SEED Brings Green Ethos to Luxury Home in McLean
Market Wire, August, 2010
At 6606 Chesterfield Ave in McLean, SEED Homes is nearing completion of one of their flagship models, the Forester. With the construction of the home, SEED will showcase a new, environmentally responsible approach to luxury building, focusing on sustainability in design, quality and durability in materials and emphasis on energy efficiency and home health.
The Forester is expected to receive LEED Certification, a rigorous national standard for energy and water efficiency, as well as Energy Star and EPA Indoor airPLUS certifications.
“Most have the idea that a home must either be green or luxurious,” says Rachel Puri, Manager of Operations at SEED. “We wanted to build a home that is both.”
And that they did.
Boasting seven bedrooms, six full baths, two half baths, three fireplaces, top of the line finishes, and over 7000 sq.ft of finished area, the Forester is right at home in the surrounding community. An open floor plan and three levels of finished living space — all with access to the outdoors — bring abundant natural light into the home, minimizing the need for artificial lighting. The home features a screened-in porch on the main floor, a basement walk-out to a beautiful patio, and an upper-floor evening lounge adjoining a covered porch overlooking the back garden.
An opulent master suite features a fireplace, sitting room, wet bar, super master bath, and his and her walk-in closets. All other upper floor bedrooms additionally feature walk-in closets and private full baths. The guest suite on the main floor comes equipped with a full private bath and separate access to the screened-in porch.
The kitchen is furnished with top-of-the-line, Energy Star-certified Viking appliances, and beautiful wood paneling conceals a roomy walk-in pantry. The rec hall, the feature of the finished basement, includes an arched wet bar and fireplace. The basement also features the home’s media room, exercise room, and lower suite with private full bath.
“Most traditional builders have yet to build an environmentally responsible, cost-effective, energy-efficient house. And most of today’s green builders have yet to reach the mainstream market of homebuyers. Although we tried to make it as green as possible, this house is built for the McLean luxury home-buyer, and the green features are included in a way that does not conflict with buyer expectations,” says Rachel Puri.
With heating and cooling costs contributing to a majority of home energy use in our region, a well-insulated and air-tight building envelope is vital to home energy conservation. The Forester features 2×6 exterior walls with environmentally friendly cellulose insulation, a foam-insulated foundation, low-e casement windows, and spray foam insulation in the attic, above the garage, and as a sealant for all joints. Structural insulated sheathing wraps the exterior of the house, providing extra insulation and eliminating thermal breaks. The result is a tightly-wrapped house that is insulated twice as much as the county code requires.
Inside, the ultra-efficient Bryant Evolution 18 SEER HVAC system provides maximum indoor air comfort with a much lower demand on our energy grid. The insulation, sealing, HVAC system and other energy saving features (including LED recess lights, insulated hot water pipes, energy star appliances and a highly efficient hot water heating system) translate to over 70% savings on energy costs compared to a “code-built” home of similar size. Once fully complete, the Forester will undergo further efficiency testing and energy modeling to give an exact indication of efficiency and savings.
The importance of healthy air quality in homes has been increasingly recognized as experts have documented the dangers of indoor environmental hazards. To address these dangers, the Forester utilizes paints and adhesives void of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), MERV16 air filters (one of the most powerful air filters available), and an energy recovery ventilator, which constantly pumps conditioned fresh air throughout the house, while removing any dust and VOCs from the home.
High quality, sustainable finishes include Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, select oak flooring, a 100% recycled, 100% recyclable plush carpeting system, and HardiePlank siding
general contractor malibu