This custom home, built by Hibbs Homes and designed by Architect Kim Spurgeon, was recognized by the City of Kirkwood as an Infill of Merit.

Building a new home is not about the builder. Sound funny? Let me explain. In my opinion, the builder is only as good as his team. Proof in point – a new home we recently built in Kirkwood, Missouri. The home was just recognized by the Kirkwood Landmarks Commission as an “Infill of Merit,” an award that recognizes a new, single family home that fits comfortably into the existing neighborhood and is found compatible through architectural style, and the use of scale, proportion, materials, textures and details. Since Hibbs Homes is primarily an infill builder these are goals we have for every home we build, but there was special emphasis placed on this home by the team.

You may have noticed I’ve used the word “team” twice, so let me explain what I mean. When the homeowner first selected Hibbs Homes to build their new home, they also selected architect to Kim Spurgeon to complete the team. Kim is well known and respected in the city of Kirkwood, and is an award winning architect who has designed many homes in the community- a community in which she lives.

Working together, as a team, we were able to meet our clients’ goal to design and build a home that fit seamlessly into the neighborhood. That was very important to our client, and as infill builder, it’s important to me. Our client had an idea of what they wanted the home to look like, and after several meetings we were able to flush things out. During the design process, I offered thoughts and suggestions on construction materials, costs and how various design elements would affect the budget. We met frequently during the design process to make sure we were still on track with the design and budget.

This team effort worked to perfection. Not only did we have an award winning home, but one that came in on budget. Building a new home can be a fun and rewarding experience, if you have the right team working in the right direction.

A shot of the exterior of the ranch home we will be renovating to a 1.5 story, energy efficient home in Olivette, MO

With the recent economic downturn, and subsequent drop in home values, many homeowners are deciding to stay put and renovate their existing homes, and recent reports show that this trend will continue. And as you might guess, the process of providing the tight thermal envelope needed for an energy efficient home becomes a little more challenging with a renovation project.

We are just beginning an interesting home renovation in Olivette, Missouri-an older community about 15 miles west of downtown St. Louis. We are working with a wonderful young family to turn a 60-year-old ranch into a story and a half, “new” home. Part of the project will include removing the existing roof and adding attic trusses for a three bedroom, two bath second floor with a loft.

As they say, this is a perfect home for the project because it has good “bones.” But, as our energy audit found, this home does not have a good thermal envelop. A home energy audit helps assess how much energy your home consumes and evaluates what you can do to make it more energy efficient. Part of that process is a blower door test which showed an air exchange rate of 11. That means the air inside the house is replaced 11 times in one hour which is not efficient. We are currently building new homes with air exchange rates below 3, and our goal with this renovation project is to cut the air exchange rate to less than two-which will save the homeowner substantially on their utility bills, make the home more comfortable, and improve the indoor air quality.

An energy audit showed that the home was cycling air 11 times per hour-over three times more often than a new, energy efficient home.

As the demo process began, we quickly found what was causing the problem – no wall insulation and there wasn’t any kind of sealing package. This is not unusual as many older homes have been built with little or no insulation. This retrofit will include a very thorough caulk/seal and insulation package. The home will also be Energy Star rated and verified green through the National Association of Home Builder’s National Green Building Program.

The entire renovation should take about 3-4 months and we invite you to follow the process on our blog. We’ll let you know what we’re doing and why as we work through the project. This is a terrific “old” home, and we look forward to making it “new” again.

Next Sunday, April 22, marks the 42nd Earth Day around the globe. Every year since 1970, communities around the world have been coming together with festivals and educational events celebrating sustainable and earth friendly living. And St Louis is no different. In addition to entertainment and food, many of these festivals feature exhibits and demonstrations to help you make your home green and more energy efficient, electronic and sensitive data recycling opportunities, organic gardening information, and, of course, plenty of activities to teach children more sustainable habits and educate them on the benefits of living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Here are a few Earth festivals that are on tap for next weekend around St. Louis:

Chesterfield Earth Day Event on Saturday April 21, 2012-Featuring food, performances, and upcycled arts and crafts booths, the City of Chesterfield, MO will hold its annual Earth Day event from 9am-2pm at the Chesterfield Amphitheater. With plenty of activities to keep the whole family busy, there will also be free, secure data destruction and electronics recycling on site during the event as well. Bring the kids and enjoy the day!

St Louis Earth Day Festival on Sunday April 22-According to festival organizers, the St Louis Earth Day Festival in Forest Park is the third largest Earth Day celebration in the country. From 11am until6 6pm more than 200 exhibitors and vendors will be on hand to show you how to build a greener home and lifestyle. There will also be a collection of hard to recycle items such as electronics and phone books (check out their list of items that will be accepted for more information). There will be plenty of crafts, entertainment, and food on hand at this family friendly celebration.

St Louis Zoo’s Party for the Planet on April 22-A part of the larger St Louis Earth Day Festival, bring the family up to the Zoo to celebrate Earth Day among the animals. Featuring live music, zookeeper chats, take an educational tour of the Zoo by picking up a passport map with learning stations set up around the Zoo, and compete in a recycling relay race to learn more about sustainability initiatives at the Zoo. The event goes from 11am until 3pm, and admission to the Zoo is always free.

These family friendly Earth Day events in St Louis are a great way to either build your green living skills or make the leap into a more sustainable lifestyle. After all, a green home isn’t only good for the environment, it is also good for your pocketbook!