The Bookshelf: “LEEDing The Way: Domestic Architecture For The Future”
Author:Lindsey Shook“LEEDing The Way: Domestic Architecture For The Future” by author E. Ashley Rooney, explores over 50 homes while reflecting on the strong environmentally aware trend in both architecture and design and incorporating energy efficient choices within their scope of specified products and schemes.
LEED certification is possible in every part of the country and while leafing through this new book, Rooney breaks the negative association between these products and their design, or lack thereof.
Nathan Good Architects designed the 4,200-square-foot residence to optimize natural light to the interior. Systems are in place for future rainwater harvesting and 100 per cent of the storm water is managed on-site. The drought-tolerant landscape is low maintenance. Courtesy of Bitterman Photography
Gorgeous homes across the US, “LEEDing The Way” is a starting point for anyone interested in making the world and their home a better place. Resource and energy efficient residences are designed to be healthy, comfortable, easy to live in, and construction of a sustainable home includes using less energy, fewer natural resources, and fewer toxic chemicals.
Designed by Mark Sultana of DSDG and built by Stephen Ellis of MyGreenBuilding (MGB), this house is situated on a peninsula on the pristine waters of Sarasota Bay. The 1,800 square-foot home was designed for views in every direction, including from the master closet and garage. Photo by Detlev von Kessel
The homes featured here meet a variety of guidelines: LEED, a point-based system with specific certification criteria; Green, a construction standard based on reduction of energy use; Passive, a design standard that can result in a super-insulated, airtight home; and Natural, a type of “green” construction using natural resources without technological intervention.
Situated on the Venice canals in Los Angeles, Hover House 3 focuses on maximizing outdoor living on small lots by elevating the building above grade. Steel louvered panels protect the interior from excessive heat gain. Exterior wall panels create a ventilated rain screen, effectively shading and cooling the exterior walls. Courtesy of Derek Rath // Stephen Ellis, CEO of MyGreenBuildings (MGB), built this house as his own vacation getaway. Its lean design of 1,870 square feet of conditioned space sleeps fourteen comfortably. Courtesy of Gene Pollux/Pollux Photography
Whether designing in a more traditional style in the country or a more contemporary California beach home, every homeowner will be inspired to go green, and each design professional working today should allow themselves to begin to incorporate these world changing design choices into their projects.
The floor plan alludes to the traditional Spanish courtyard home. Two bedroom wings enfold a south-facing patio with an outdoor fireplace shaded by a rustic wooden trellis constructed from salvaged timbers. The swimming pool and spa sit on sand-colored flagstone surrounded by native landscaping. The nature-centered design connects the owners and their guests to the desert’s breathtaking beauty. The structural system is composed of wood, steel posts, and reclaimed timber beams with straw bale infill. A passive solar system heats water for the pool. Other features include a rooftop viewing deck, custom stained-glass doors, and lighting features, custom mosaic tile, and custom railings and gates. Courtesy of Mike McElhatton
More than 300 images show a wide variety of designs and styles, including cottages and beach houses, prairie and vineyard residences, prefabricated and renovated homes, and much more. You can grab a copy of the book from HERE.
