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A newly built residence located at 258 N. 21st Street, in the NoBo development area of the King Lincoln District, was just awarded its LEED Platinum certification by the USGBC. That makes it the first LEED Platinum residential home in the state of Ohio.
Several weeks ago I was invited to tour the home by Roger Beck, a local Technology Education teacher at Worthington Kilbourne High School who helped to build the home along with students of the college preparatory Home B.A.S.E. (Building Academic Skills and Experiences) class.
It was on Sunday, March 1st when I walked over to take a look at this new home. I remember the morning well as it a mere 20 degrees outside, yet quite sunny. It made for a chilly 10 minute walk, but the stroll down a forgotten section of brick-laid East Spring Street through the middle of the King Lincoln District was otherwise rather pleasant.
At first glance, 258 N. 21st looks quite similar to the other new new NoBo homes recently built along this beautiful street. In fact, two doors down there’s a home built with the same base floorplan. The difference is entirely in the details.
We started the tour in the basement of the home where the most noticeable differences were in the high-tech systems located under the house. Roger excitedly gave me the rundown on how the Xantrex Grid Tie Solar Inverter was quietly working on a day like today to keep the indoor temperature effortlessly maintained. The system was also sending unused electricity back into the grid and keeping the electric bills running in the black. Any ounce of skepticism I had on using solar power in Columbus evaporated at the sight of watching a power meter running backwards.
We moved over to take a look at the hot water system, which Roger shared a laugh about. After they installed the solar thermal pre-heat tank, it was a bit of trouble to have it pass city inspection. He said that the inspector came out, took one look at it, and admitted that he had never seen anything like it before. It required a bit of extra legwork, but everything was eventually approved as being up to code. This system provides 70% of the home’s hot water needs via solar power while a smaller traditional hot water heater serves as a backup.
The 97% efficient furnace was installed by Northtowne Heating and Cooling. Roger mentioned that the ductwork had all been sealed as tightly as possible and that a fresh air intake was installed so that the furnace could regulate the internal air quality if not enough of it was being recycled with outdoor air.
Being a bit of an electronics geek, the one thing that really caught my eye in the basement was a wall panel made of of various switches, routers, boxes, and computer cabling. Roger described the smart electronics system that was wired throughout the house. Every light switch, every outlet, and every ceiling fan is tied into this central system and is programmable and accessible via a secure computer connection or PDA device. The future homeowner could potentially set every light in the house to a timer, as well as monitor the perimeter of the home with a network of security cameras.
As we headed upstairs, Roger noted the extra care that went into completely sealing off and insulating the basement. They used a special technique of adding a layer of foam beneath the basement slab to keep all moisture at bay.
We headed back up to the ground floor of the house which consists of an open floor plan where the kitchen, dining, and living room all share a large open common area. There’s also a half bath and several storage closets on this floor.
Roger described some of the detailed work that went into making sure that the materials being used on the finishes of the home were all sustainable and environmentally friendly. They utilized local materials, such as the maple hardwood floors were donated to the project from Sheoga, an Ohio company. They chose materials that were durable and would not require replacement or maintenance as frequently, such as some of the LED light bulb fixtures in the kitchen that have a 10 year lifespan and use a fraction of the electricity of a traditional bulb. The kitchen cabinets were made from formaldehyde-free wood that was Forest Stewardship Council certified. All of the walls have all been painted with specially purchased no or low VOC paints.
Most of these details were not things that were too apparent on the surface, but they all added up create an environment that would more beneficial for a homeowner in the long term.
As we climbed the stairs to the second floor, Roger noted that the carpets were also specially selected for their non-VOC qualities and the company that manufactures them (Shaw) also has a reclamation and recycling program that will take used carpets to reconvert back into materials for creating new carpets.
The upstairs is divided into three bedrooms and two full baths. The bedrooms had similar finishes with their carpets and paints. The bathroom floors have been finished with recycled-content ceramic tiles, and the toilets are all 1.1 gallon low-flush models that use a special air pump in addition to the water flow.
