Can huge be green? It's a question that comes up every time we see another large home aspiring for LEED certification go up. The NY Times profiles one of the most ambitious eco-friendly projects, Windermere on the Lake in North Stamford, Connecticut.
THe private community of twenty-four homes is spread out over 74 acres with a private lake. The model home is approximately 7,000 square feet of gracious living space with five bedrooms, four baths, a home theater, wine cellar and exercise room.
Windermere is being developed by NRDC Residential, a new division of the National Realty and Development Corporation of Purchase, N.Y., and will be going for LEED certification. The homes will be built to basic LEED standards. Buyers can also opt for a $100,000 geothermal system that uses an electric pump to transfer heat from the soil to the house in the winter, reversing that process in the summer. Other green features include formaldehyde-free kitchen cabinetry, sustainable building materials, low-VOC paint and carpets and smart lighting.
The homes are available in four basic styles meant to mimic the look of an English village and sell for $3.2 million to $4.8 million depending on size. Many question how green houses of this size can actually be. By nature, smaller is generally greener but if people are going to build mega mansions creating ones that are both attractive and more eco-friendly is at least a step in the right direction. Check out the gallery below for a look at the model home.
