New Homes

Raising the Bar for the Quality of Home Construction

Our country could be building better quality homes, but we aren’t.Why not?  The number of new homes built has risen steadily in the past 5 years, and continues to do so.

Unfortunately, most of these homes will be built to meet the current building code, and not much better.  Perhaps the worst news is that many of the people buying these homes don’t know that they COULD have a house that cost less to heat and cool, is more comfortable, is more durable, and provides a healthier environment for their families, at less total cost than a similar code minimum house.   We know how to design and build houses like these, and in fact we have for quite a while now.  So why don’t we?  According to Kevin Ireton of Fine Homebuilding Magazine, there are three core reasons. Continue Reading this Article…

Honour Tradition in a Tour of This Colonial-Style Home

One of the most popular residential building styles in the United States, a Colonial style home is a favourite among American families. With the characteristic rectangular

shape, two-story structure, wood facade, and shuttered windows, the brand-new home that you’ll tour in this ideabook is an excellent example of familiar style. Designed by Hallie Bowie, the architect and founder of New Leaf Home Design, this practical, pleasing, and highly functional family home is located in Shaker Heights, a suburb very close to Cleveland, Ohio. Read More of This Article…

Zero Energy Ready

If you have been following the buzz on sustainable homes, you may have heard the term “Net Zero Homezeroenergyready”.  The idea of Net Zero is to create a home that generates as much energy as it uses.  Since energy usage affects both the operating costs and the environmental impact of a house long after construction is done, it’s arguably the most important consideration in building a more sustainable home.  So how do you know if you’ve met Net Zero?   And what can you do if solar panels are part of the long term plan for the house but you won’t be installing them right away? Get ready by Reading the whole article here…

Sustainable Homes Network

The Sustainable Homes Network of Northeast Ohio continues to grow.  We are up to 173 members in our Meetup.com group!  We had a great “Powered by Pecha Kucha” night in February, with presentations by Certified Passive House Consultant Michael Peters, Jennifer Tomasek of Cornerstone Construction speaking about the LEED registered home they are building, Michael Whelan of Superior Walls talking about energy efficiency for foundation systems, Nate Adams of Energy Smart Home Performance speaking about energy efficiency improvements for existing homes, and myself discussing the difference between sustainable substance and green “fashion”.  Read more of the article here.