Next, we went outside to check out the backyard. This home has a detached garage and a fenced in yard. The first thing out back that is sure to catch anyone’s eye is the presence of a rain garden. It was designed specifically for the Ohio rain season and is fed by the downspouts from both the house and garage to keep water management on site. Keeping extra water out of the city’s storm drains helps to reduce erosion, pollution, and flooding. The rain garden is stocked with native Ohio wetland plants that are drought resistant. The yard has been seeded with a low-mow grass mix that requires two cuttings per year and no watering. The backyard also contains a stone patio area for outdoor entertainment, and a built in clothes line along one side of the garage for the option of line drying laundry.
(Note: My photo of the rain garden in March turned out a bit barren looking, but a nicer photo from last summer can be found by clicking here.)
As we headed back through the house and out to the front sidewalk, Roger continued to pepper me with plenty of additional bits of technical detail, cost saving estimates, and stories about the various companies, students, and organizations that made this home possible. I feel as if my writeup has only scratched the surface, but if you’d like to know more – an extremely detailed blog has been kept throughout the lifespan of the project and can be found here: homebase07.blogspot.com.
Additionally, a community open house is scheduled for Thursday, May 21st. More information can be found online at CHPColumbus.org and NorthOfBroad.com.
I would also like to know more details about the lowmow grass. Thanks!
According to http://www.prarienursery.com who also sources no or low mow mix “”No Mow” turf mix contains only fescue seeds, with no Annual Rye Nurse Crop. This specially designed blend of six low-growing Fine Fescue turf grasses will: Grow to form a dense turf, Thrive in full sun or partial shade, Require little if any watering or fertilizing, Biologically reduce weed growth, once established, Require limited mowing, usually only once or twice a year, Reduce your lawn maintenance dramatically.”
We started this from seed and didn’t have any problem getting the seed to take hold. However, we did seed at the end of last June just when the rain stopped. We did have to re-seed and water, but the mix took hold and did really well. One thing I did notice was that over the winter, the turf looked greener than the other houses around it.
Things one might want to keep in mind about turf and housing are:
1. Try to have as little turf as possible. Landscape with native drought resistant plants.
2. Landscape using ornamental, edible plants instead of turf.
3. Landscape with fruit trees and vegetables instead of turf.
In response to this e-mail, I tried to find a local source but couldn’t. If someone does have local source, put it out there.
Doing very little or no watering was an integral part of using less water for our home as a whole.
Of importance, is that we had a team in place that formed a cohesive and integrated sustainable building strategy in the pre-construction design stage of the project for all aspects of the home. The low mow mix was front loaded at the very beginning stages of the project.
Well done Mr. Beck. You were one of my favorite teachers at Kilbourne and I always enjoyed going to your classes. I signed up for Home BASE, but unfortunately it was cancelled due to lack of interest my senior year (’98).
It’s great for Columbus to build the first LEED certified home in the Midwest, but why did they build it in that location? Not only is the PROJECTS directly behind the house, but everything in the area is basically boarded up and abandoned. Even on that street half the houses are vacant, and vandalized. I’m glad the city put the money in a location that will be wasted, and will mostly likely be destroyed over the years. Plus… how can they show the house to people learning, interested, vendors, ect… when they have to have a police escort to view it? Just my 2 cents.
I live a few blocks away from here, and while there are still quite a few abandoned homes in the neighborhood, it’s a far cry from “everything in the area is basically boarded up and abandoned”. This area is turning around. There’s a mix of public and private investment going on in this neighborhood, and it’s going to look great in another decade.
Its anecdotal, but bears repeating: at the very beginning of this article I mentioned that I walked over to check out this house, alone on a Sunday afternoon, and the stroll was quite pleasant. I’d encourage anyone to go check out the NoBo homes during an open house and see what they think of the area themselves rather than take anyone’s scare tactics to heart.
