By Laurel Kallenbach
Four years ago, Cathy Grier and Michele Steckler started longing for a home in upstate New York, and developed a wish list that might have seemed unattainable to some––Michele wanted a graceful, historic structure while Cathy desired the airiness and sustainability of a modern home. With time, much research and a few compromises, the couple now happily resides in a house that pleases both.
Placed amid 15 acres of woodland and fields in Columbia County, south of Albany, the home could easily be mistaken for two historic houses bridged by a slope-roofed modern addition. But in reality, its 21st-century architecture blends timeless, old-fashioned quality and new green technology—a creative mix, not unlike the residents themselves. Cathy, a modernist with a enthusiasm for a healthy environment, is a blues and folk singer/songwriter. Michele, who enjoys all things antique, is a Broadway producer who collaborates with Disney Theatrical Productions on projects such as the stage versions of "The Lion King" and "Tarzan."
"I’m flattered when people ask whether this house is a renovation," says architect Dennis Wedlick, who designed the home to blend into the region’s historic architectural style. "Cathy and Michele wanted a house that was gentle on the environment and as healthy as possible, yet they wanted it to suit the landscape and the area’s rural flavor."
Wedlick created two separate saltbox-style houses joined in an L shape by a modern, glass-enclosed living room/kitchen/dining room. Saltbox architecture, named after Colonial salt-shipping tins with the same shape, features asymmetrical roofs that slope from two stories to one. The guest room, which also acts as Cathy’s music studio, is upstairs in one house with the study below; the master bedroom and bath are located in the other house, above the kitchen and dining room.
The couple initially considered purchasing an older house but never found the right one. They decided instead to build with nontoxic, eco-friendly materials. When the rural property overlooking scenic rolling hills was discovered, the two native New Englanders swung into building mode. "With time, I became as passionate as Cathy about healthy building," Michele says. "Truthfully, I’ve never looked back and wished we had bought an older fixer-upper."
Green Research Pays Off
Construction began just as Cathy was beginning months of interferon treatments for hepatitis C. "I was more sensitive and aware of my home environment than I normally would have been," she says, "so I was very motivated to make our home as healthy as possible." With her musical performance schedule on hold, she dove into researching everything from sources of indoor air pollution—glues, grout, spackle, sealers—to products that impact global health, such as clapboard siding created from mahogany, a tropical hardwood that’s shipped across the world. (In the end. they selected quarter-sawn spruce from a family-run mill in Vermont.) "It can be overwhelming to make so many decisions about so many products," Cathy acknowledges.
The 2,300-square-foot home became Cathy’s full-time job, and she kept an ongoing journal of all that she learned. "It was therapeutic for me to focus on research while going through treatment," she says. "In the process, I discovered a passion for green, nontoxic building that’s equal to my love for making music." Two years after her home’s completion and after recovering fully, she’s launching a healthy-house consulting company.
Cathy and Michele achieved their dream through close collaboration with Wedlick, who had green-building experience, and the contractor, Bill Stratton, who was new to the field. "We referred to ourselves as a team—a triumvirate of designer, builder and homeowner—and everybody had an equal voice," Michele says.
To confirm that everyone who worked at the construction site was on board, Cathy and Michele posted a sign with an excerpt from Prescriptions for a Healthy House by Paula Baker-Laporte, Erica Elliott and John Banta (New Society, 2001): This is a healthy house. Toxic substances such as pesticides, fungicides and noxious cleaning products are prohibited. Gasoline-generated machines or open combustion heaters shall not be used inside. Smoking is prohibited. Spills of fuels, solvents or chemicals must be avoided. Alternatives to specified materials must be approved in writing prior to use by owner and/or architect.
"Building our home was all about education and better health—for us and the builders," Cathy says. "Our electrician told us he usually gets headaches from breathing the chemicals that painters and floor finishers use. In our house, he felt fine—the only scents were wood and the natural tung oil finish."
Some members on the crew needed convincing. "One day I noticed a delivery of wood was wrong—it was arsenic treated," Cathy says. "When I told the workmen we had to return it, their response was, ‘Why can’t we use this? It’s up to code.’ I pointed out that sawing it would spray arsenic-filled sawdust all over the place—and they weren’t protected by gloves or masks."
Cathy’s dedication extended to construction-site waste. Although collection barrels for recycling were accessible, her weekly dumpster inspection uncovered wood and metal scraps, cardboard, and empty water bottles that had been thrown away. By being conscientious, Cathy saved both money and landfill space: In just one year of building, they used only two of the four dumpsters for which they’d budgeted.
A Home to Last
"If you consider the lifecycle of your house—from the time it’s built until it’s demolished—green, nontoxic building doesn’t seem so expensive after all," Cathy says. "We all need to stop thinking of our financial returns in terms of what we’d get if we sell a house in five years. Instead, we need to start thinking about the investment of building houses to last."
Michele agrees. "I think we’ve accomplished that beautifully. Even though it has modern touches, our house feels like it’s always been here."
Provided by Natural Home - http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com
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