Around 10 years ago, foresters Fran and Will built their home in the heart of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. Fran mentioned their reasoning for choosing this area saying, “We really wanted to be here because it’s such a cool neighborhood, and it’s walkable to the town and schools”. Having two growing boys at the time, they were excited that their sons could find their independence by walking or biking around.
Community Impact: Addressing Flooding
As many in Princeton can relate, flooding is one of the challenges faced by this neighborhood. To mitigate some of the water flowing through Fran shared, “One of the things we did was put in a dry well underneath the meadow, which has really improved things for the neighbors.” This feature has not only improved drainage for the property but has also helped mitigate flooding issues for the surrounding neighbors, demonstrating a commitment to community-wide solutions.
From Forest to Foundation
The original plan for the house was to renovate the existing structure, going as far as a design, but encountered insurmountable structural issues. As Fran noted, “Unfortunately we had to take down that structure but it did give us the opportunity to build an even greener house”. This new build allowed them to integrate cutting-edge green technologies and materials from the ground up.
Fran and Will’s home features an impressive array of FSC-certified wood, reflecting their commitment to conservation. “We are both foresters and work in conservation and we wanted to use wood, as the most sustainable product if the forests [from where] the wood comes are managed well,” says Fran. “so, almost every stick of wood in this house is FSC certified.” The wood in the house came from a variety of places and different species were used, including some tropical woods. They noted that with tropical woods, which often come from countries with inadequate laws to protect forest ecosystems, it is even more important to assure that the wood comes from responsibly-managed forests, where Indigenous rights are respected, wildlife habitat is maintained, water quality is protected, and workers’ rights recognized. Some of the other woods featured in their house:
- Western Red Cedar: Makes up the beautiful outside of the home, this was sourced from British Columbia through a supplier in Massachusetts and nearby in Hamilton, NJ.
- Beech: The flooring was sourced from a family-owned company in Pennsylvania, which is promoting the use of beech trees they are otherwise losing to two diseases.
- Meranti: Frames the windows and doors inside the home.
- Maple Plywood: Used for kitchen and bathroom cabinets and shelves, it was produced by Columbia Forest Products in South Carolina.
- Recovered Wood: The stair treads are the only non-FSC-certified wood but they are made from reclaimed barn wood from Virginia.
Will expressed, “One of our goals with the use of wood and using larger dimensions of wood was to store as much carbon as possible versus other building materials to help mitigate climate change”
Energy-Efficient Windows
Bloomin’ on Birch features triple-glazed windows with three panes and various coatings to optimize energy efficiency. Windows facing the sun are equipped with coatings that block some light (and heat), while others allow more natural sunlight to enter, balancing energy conservation and comfort. Will said, “This is just another feature of managing the energy that goes in and out of the house”
Utilities and Insulation
With no basement, the utility room is compact but highly efficient. The home uses a geothermal heat pump that goes 346 feet into the ground for heating, cooling, and (in the summer)hot water. An air-source heat-pump handles most water-heating demands throughout the year. Their home is also equipped with an Energy Recovery Ventilator as Will shared, “We want to be careful to manage our air in this household and always introduce fresh air because this is a very well-sealed house”. It is also very well insulated, featuring a dense-packed cellulose within extra-thick walls, and wrapped on the outside with soy-based poly-iso, offering an R-value of 38; ceiling insulation includes poly-iso on the outside with spray foam on the inside, providing an R-value of 52 for superior insulation.
Harnessing Solar Energy Above an Additional Apartment
Attached to their home is a full apartment that they use for family visits or to rent out! Right above this apartment is the second-floor deck which is also home to a solar panel array that generates nearly 6 kW of power. Will speaks about these solar panels saying, “They were partially made possible through state and national programs”. Not only do the solar panels power their house but they also provide shade for their deck.
Want to step inside this house?
Join us on September 28th for the Princeton Green House Tours. This event will provide a unique opportunity to explore this home and 5 others to see how innovative design and green building practices can transform a living space.
