You don't have to break the bank to commission your own LEED Platinum home - Gabriel Browne Of Praxis Design worked with clients Scott Rothstein and Marcia Meckler to design this LEED residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico on a budget. Nicknamed the "Shoebox House" by the owners, it achieved LEED platinum certification without sacrificing an ounce of style.
The clients and architect designed the eco-friendly home using the Sketch UP program from opposite sides of the globe – Browne and Praxis are situated in Santa Fe and Rothstein and Meckler are in Bangkok. Together, they managed to create an innovative cantilevered home that costs an impressive $188 per square foot. The home scored 88 points according to the USGBC’s rating system – that’s 8 points over the requirement to achieve LEED Platinum status. In addition, it also achieves Energy Star status and airPlus certification, which is an EPA sanctioned program that encourages indoor air quality by monitoring moisture, pest control, and superior ventilation and heating.
The modern home consists of a series of cantilevered volumes. It’s open and airy, with plenty of space to display the couple’s vast art collection. Large windows provide plenty of sunlight, fresh air, and sweeping views of the nearby mountains. An interior courtyard adds serenity to the living space, and features giant metal cisterns, which function as sculptural objects, but also collect and store rainwater. Radiant heat tubing was inlayed in the walls to passively heat the home.
The resulting home is a dream, and although Mr. Rothstein was far way during its construction, it looks exactly as he had planned. The Rothstein-Meckler house is one of just 400 custom homes that have achieved LEED Platinum status worldwide.
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