Our Dream Green House

We never imagined moving out of our historic small downtown. I'd put 20 years of work into our 1838 house. I just wanted a bigger, nicer kitchen. So we drew up a plan, took bids and learned that it would be shockingly expensive.

Still, it was time to build the green home I had dreamed of since I was a child. And I really, really, wanted chickens.

Finding the right land to buy took us two years, but our patience paid off. We wanted lots of woods for privacy located not too far from work and closer to my daughter's school. When the ad appeared in our local paper on a Saturday morning that met all our requirements, we had a deal by Tuesday. But before closing, we had a Phase I environmental assessment done. They tested the soil, the water, mapped the land and looked for any potential surrounding hazards. Our land was clean and pristine—40 acres of woods, trails and salamanders—except for 45 old tires, one refrigerator and one stove.

We interviewed four different architects: one famous eco-architect and three local ones known for their respective environmental, historic and big dramatic designs. We learned that there are two types of architects: the kind that build their own houses and the kind that build your house. If it's going to be your dream house, it's best to find someone who is willing to work with you and your ideas.

We chose to go with our local eco-architect, with whom we had worked on an addition to our old home. He was able to listen to our desires for a Japanese-inspired, English manor house built from local materials, oriented best for passive solar heat and including the latest eco-energy-efficient technology . . . without laughing. He also didn't make us feel guilty for wanting to do the right thing and have lots of luxury (like that dual-oven, six-burner-with-grill Wolf stove). We agreed right up front to work as a team.

Finally, we were on our way to designing and building our dream green home. Little did we know how crazy, scary and thrilling it would prove.

Resource List

To learn more about environmental assessment, see the American Society for Testing and Materials (www.astm.org). Walk the property looking for dead vegetation and holes, test water for contaminants and talk to neighbors about any dumping before paying for a Phase I search.

Find local architects and contractors certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) at www.usgbc.org in their accredited professional directory and at www.greenbuilder.com.

Recommended Reads

The New Ecological Home, Daniel D. Chiras (Chelsea Green, 2004, $35)

Green By Design, Angela M. Dean (Gibbs Smith, 2003, $24.95)

Good Green Homes, Jennifer Roberts (Gibbs Smith, 2003, $39.95)