Project Name:
AMDG Cottage

Design Team:
Architects: AMDG Architects Inc.
Builder: Scott Christopher Homes
Structural: SDI
Home Inspector: General
Electric: Streekstra Electric
Plumbing: Lameyer Plumbing
HVAC: Geiger Heating
Service Provider: Alliance for Environmental Sustainability

Information:

The goal was for the cottage to be built attractively with features and organization appropriate to similar cottages in the area while being both sustainable and at a market competitive price. With this project, the owners hope to encourage "green" building techniques and to display the ease, beauty and affordability of sustainable projects.

• Careful site planning minimized disturbance of the natural lakeshore environment, including consideration of critical dunes, floodplains, wetlands, and species habitats. Tree clearing was kept to a minimum, and the lumber as mulched for use on the property.
• Compact design with ample outdoor living space in a wrap around porch and sleeping porches, all focused on the wooded setting and bringing the outdoors in. Screened sleeping porches and efficient sleeping rooms still allowed for gracious living areas.
• Passive cooling was carefully considered so that with windows open in various screened porches and a slight boost from extremely energy efficient fans, the whole house is passively cooled.
• Little (and some not-so-little) things that count:
• pre-fabricated foundation for a tight envelope and minimal site disturbance
• careful framing and sealing details for an extremely tight envelope
• owner designed and installed indigenous landscaping with no irrigation requirements
• dual-flush toilets
• non-HCFC refrigerants
• low VOC paint
• recycled materials including carpet and deck/patio
• owner installed countertop made of stone remnants
• FSC-certified wood
• Energy Star appliances and exhaust fans