Greenspiration

A green showcase home in Greensboro

Husband and wife, Mark Raines and Trish Holder were inspired back in 2007 to build a showcase green home. They had a vision of a traditional home that was truly green without looking one bit out of place in a suburban neighborhood. They also believed it could be done within a normal middle-class budget. So that’s exactly what they set out to do; and today the house is well on its way. Trish and Mark and their children should be moved in to the home in the Pleasant Oaks subdivision of Greensboro before Christmas.

What makes this house a bit extra special is that they chose to make a showcase of the home so others right here in Greensboro, and elsewhere, could see the potential for affordable green suburban homes.

They setup a website at www.Greenspirationhome.com where visitors have the opportunity to share the owners’ journey as they make critical decisions regarding design, hvac systems, building materials, and more. The site also offers product information and demonstrations, on-site training for builders and contractors and notification of open houses.

Greenspiration is completely owner driven. Mark and Trish have not involved any universities, associations, governmental institutions - just themselves. And neither their builder, Don and Megan Cohan, nor the owners had any previous background in green homebuilding. They just brought their open mindedness and willingness to learn.

So what makes this house green? The list is long and thorough. To begin with they’ve taken care to frame the house right, seal it properly and insulate it well. They also decided that they would avoid fossil fuels to heat and cool the house so opted for a geothermal system. That’s more expensive up front, but saves money every month going forward.  Trish, who’s a writer for the HVAC industry, described it as the “largest green investment” she and her husband will make on their home. “I knew from my own experience within the industry that this is a crème de la crème of heating and cooling systems. It’s a major upgrade, but one that I think we will congratulate ourselves on in the long run.”

The home also has a sealed crawl space which provides protection from moisture that can lead to mold and odors. Numerous studies have demonstrated that sealed crawl spaces save 15-18% in heating and cooling costs.

The Greenspiration Home has been built mostly using North Carolina grown hard and softwoods, including Southern Yellow Pine for much of the framing. This wood is not only stronger than more commonly used Canadian grown framing wood, it is locally plentiful and costs less.

“Locally grown wood is, in fact, the most environmentally friendly building material - the original, renewable resource. It is one of a few renewable resources available to the homebuilder,” said David Richbourg, plant manager of HW Culp Lumber.

The home is also outfitted with many green and sustainable materials within. These include kitchen counters made from recycled glass, energy efficient lighting, tubular skylights, no VOC paints, composite garage doors and a super-efficient washer and dryer.

The Greenspiration Home is due for completion in fall 2008 and will be host to numerous demonstrations and open houses during and after construction, including a series of “Nature Nurture Days” which will benefit local charities.

Keep up with their news and blog on www.greenspirationhome.com