Little Green Giant
This Old House Magazine|October 2018

Traditional architectural details and a more open floor plan combine with the latest energysaving—and energy-producing—technologies at a new This Old House TV project.

Jefferson Kolle
Little Green Giant

One summer Sunday, as they reluctantly prepared to corral their two boys and hit the road at the end of another weekend at the Jamestown, Rhode Island, beach house they shared with their extended family, Don and Dana Powers confronted the question: “Why don’t we live how we really want to live?”

And with that they decided they would leave their house in Providence, where Don’s architectural office is located, and find a new home in the small island community across a toll bridge from Newport. Thus began a two-and-a-half-year hunt that ended with an accepted offer on a 1,000-square-foot cottage, built in the 1920s, in need of extensive renovation—now being documented for the 40th season of This Old House TV.

Don’s design goals for the house were multifaceted. First, he wanted to rework the floor plan and enlarge the house to accommodate their family of four. At the same time, he would keep the house recognizable as a Jamestown shingled cottage. “I didn’t want the house to be the sore thumb of the neighborhood, with a big bulky addition. And I wanted to add some architectural flair.”

Just as important was energy efficiency, something Don knows a lot about from his work designing sustainable-community projects. The couple decided to build a net-zero home—a building standard that dictates that a house use only as much energy as it can produce. In the Powers house, photovoltaic solar panels and a heat-recovery HVAC system will supply the needed energy, while layers of insulation, Energy Star appliances, triple-glazed argon-filled windows, and LED lighting will keep energy use low.

この記事は This Old House Magazine の October 2018 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は This Old House Magazine の October 2018 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

THIS OLD HOUSE MAGAZINEのその他の記事すべて表示
Mobile kitchen island
This Old House Magazine

Mobile kitchen island

TOH DIY expert Jenn Largesse shows how to build a rolling kitchen cart with a butcher-block top

time-read
3 分  |
Fall 2023
Bathtub tray
This Old House Magazine

Bathtub tray

TOH general contractor Tom Silva and TOH host Kevin O'Connor construct a slatted zebrawood caddy to hold grooming essentials, a book, and even a glass of wine, for those who like a long soak

time-read
3 分  |
Fall 2023
Navigating the rise in mortgage rates
This Old House Magazine

Navigating the rise in mortgage rates

Looking to buy—or refinance—and feeling frustrated by lenders’ sky-high interest rates? Here’s how to get the best deal

time-read
4 分  |
Fall 2023
Graceful grasses
This Old House Magazine

Graceful grasses

With dramatic foliage and distinctive plumes, ornamental grasses come in sizes to suit virtually any garden

time-read
7 分  |
Fall 2023
A better asphalt driveway
This Old House Magazine

A better asphalt driveway

It's long-lasting and recyclable, and it weathers extreme temperatures. You can repair small cracks and divots in asphalt, too. Here's what you need to know to get-and maintain-a great-looking asphalt driveway

time-read
10+ 分  |
Fall 2023
Modernizing a mid-century house
This Old House Magazine

Modernizing a mid-century house

A family turns to TOH to renovate a 1960 house that had been awkwardly expanded over time. Their goal: to create a contemporary, energy-efficient, open-plan home that is fully accessible for a son with mobility issues

time-read
4 分  |
Fall 2023
Making a house her own
This Old House Magazine

Making a house her own

Renovating in stages over nearly two decades, a homeowner transforms a once forlorn bungalow into a cozy, very personal space

time-read
6 分  |
Fall 2023
A little house that lives large
This Old House Magazine

A little house that lives large

A reimagined interior and second-story addition double the living area inside a narrow shotgun house, while respecting its historical roots

time-read
4 分  |
Fall 2023
Before & After: Bath Fit for a Queen Anne
This Old House Magazine

Before & After: Bath Fit for a Queen Anne

Classic meets modern in this primary-suite retreat

time-read
1 min  |
Fall 2023
Before & After: Kitchen Moving a wall makes it work
This Old House Magazine

Before & After: Kitchen Moving a wall makes it work

Grabbing a few feet from the adjacent dining room yields major layout improvements

time-read
2 分  |
Fall 2023