GREENBELT HOUSE: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This home, long-planned but whose construction was delayed by the recession of 2008, is finally under way. 

It is located in the planned community of Greenbelt, Maryland, an area developed during the depression, and well-known for its cooperative planning and civic architecture. The lot for this new house sits on the edge of town, on a steep hillside overlooking a USDA research farm, with rolling pastures of grazing cows as far as the eye can see.

The house was designed for an extended family including adult children and grandchildren. To the east and north, the public views of the house (entry, Garage), rise just at the edge of the slope. But on passing through the front door, the house opens out and down towards the south and west, capturing the sun and rural views.

The main living level is divided by the central stair into an open plan kitchen/dining/living space to one side, and a master suite to the other. At the lower level, a Family Room and several other bedrooms set cozily into the hill, looking outwards. Above the Garage, a Studio/Bedroom space provides private quarters for visiting families.

Throughout the house, green measures were incorporated, including fiber-cement board and batten siding, strategic placement of high-efficiency windows, and a geothermal heating/cooling system.

VIEW GREENBELT PROJECT DETAIL PAGE

 


General Contractor

Alliance Builders

Maine Coast House: Construction Process From the Ground Up

 
 

Our DC-based clients came to us in the late fall of 2013, with a goal of designing and building a house on the Maine coast by the summer of 2015. As we worked on the design, we found a contractor, then finished our drawings so that foundation work began in June, 2014.  By late July, framing was underway. With the main structure and roof in place, windows were ready to be installed by October.  With the house closed in, interior framing began, followed by the arrival of the electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors.  The radiant heating system was installed under the floors.  At the same time, insulation, a combination of spray foam, cellulose and rigid, was installed at different locations throughout the house.  Despite a brutally cold winter, exterior siding and stone work has moved along, with warmer days allowing for more work.  At this point, drywall is up, and the wood ceiling at the Great Room has been set, and trim work is underway.  While the cabinetry and other finishes  to go in, due to the great efforts by everyone involved (Cold Mountain Builders, subcontractors and support from the client), the house is on track for completion on schedule.

VIEW MAINE COAST PROJECT PAGE