recorded and measured, with levels between 

 rainfalls marked on storage tanks with blue 

 tape. They plan to share their monitoring data 

 with others to help improve future designs. 



GREEN AND CLEAN 



In addition, White and Saver have 

 installed a back-up HVAC heating/cooling 

 system to augment the radiant heating in winter 

 and the natural air circulation facilitated by the 



house design. 



"We have 

 had a lot of sun for 

 solar collectors so 

 far, but this is our 

 first winter in our 

 home, and we just 

 don't know," says 

 White. 



They chose 

 wall-mounted 

 heat pump/air 

 conditioner units 

 for various regions 

 of the home. The 

 units are economical to install and 

 operate on an as-needed basis. They 

 virtually are noiseless and require no 

 duct work that might harbor molds 

 and mildew. 



"Clean" is as important as 

 "green" for the allergy-prone couple, 

 White says. They used low-emission 

 paints and stains for interior and 

 exterior walls. The insulation for 

 the upper level is reused denim and 

 cotton batting. The masonry block 

 exterior walls of the first and second 

 stories are filled with nontoxic 

 Perlite for insulation. The foundation 

 waterproofing also is a nontoxic, 

 nonleeching material. 



The roof is both clean and 

 green. The shingles are made from 

 recycled rubber and plastic, and 

 impart hardly any residue in collected 

 rainwater. 



White also is proud that they 

 have been able to incorporate North 

 Carolina culture in their quest for 

 reusable material. Many interior 

 doors have been milled from lumber 

 salvaged from tobacco barns; ceiling light 

 fixtures once were DC-powered nautical 

 lamps; and bathroom vanities are converted 

 antique sideboards. 



In addition, the wood floors are 

 from suppliers who practice sustainable 

 forestry, and the subflooring is a product of 

 an environmentally sound manufacturing 

 process. Their unpaved driveway is meant 

 to help recharge the water table, and the 



landscape plantings are drought-resistant native 

 species and well-adapted cultivars that require 

 minimum watering. 



WRITING THE BOOK 



"It has been a challenge," Saver admits. 

 "There are no manuals or books to go to. No 

 blueprints to follow." 



Saver is no novice when it comes to 

 building "green," though his work has centered 

 on commercial projects. He attended numerous 

 solar energy workshops sponsored by 

 Southface Institute in Adanta and HealthyBuilt 

 Homes workshops conducted by the North 

 Carolina Solar Center. He also completed 

 Leadership in Energy and Environmental 

 Design (LEED) courses offered by U.S Green 

 Building Council. LEED, which set national 

 standards for high-performance, sustainable 

 commercial building, also is developing 

 residential building standards. 



So, White and Saver literally compiled 

 a book for residential application of clean and 

 green design and implementation. Their binder 

 is bulging with pages of calculations, product 

 research notes and downloads from the Internet. 



The key to success, they say, is to establish 

 a team early in the project. They worked with 

 Sam Olin, a friend and faculty member at the 

 Savannah College of Art and Design, to design 

 their open, Arizona-style home that suits their 

 lifestyle. Ideas for the healthy and sustainable 

 approach came from Gail Lindsay, a North 

 Carolina consultant who is a major player in the 

 U.S. Green Building Council. 



"Dennis is the mechanical guy, and I am 

 the design person," White notes. 



"No one person can do it all," Saver adds. 



"The end result is a home that is clean and 

 green — and inviting — without being crunchy 

 granola," White says. 



The cost of building a sustainable home 

 is slightly higher than traditional methods and 

 material. The cost for their home — 2,550 

 square feet of finished space with a 1 ,240- 

 square-foot basement and below-ground 

 garage — was $350,000. However, they 

 expect a return on their investment in reduced 

 energy and utility bills, and a healthy indoor 

 environment. 



"The house will take care of us," says 

 White, ei 



COASTWATCH 13 



