Launch Slideshow

This Ann Arbor project, designed by architect Michael Klement and constructed by remodeler Doug Selby, was born of a need to fix a leaky roof but became Michigan's second U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum level whole-house remodel.

New Model Remodel

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New Model Remodel

  • This Ann Arbor project, designed by architect Michael Klement and constructed by remodeler Doug Selby, was born of a need to fix a leaky roof but became Michigan's second U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum level whole-house remodel.

    http://www.remodelingtoolbox.org/Images/tmpF0D5%2Etmp_tcm17-610409.jpg

    This Ann Arbor project, designed by architect Michael Klement and constructed by remodeler Doug Selby, was born of a need to fix a leaky roof but became Michigan's second U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum level whole-house remodel.

    600

    Jim Haefner Photography

    This Ann Arbor project, designed by architect Michael Klement and constructed by remodeler Doug Selby, was born of a need to fix a leaky roof but became Michigan's second U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum level whole-house remodel.

  • The owner wanted the home to be a harbinger of innovative green design and construction. Although the designer did not add much to the footprint, he radically changed the home from its colonial-style beginnings. Flexible spaces make the small home appear larger.

    http://www.remodelingtoolbox.org/Images/tmpF0D6%2Etmp_tcm17-610421.jpg

    The owner wanted the home to be a harbinger of innovative green design and construction. Although the designer did not add much to the footprint, he radically changed the home from its colonial-style beginnings. Flexible spaces make the small home appear larger.

    600

    Jim Haefner Photography

    The owner wanted the home to be a harbinger of innovative green design and construction. Although the designer did not add much to the footprint, he radically changed the home from its colonial-style beginnings. Flexible spaces make the small home appear larger.

  • One of the first things guests see as they approach from the gravel drive is an articulated awning that is both functional and a work of moveable art. (This awning won a 2010 Remodeling Design Awards Merit award in the Detail category.)

    http://www.remodelingtoolbox.org/Images/tmpF0D7%2Etmp_tcm17-610433.jpg

    One of the first things guests see as they approach from the gravel drive is an articulated awning that is both functional and a work of moveable art. (This awning won a 2010 Remodeling Design Awards Merit award in the Detail category.)

    600

    Jim Haefner Photography

    One of the first things guests see as they approach from the gravel drive is an articulated awning that is both functional and a work of moveable art. (This awning won a 2010 Remodeling Design Awards Merit award in the Detail category.)

  • The 1,000-gallon CorGal steel tank collects and stores rainwater. Below it is an outdoor shower. The home uses a geothermal system for heating and cooling and for hot water.

    http://www.remodelingtoolbox.org/Images/tmpF0D8%2Etmp_tcm17-610446.jpg

    The 1,000-gallon CorGal steel tank collects and stores rainwater. Below it is an outdoor shower. The home uses a geothermal system for heating and cooling and for hot water.

    600

    Jim Haefner Photography

    The 1,000-gallon CorGal steel tank collects and stores rainwater. Below it is an outdoor shower. The home uses a geothermal system for heating and cooling and for hot water.

  • Kitchen cabinets had their front faces stripped and then refinished with encaustic medium and used as a canvas for the homeowner's artistic expression.

    http://www.remodelingtoolbox.org/Images/tmpF0D9%2Etmp_tcm17-610346.jpg

    Kitchen cabinets had their front faces stripped and then refinished with encaustic medium and used as a canvas for the homeowner's artistic expression.

    576

    Jim Haefner Photography

    Kitchen cabinets had their front faces stripped and then refinished with encaustic medium and used as a canvas for the homeowner's artistic expression.

Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.

Contractor: Doug Selby, Meadowlark Builders, Ann Arbor

Designer: Michael Klement, Ann Arbor

Dubbed the “Nautilus House” for its shape, this Ann Arbor home received certification as Michigan’s second U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum-level whole-house remodel. The client, a found-object artist and metal worker, “wanted this house to be a harbinger of innovative green design and construction,” architect Michael Klement says.

Without increasing the home’s footprint, Klement radically changed this typical suburban colonial into a visually arresting and environmentally sensitive residence where beauty meets functionality. “This is a dream house for a lot of people,” the judges said. “It’s sheer innovation and rule-breaking.”

The project uses state-of-the art building envelope techniques including cellulose insulation, engineered-wood products, spray polyurethane foam, and structural insulated panels (SIPs) to minimize energy loss. A photovoltaic roof array allows the home to make more energy than it uses during the summer. The standing-seam metal roof, which lasts longer than a standard roof, delivers clean water to rain-saving catchment containers, which can be used for the outdoor shower. Inside, flexible design strategies and an open floor plan make the 3,220 square feet of living space seem larger.

—Stacey Freed, senior editor, REMODELING.