When valuing a property, green is the new gold standard. Green home building in Arlington County is rising as homeowners look to build more energy-efficient homes and with good reason. Not only do green homes help curb harmful emissions and reduce our environmental footprint, but they also offer massive cost savings in the long run. 

Green Home Building Features For Your Custom Home

If you’re looking to build an eco-friendly home in Arlington County, here are three features and systems we recommend you consider implementing in your custom build or remodel: 

  1. NATURAL LIGHTING

Natural sunlight creates a warm glow wherever it hits—both aesthetically and physically. Why not use it to your advantage? Strategically placed large windows can help warm AND light your home naturally, allowing you to use less electricity throughout the day. Our team knows how to maximize the sun’s powers to get the most bang for your buck from sunrise to sundown.

Open Living Space with Several Large Windows

  1. RADIANT HEATING SYSTEM

You don’t have to sacrifice comfort to go green when building a green home in Arlington County. In a recent eco-friendly build, we used Warmboard’s radiant heating system to minimize energy consumption by over 25% while optimizing heat flow throughout the home. With tubes embedded into the flooring, this revolutionary technology naturally puts less strain on HVAC systems (and wallets)! Because heat rises, Arlington County homeowners who implement this innovative system feel more heat at a fraction of the cost. As a bonus, Warmboard allows you to isolate heating zones across your home to save even more energy and money in less frequently used areas.

Unique modern basement design

  1. ICF FOUNDATION

Lastly, ICF foundations offer an eco-friendly alternative to traditional foundations. While standard foundations have a high potential for air to escape, ICF forms stick to the concrete, becoming a part of the foundation and leaving very few gaps where heat (and money!) can escape. With this permanent built-in layer of insulation, it’s no wonder ICF homes use less energy to cool and even less heat compared to traditional homes.  

Although initial costs might be slightly higher than traditional foundations, ICF foundations offer substantial long-term benefits. In addition to lowering energy bills, this cutting-edge building technique offers remarkable durability, fire resistance, and sound insulation. 

See Green Building in Arlington County in Action

Now that we’ve talked the talk, see how we walked the walk. Our recently completed five-bedroom, four-bath modern home features plenty of windows, three levels of radiant heating floors, and an ICF foundation.

Exterior of an energy-efficient home in Alexandria, VA

This energy-efficient beauty awaits LEED certification and boasts abundant storage, two balconies, and a two-car garage to complement the expansive 4600+ square feet of living space, including a media room and finished basement. We can’t think of a better example of Arlington County green living done right than this! 

If you are ready to start planning your green home, reach out to schedule a consultation with us today.