The USGBC (United States Green Building Council) South Florida Chapter held their GalaVerde Awards Celebration at Hyatt Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale on September 21, 2013. With over 75 applicants submitting for 17 awards in total, the judges for this competition had the regions top projects to select from and award the coveted awards. Some of the project categories included Public, Private, Single-Family, Municipal, Educational, Healthcare and Corporate. Two Trails client Matt Lahn owner of Florida Green Home Design Group won the USGBC South Florida GalaVerde Green Award for Most Outstanding LEED for Homes/Single Family for their work on the 2020 Alton project in Miami, FL. To our knowledge this project is the highest scoring LEED home in the nation with 120/80 points earned giving it a LEED Platinum designation.
The 2020 Alton project is a sleek, super-modern beauty — all concrete, glass, high-end European appliances, and high-tech bells and whistles. The project is about 3,200 square feet and it’s luxurious. The home, which for most days is net-zero, will also boast a minimal environmental footprint, a rarity in the area for new builds. The compact and efficient design of this home manages to fit five bedrooms and five bathrooms in just 3,200 sq. ft. Nestled on a site of 58x120 and with setbacks imposed by the city, the design sought to take advantage of these dimensions by making the main portion of the home a cube, which would be setback substantially from the busy street. An exposed masonry wall further protects the house by wrapping it on the north and west while creating a private courtyard for swimming and a balcony with views of the golf course across the street.
The home includes a dual 600-watt vertical axis wind turbine, a geothermal heating and cooling system, 7,000-gallon rainwater cistern, and a HERS rating of -8. And then there’s the 11.5-kilowatt rooftop solar array composed of frameless photovoltaic panels produced by 1SolTech. This project is among the first building projects, residential or commercial, to utilize these innovative, American-made solar panels. Given its Miami location and rough weather situations, the project's renewable energy systems are storm-resistant: the solar panels are rated for 160 mph winds and the turbines easily collapsible for when things outside get too windy. Additionally, there’s a back-up battery system and the aluminum framed, low-E windows from CGI are built to withstand Category 5-strength hurricane winds. A very unique feature is the rainwater cistern and the home’s reflecting pool are both lined with a nontoxic epoxy called Pond Armor that renders the water potable in the event of emergencies.
Other green specs of the 2020 Alton project include LED lighting throughout, sustainable wood custom cabinetry from Poggenpohl, WaterSense-qualified Toto faucets and fixtures, recycled glass countertops from Vetrazzo, Sherwin Williams low-VOC paints and finishes, and Icynene spray foam insulation. Outside, there’s Resyta decking and a pool equipped with an EcoSmarte water purification system that eliminates the need for chemicals. Last but not least the projects home's Walk Score of 85 is beyond excellent. South Beach is a short stroll away.
Green achievements for 2020 Alton:
- United States Green Building Council: LEED for Homes, LEED Platinum Designation
- Home Innovation Research Labs: ICC 700 National Green Building Standard EMERALD (highest level), indicating that the home saves 60% or more of its energy use.
- HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Index: -8 (100 is normal for new construction)
- Named an Energy Star® Qualified Home.
Team Members:
Green Building Consultant: Two Trails Inc.
Owner: Florida Green Home Design Group
Architect: Ari Sklar
Contractor: Robert Arkin
MEP Engineers: Buchanan P.E. Consulting Inc.
Structural Engineer: R.E. Engineering Design Corp.
Civil Engineer: Holland Enginerring Inc.