Green Home Features Separate These New Houses From The Crowd In Arlington VA

A Modern Oasis in the Heart Of Arlington Virginia

You may have driven by the latest creations of Advantage Properties and admired the exterior finishes without giving thought to the oasis that has been created inside.  These magnificently constructed green-built homes have all of the modern conveniences that a luxury home-buyer would expect with the added bonus of having a tiny carbon footprint- comparably speaking.

Both homes are built to exceed the standards for EarthCraft House and Arlington Green Home Choice.  EarthCraft is a regional program that serves as a blueprint for healthy comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment.  According to EarthCraft, their program follows a systems approach to home building that stresses an understanding of how the different components of a home work together. This approach results in a home that performs better, is more economical for the homeowner and costs little more to build than a comparable home built with standard construction practices.  Arlington Green Home Choice is a similar program created specifically for homes within Arlington County.

Builder, Barry Seymour and his team of professionals built 4211 and 4215 North 15th Street in a darling corner of Waverly Hills with the grand idea of highly sustainable and beautifully luxurious single family homes for any DC Metro family who wanted the location, amenities and quality construction that only his team could provide.  A quick walk to the Ballston Metro, wonderful family-owned shops and boutiques; this home is in a great walkable neighborhood with an eclectic blend of culture and confidence that makes a well established area.

You could stand at the front window of these homes looking out to the hustle and bustle of 66 below, but not hear a sound. It is a beautiful thing. The reason is that these homes are fully wrapped and insulated with R-3 ½ structural insulated sheathing for increased insulation making the homes breathable, yet oh-so-quite. This insulation prevents thermal bridging and heat loss which in turn increases comfort and prevents drafts and air leakage into the home.  The walls, ceilings and attic have also been densely packed with blown-in cellulose insulation. This creates a tighter building envelope for the home and increased efficiency and comfort while aiding in the decrease of noise pollution. Remember that the reduction of noise and light pollution are elements of green design. The other beautiful thing about the insulation is that these homes are not going to leak that precious cool air in the summer, or the glowing warmth of the heater in the winter. These homes are sealed and ready to save some lucky home owners some major bucks when running the HVAC system.

Let’s talk technology. Each of these homes is a tight ship. It almost feels like you have walked into a command center, lights are blinking indicating smooth sailing… the water heater, all of the low-voltage stereo and home automation systems as well as the HVAC and air purification systems are housed in the walk-out basement's control room of the home, which is where all of these items are stored and maintained. The healthy lifestyle brought to you by these homes would not be complete without the amazing air purification system that truly allows for the homeowner to breath easy. The homes are equipped with a airplus certified vent system that is timer controlled in the garage to deter any noxious gases from entering the homes through the garage. The ERV energy recovery ventilations system pumps stale air out of the homes and pulls in fresh air for a consistently fresh and clean air supply; this system is set to cycle about eight times a day. The home’s RenewAire EV300 HVI certified system is a high quality system that houses a four inch pleated media filter to catch all pollen, dander and floating particles that any other filter would pass right back through for everyone to breathe in. I was told not to look into the light… the ultra violet filter attached to the Guardian air purification system reduces odors, air pollutants and  kills bacteria, viruses and mold in the air before cycling it back into the home. This gives healthy living a whole new meaning! The 15+ SEER top of the line Carrier system has been duct tested to ensure that the HVAC is the correct amount of conditioning for the thermal envelope, or the conditioned space. This means that the air conditioner is not “too much for the house” and that the homeowner will be running the machine at top efficiency and with little to no leakage within the actual home. The result is a heating and cooling system that is over 50% more efficient then you would find in comparable homes. Of course, both homes are outfitted with top of the line programmable thermostats.

In the mid morning light, every room is bathed in a sunglow. None of the lights are on in the house, but you have a perfect light in all of the rooms with windows. What is the meaning of this? The home has been positioned on the lot for the maximum use of sunlight, but allowing for the proper shading during the glaring mid-day sun. This is a design technique that is used in green building to ensure that homeowners can take full advantage of the daylight and save on energy. As the glow passes through the low-e windows, you can see the modern twist on Arts and Crafts styling through the larger scale trim details at the base, door surrounds, thresholds and moldings. Even the light fixtures in their brushed nickel glory shine through in true Arts and Crafts style. The fixtures exude the craftsman design touches with period architectural detailing such as the coffered ceilings, wainscoting and thickly stylized base moldings. The homes are painted in light and bright neutral tones and typically, the lighter the color, you guessed it, the lower the volatile organic compounds or VOCs we hear about so much. This means that there is less toxic fume associated with the products used to finish the homes.

The interior finishes scream of the luxury one would expect homes of this caliber, it almost makes you forget that you’re walking through a home that is 38% more efficient than the same home built to current Building Code in Virginia. The oak hardwoods wrap the entire main and second floors as well as a beautifully crafted stairway that leads to the basement, as well. Part of having a home that is designed for healthy living is allowing for the home to have at least 80% of the flooring to be hard surfaced.  Both 15th Street homes achieve this with the oak hardwoods as well as the travertine in all of the bathrooms. The master suite's spa bathroom draw your attention with modern and clean neutral color palette of travertine in a herringbone pattern on the floor which leads to an oversized infiniti bathtub, or a glass enclosed full shower experience with multiple rainheads and shower tiles. The glass enclosure to the shower is about six inches shy of being a steam shower, but it is truly awe inspiring. Leaving the master suite, to view the four other bedrooms and three and a half other baths, this home is healthy living with modern comfort kept in mind. No luxury home would be complete without a gourmet kitchen. The builders had a chef in mind with the beautiful Wolf appliance package and Sub Zero refrigerators. The kitchens gleam with granite. The hard surface is both beautiful and functional. Like the rest of the home’s cabinetry, the kitchens have Arts and Crafts style cabinets made by a vendor who is environmentally friendly.

When you aren’t enjoying the great living space inside, you can set out into the large backyard which is complete with two outdoor living spaces. From the main level, a deck entirely constructed of the environmentally friendly Trex and Aztek trim boards, maintenance free and incredibly durable product which will not rot like wood, allows for a tree top view of the yard and space to relax and enjoy the outdoors from just a step away from the kitchen and main entertaining area. Access to the covered outdoor living area is available from two sets of French paned doors in the walk out basement; not only does this add livable square footage to the home, but also a sense of bringing the outdoors in with these two additional living areas which allow the homeowner to enjoy their investment in the city.

The Arts and Crafts nature of the homes are completed outside with HardiePlank siding which is super durable and easy to maintain. The roof is a combination of metal and fiberglass which are again, incredibly durable and are rated at a fifty year life, in lieu of the typical thirty year that one would see with a composite roof system. Gutters lead the water run-off away from the home, but if the homeowner wants to step it up a notch and harvest the water for irrigation or even possible storage and purification, a cistern could easily be added to the over-sized lot. The landscaping is in a more traditional style, but is still holding true to the sustainability factor with native Virginia plants peppered along the front deck and curb. The paver drive adds character and also allows for proper water drainage. The pavers were utilized on the back downstairs patio, too. Custom carriage garage doors complete the Arts and Crafts look of the homes from the outside; when you roll into your garage, you can shut the door remember that the health of air inside of the home is protected by layers of purification systems and a smarter home.

Sometimes it feels like a solid home that is energy efficient, comfortable and packed full of the modernity that everyone strives for these days is out of reach, but it isn’t.  You can find it on the edge of Ballston along North 15th Street.