All the property news that’s fit to print
By Stacey Grazier Pfarr
1310 Calder Road, McLean’s first “carbon neutral” house.
DREAMING OF A WHITE (and GREEN) CHRISTMAS “Environmentally friendly housing” once conjured images of dwellings with oodles of solar panels, no electricity, and maybe even an outdoor privy. Times have changed. Drastically. Local developers are still building green homes that save energy, but don’t skimp on aesthetics. Think tree-huggers in Chanel! Here are a few homes that may be green, but definitely aren’t gauche.
NOBLE NET ZERO: Marcie Meditch and John Murphey of Meditch Murphey Architects designed, developed and sold 6201 WEST HALBER ROAD in the Bannock Burn neighborhood of Bethesda for $1,795,000 with the help of Michael Kiefer and Fritz Hubig of Green DC Realty. The house is classified as a “net zero” home because on an annual average basis it produces as much energy as it consumes (read: zero-dollar energy bills). Nash Construction included all the typical luxury amenities you might expect as well as such “green” features as geothermal heating system with energy recover, solar electric and hot water systems, rain barrels, low-flow toilets (yes, there are high end plumbing fixtures that meet this criteria), and a green roof. Interior finishes include many recycled, reclaimed, and sustainably-harvested local materials. The buyer, Ann Luskey, an interior designer and noted environmentalist, serves as a trustee of the City Kids to Wilderness Project and the Whaleman Foundation. The house will be submitted for LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of “green” from the U.S. Green Building Council.
INCREDIBLY GREEN: Bethesda Bungalows, a custom builder specializing in energy efficient Arts & Crafts and Prairie-style houses, recently completed 5133 FAIRGLEN LANE in Chevy Chase. The five bedroom, five and a half bath property known as “The Incredibly Green Home” is listed for $1,895,000 and showcases the latest green technologies and building methods. It combines the aesthetics of both Frank Lloyd Wright and Asian design to achieve a Zen-like effect. The Christian Gladu-designed house boasts a unique mix of luxury amenities, and also features like Enviroshake recycled composite roof shingles, Forest Stewardship Council certified Brazilian cherry floors, Teragren bamboo builtins, and Icestone recycled glass counter tops.
ECO-GORGOUS: 1310 CALDER ROAD, the first carbon neutral dwelling in downtown McLean and one of the most environmentally friendly structures in the country, was recently delivered by GreenSpur Inc. and West*Group. Currently listed at $2,395,000, it was built as the first carbonneutral designer show house on the East Coast, and is a fundraising project headed up by CharityWorks. Barry Dixon did the interior design on the 4,200-square foot Craftsman-style house, which features such luxurious green amenities as a salt water lap pool, a passive copper wine cellar, three ethanol fires places, and a LED high definition golf simulator theater.
