This home is designed to combine early 20th century Craftsman charm with 21st century Energy Star efficiency. The eclectic mix of stone, stucco, cedar shingles, brackets and box windows evokes an authentic Craftsman atmosphere with an Arts and Craft flair. The client wanted to have a large window over the front door to allow light to flood the interior, so the typical craftsman columns would not work. The solution was, instead of building low, plumb stone piers with tapered wood columns above, the taller stone piers are tapered and the posts above are plumb. The tapered stone is mimicked on the stone bump-out in the garage.
The tapered stone column look extends to the interior, creating a seamless aura of Craftsman design. The more formal dining room includes a beamed ceiling with crown mold. The client desired an interesting ceiling in the master bedroom, but did not want the inefficiency of a vaulted ceiling, so a unique recessed beam system was designed.
The lower level drops down in the rear portion of the basement, with large windows flooding the room with natural light. A theater-quality media room completes the entertainment possibilities in this home.
The home site was selected to allow the back to be open to the afternoon sun. All the windows are Anderson High-Performance Low-E4 glass to prevent summer heat gain. Energy Star features include sub-grade R-10 insulation under the slab edge, Tuff-N-Dry insulated waterproofing system, a multi-stage 95% furnace, three separate ductwork zones, an HRV heat recovery fresh-air system, a 1400 SEER air conditioner, and blown-in wall insulation. The home has the distinction of being the first home in Pittsburgh to have Enviro-Dry spayed above grade waterproofing in lieu of house wrap. Combined with the other features, this allowed the home to score an astounding 2.1 air changes per hour (ACH). The light fixtures were 80% LED, including the recessed lights. The overall HERS rating was 58. In order to increase sustainability, the entire exterior is covered with low-maintenance materials, including masonry fiber siding, engineered wood products and cellular PVC trim.