This neighborhood may not be for everyone, but the unnecessary “police escort” jokes are detrimental to everyone else who is working hard to turn this area around.
Walker… my main point in regards to the house was that a better location like Grandview would be better suited for the first LEED home. Just because a few houses have been renovated, doesn’t mean that the area will be flourishing in a decade. Check out the Columbus Police Departments crime areas and it is on the top of the list for issues. What is upsetting is the city dumping money into projects that will never come to life, and wasting more of our money. Goodwill & hard work is essential to making an area come to life, but also is common sense and picking where to spend funds appropriately.
If Grandview was a more appropriate place for a LEED home, wouldn’t someone in Grandview have built a LEED home?
Motorist…. the free market didn’t decide where to build the LEED home, it was the City of Columbus. If it was based solely on capitalism that area would never even be on the list. If it was your personal investment and hard earned money, would you rather invest in a crime infest area, or one that would have a good chance of selling?
If you’re opposed to public and private investment in depressed parts of Columbus, do you have any other solutions on how they’re expected to turn around?
I’ll let Motorist speak for himself… but as for me… yeah… I am investing my money and time into a neighborhood that isn’t currently in prime condition. Because that’s exactly what it’s going to take to turn a neighborhood around. Playing it safe in an established neighborhood is fine for those who want to do that. But it doesn’t mean that you’ve got to be so insulting toward those who choose to do otherwise.
columbus1980, I’ve spent the past 4+ years investing my hard earned money in the crime infested gangsters paradise of Olde Towne East. Before that, I rented in King-Lincoln. While I haven’t listed my place for sale yet, I feel pretty good about being able to sell it. Not everyone is afraid of the big bad wolf.
Investment is all about risk. KLD and NOBO are great areas with great people. Head over to Urban Spirit or some of the other establishments that are leading the charge.
BTW, we took the CM ride through KLD along Long St. We didn’t need police escorts and did just fine.
Who wants to go on a photo tour?
http://columbus-ite.com/columbus-neighborhood-guide/near-east/king-lincoln-bronzeville/
Great…. since your all about taking risks in a venture like KLD, how about you all invest with Bernie Maddoff fund. That might have more potential than this area. The bottom line is that you can build mansions, coffee shops, flower shops, but when the police helicopter keeps you up at night enjoy!
Plus… I’ll be sending a link soon with a TRUE PHOTO tour!!
You should spend more time promoting the things you enjoy instead of spending all of your time crapping on the things that other people enjoy.
Amen
I’ve been following this with interest because I live 10 houses down from this LEED home and am thrilled at the idea of it being in this great neighborhood. Despite what some may say on this board, this are is great to live in. My husband and I bought 5 years ago and have not had any problems. We have had 1 instance of our car being broken into but that was during a city-wide rash of car vandalization.
What some on this board might not now just by looking around at some of the boarded up homes is that there are families and couples and people who have been in this neighborhood since they were born that live next door. We have a great community with people who are interested in seeing this area reclaim it’s former glory and who work hard to make that happen.
Don’t be afraid to buy here. This is the first place I have lived, including my childhood, that I know my neighbors; up and down the block and on the next street over. We work together to get grants for the neighborhood watch, we keep an eye out for each others kids, and spend afternoons picking up trash along our streets. Bottom line is that we care about our area and each other and who wouldn’t want to move into a neighborhood like that.
The negative, for some, is always easier to find then the positive. The negative can usually be found fairly quickly through one or two bad experiences, maybe something that happened to a friend of a friend of a friend or through or just sheer ignorance.
It’s always good to hear the successes in these neighborhoods and the good work being done by the folks living there.
And just to be clear, I don’t think we should gloss over anything. In parts, the near east side is a bit rough around the edges and the idealistic and intrepid should research carefully when making any investment. But characterizing a neighbor through cheap comments doesn’t do anyone any favors.
That is one cool house. Way to go East Side :)
Cool house! I thought thugs come to better neighborhoods ( Grandview) to rob. Isn’t that where the money is?