Building the Future

Quality, eco-friendly and health-conscious design and construction — that was the goal the team of A HOMErun LLC, Wolfgang Trost Architects, Ambassador Homes and di’s Design wanted to achieve with KCH&G’s Boulevard of Dreams Green Living Show Home.

Developer Joe Carter (yes, the former Toronto Blue Jays baseball player) and his wife, Diana, the interior designer, have always been committed to sustainability and are big proponents of giving back to the community. With some initial ideas in mind, the Carters bought a lot in midtown’s coveted Sunset Hill neighborhood, where an old, existing home stood, and immediately contacted architect Wolfgang Trost, AIA, who shares their passion for sustainability, to design an energy-efficient custom home. They also hired builder Keith Eymann to execute the plans, recreating the same team that built the Carters’ personal residence more than 15 years ago. “I thought what was fabulous was the collaboration of interior designer and architect, which makes the house special,” Diana says. “It’s a homerun scenario when you can have a great architect, talented interior designer and top builder collaborating on the design and build of a home from the start.” They broke ground in September 2009.

The Green Living Show Home team had three initial goals: build with attention to quality, use green products and reduce the home’s carbon footprint. Although the home is 6,000 square feet, it isn’t out of scale. As you enter the home on the main level, you’re greeted by an elegant brown-and-white marble tiled entryway flanked by the great room and kitchen, with the dining room straight ahead. Further back is the butler’s pantry/craft area, rear foyer, master suite, and loft and garage access. Downstairs offers a wine cellar, home theater, second kitchen with bar, two guest suites and additional laundry room.

To give it Old World charm, Diana created a sense of warmth and elegance by choosing the colors of nature — blue, green, yellow and gold, brown and gray — to make the home as welcoming as possible. “We should all be very comfortable in our home because when we are comfortable, we create memories,” she says. “Home is a place of escape, and I wanted to bring in colors that surround us every day, and once we have an owner, I can dress the house to fit the VIP like a glove. When I can give someone that lifestyle of comfort and beauty, it makes my heart feel good.” She also helped select everything from the doorknobs to the baseboards, including lighting, flooring, locks, cabinet glass and even the driveway material.

Aesthetics and decor can make or break a deal, but for this home, it’s what lies behind the walls and under the flooring that makes this home tick efficiently. To begin, the Carters called in Habitat ReStore to carefully deconstruct the existing home and recycle the pieces, while the foundation and concrete slabs were crushed and reused onsite as fill material. Once the new frame was in place, Ambassador’s team installed efficient double-hung low-E windows, extensive air infiltration controls, EPS foam insulation and radiant heat in the lower level. The team also opted for a ground-source heat pump, which Ambassador Homes has been installing since the ’80s, to conserve more energy, along with an  energy recovery ventilation system that brings fresh air inside.

To verify that the home was as airtight as possible, all joints were caulked and taped before the insulation was put in — including in the ceiling, eliminating air leaks and possible heat loss. “We were systematic in our use of enhanced but reasonable construction techniques to achieve our goals,” Trost says. “It’s a well-insulated house that’s energy-efficient with long-lasting, durable details.” The home’s exterior, with stucco, stone and brick veneer, is maintenance-free, while the surrounding low-maintenance landscape designed by Kissinger & Associates includes 42 different species of trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses and groundcovers — 30 of them native to our region, offering long-term ecological benefits that non-natives don’t.

Reduced water usage plumbing fixtures and Energy Star light fixtures were installed as well as a connection for a future solar hot water heater.

Diana chose no-VOC paint for the walls and cork flooring for the lower-level laundry room. Quality Wood Products custom-made all the cabinetry, while Kerr Millwork created the two-panel interior doors made from Beech, an environmentally sustainable wood that was PEFC-certified from managed forests. The exterior doors are made from Spanish cedar chosen for its durability. And, a large amount of the work on the Green Living Show Home came from local sources and subcontractors who were responsible for making it look good, run well and feel like home.

“At the end of the day, the house has to fit in with the neighborhood and site, and I think that it does,” Eymann says. “Overall, including the interiors, I think it turned out really well, and it’s not a normal home you see on the market.”

Though the home hasn’t finalized its LEED certification yet, Mary English, energy consultant and owner of Small Step Energy Solutions, went through the building process with the team to make sure they were following all necessary guidelines. No matter what happens, the team can rest assured it’s a quality-built green home, inside and out. “At every price point, if I can simply influence one additional home project and one more person to make wiser decisions on saving money using smart or energy-efficient design, which ultimately reduces their carbon footprint, I know I’ve done my job,” Trost says.

But the real winner (besides the future homeowner) is the Love Fund for Children. The Green Living Show Home Tour took place the second and third weekends of October, with all ticket sales benefitting the Love Fund, bringing full circle the Carters’ ultimate goals of building green and giving back to the community.

“The impact this event had toward our children we serve will enable us to handle more children’s needs,” says Joyce Eacock, director of special events for the Love Fund. “On an average month, we receive well over 100-plus documented cases involving approximately 300 children…The  economy, government cuts and layoffs within our local area have caused a huge increase in the number of requests for assistance.
       
“Through KCH&G’s Boulevard of Dreams Green Living Show Home Tour, we will be able to approve many of our cases. It is imperative that we continue to build new relationships with companies within the community and meet individuals and owners of companies to tell them our story and how they can make a difference. Each Boulevard of Dreams Homes Tour allows that to happen. We feel truly blessed to be part of these events.”
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Resources:
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