Liane and Roy initially found their lot in October 2007 but it was outside their budget.  Five  months on the market, and a slowing economy resulted in a significant price cut.  The land was then within their budget so the Burns made the move to purchase the property in March 2008. 

The house that was originally on the property had been torn down years before.  Someone had bought the house with the intention of remodeling but quickly realized they were in over their head and what was left had to be taken down.  As the lot sat vacant for many years, it became very overgrown and quite scary looking, as the Burns called it.  "We really had rose-colored glasses!”, Liane says. 

Matthew Finley and Will Brothers of Green Bottle Workshop designed and built the Burns home.  Both graduates of Auburn University's Rural Studio program really caught the attention of the Burns as a possibility for their future home.  "They were agreeable to our design and budget.”  Finley and Brothers were not only schooled in creating innovative and internationally-acclaimed design, but also in getting the most out of humble materials (i.e. off-the-shelf vs. custom, recycled, reclaimed and repurposed materials) as a way of stretching budgets without sacrificing design aspirations.  “Our house was the first residential project that they designed and built from the ground up,” Liane says. 
           

     

From the beginning, the Burns were interested in being as green as possible with their design plans.  As with any build, the budget often limits or takes a hit to the overall plan.  “Unfortunately, we soon discovered that most of what we were aiming to do would put us considerably over budget,” she says.  Green Bottle’s plan to achieve the vision the Burns had was to design a home in such a way that it would maximize energy efficiency but keep the family on budget.  The window placement was the biggest part of the plan.  “With all the natural light, our electricity use for lighting is kept to a minimum,” Liane says.  Including the design process the home took 14 months to build.

The front and entry way to the home has contrasting materials, wood and weathered steel compliment the white fiber-cement board siding.  The pendant light that stands as a statement of its own is a bespoke steel pendant designed by Will and Matthew.  At night the light from the pendant fills the outer elements of the home and the entire structure glows with warm light like a lantern or lighthouse on the crest.

House Note: The beautiful floors are bamboo. Bamboo is a renewable resource- Where oak takes 120 years to grow to maturity, bamboo can be harvested in three years and is recognized as a green material under LEED. 

Behind the walls It’s CPVC!  Unlike metal, CPVC plumbing systems are more environmentally friendly and resist corrosion.  The pipes themselves are also much easier to handle and install than metal, comply with most building code standards, and are budget friendly.  For insulation, the Burns first wanted to go with Bonded-Logic’s UltraTouch Recycled Cotton Insulation.  Ultratouch is made from 85% post-consumer recycled denim and is treated with borate to resist fire, mold/mildew, and insects.  That’s right, your Calvins could be in somebody's wall. 

Unfortunately, the Ultratouch was found to be outside of budget.  Green Bottle Workshop was able to find something in the Burns price range that was still respectful to their desire to stay clean and green in Guardian Building Products.  According to the Guardian site: “Guardian Fiberglass meets the highest possible product certification for indoor air quality standards—Greenguard Certification.” 

The outdoor deck is composite over wood.  Composite is blended ground-up wood and plastic and can last two to three times longer than regular traditional decking materials.  Unlike wooden decks, composite does not have to be regularly painted or stained.