building The Idea Farm our goal was to combine the highest possible levels of green building with sophisticated architecture; green + beautiful,” states Peter Vujovich, co-owner and founder of Vujovich Design Build.

By Peter Vujovich, Vujovich Design Build

Idea Farm KitchenVujovich Idea Farm

For more information on this project visit www.vujovich.com.

Live Green Live Smart – The Sustainable House: Remodel Type IV Gold

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Remodel Gold IVThe Sustainable House

Live Green, Live Smart’s The Sustainable House TM is a participant in Minnesota GreenStar’s Remodeling pilot program and the LEED for Homes Pilot ProjectTM. Live Green, Live Smart has transformed an ordinary post-War rambler in a suburban neighborhood into a Century hour that will be energy efficient, environmentally healthy, respectful of the natural environment, and comfortable for family life as climate and energy resources alter in the coming decades.

Environmentally-Conscious Applications

The green building materials and techniques as applied to the House are less conspicuous than alternative energy sources, but no less important to our Platinum remodel.

  • Efficient insulation and an air transfer system ensure that none of the heat or cold generated goes to waste, and that the air inside the home stays clean and breathable.
  • Solatubes provide natural sunlight all day long, even in the basement, reducing electricity needs.
  • Every lightbulb in the house is an energy-efficient compact fluorescent or LED.
  • Low-voltage radiant in-floor heating is an efficient way to reduce furnace needs.
  • Greywater is collected from the showers for reuse in the double-flush toilets.
  • Windows are triple-glazed and argon-filled to reduce heat transfer.
  • Appliances are EnergyStar rated, and an induction stove is used for cooking.
  • All electrical energy purchased from the grid is the product of windfarming – no coal-fueled energy will be used in the House.

By Peter Lytle, Live Green Live Smart

The Sustainable House BeforeThe Sustainable House Dining ROom

For more information on this project visit http://livegreenlivesmart.org.