Recent Press & Announcements

November 14, 2011

Green dream Builder sets new standard for super-efficient home

By Jim Cavan, www.fosters.com

NORTH HAMPTON — When builder Peter Robie decided to build a new, energy efficient house on his family's rolling North Hampton property, he didn't have to stray far for inspiration. Together with Ethan Korpi, Robie runs EcoSound Builders, a company specializing in high performance homes as well as green-conscious design and materials.

After initially focusing on the Lakes and White Mountain regions of New Hampshire, in 2008 Eco Sound launched their southern branch, which primarily services clients in and around the New Hampshire-Maine Seacoast.

Driving out to tour the build site, I was fairly certain that Robie's new abode would serve as a kind of reflective template for EcoSound's long-honed approach. What I couldn't have know was how thoroughly out of the water those expectations would be shot. I pulled up to the house around 2:30 on a cloudy Friday afternoon, driving past the homes of Robie's sister and mother before taking a right -- some 200 yards in front of the house belonging to his brother -- into the gravel driveway.

From a distance, the home and nearby barn looked mostly complete, with the latter's exposed Tyvek building wrap being the lone exception. The project began close to a year ago with the construction of the barn-garage to the left of the central build site. Here, Robie and Korpi were able to store the materials and equipment necessary for the roughly 2,900 square foot home. The first thing you notice is the attractive, classic red cedar shingle siding, which gives the home an immediate New England feel. Below, insulated concrete foam (ICF) helps provide an energy-efficient base for the rest of the home. Meanwhile, custom-colored aluminum-clad windows provide both durability and -- by virtue of never needing another coat of paint -- waste reduction.

Inside, beautifully classic post-and-beam details accentuate the home's more modern layout, essentially two overlaid rectangles, providing a unique sense of openness, while a century-old sliding barn door, antique clock, and blackboard-clad pantry door add a touch of recycled playfulness.

As with almost all of EcoSound's contracted projects, Robie chose Minutemen Painters, fellow Green Alliance members, to paint both the interior and exterior of the home. And that's not all: Three more Green Alliance Business Partners (ReVision Energy, SEA Solar Store, and Greenovations) were commissioned to install a super efficient boiler and heat recovery ventilator (HRV), and Rais woodstove, respectively all three of which are showcased in the home's unfinished, walk-out basement.

Read the Full Fosters.com Article Here

 

« Return to Recent Press & Announcements Listing