Green Tour: Our Readers Build in Vermont

We have a special place in our heart for those brave enough to build their own home. Ian and Raedia responded to our call for Green Homes with a beautiful set of photos and a sadly familiar story. They had trouble convincing the bank to give them a loan for a green home, a well that almost didn't happen, and they ran into one contractor that just wasn't up to snuff. All the work was worth it, though, as the house is truly green... and simply beautiful!

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Ian and Raedia's strategy was to include "fancy stuff like
geothermal heating, recycled cotton insulation, and passive solar, as
well as simple choices like a smaller size, locally-sourced building
materials, and deep overhangs on the roof."

Read more about their process at Ian and Raedia's blog, and check back here at AT:Green Home for a follow-up tour when they're all done!

Other green tours of interest:

Comments (4)

I love it and applaud your effort and results. Great ambition always turns into beauty.

Thank you for caring about the environment. I saw this house being built in my town and was always curious about it. How lucky to stumble upon it here.

I saw that they used a local green building contractor to build the house. It is nice to see industry growing.

Wow, what are the odds that you'd see our house in person, and on AT?! Small world!

Thanks so much for all the kind words - we're making progress on the house every day, and we can't wait to show you all the finished product.

I love the sliding doors on screen 8 (window wall) who makes them?