Builder Offers Sneak Peek of Ultra-Green Home

A local homebuilder offered an inside look Tuesday at a new home in Gambrills designed to push the envelope when it comes to "green" homebuilding.

The is still under construction, but area residents and officials had a chance to tour the inside of the house, which will feature an array of new environmentally-friendly systems and designs. The house will serve as the marquee property in the Preserve at Severn Run, a 72-home community off Holladay Park Road in Gambrills.

The 7,000-square foot house features concrete walls designed to offer greater insulation and durability, a unique roof and porch design, and ductwork withing the flooring of the home to provide greater efficiency. There will also be a solar-power hot water tank and special systems designed to reduce the use of water and electricity.

When completed, the home could earn a top "emerald" rating from the National Green Building Certification Program.

"We're building this home to comply with the highest levels of green certification," said Mike Baldwin, President of Baldwin Homes.

Baldwin said designing and building the home has been a challenge, because of the intricate nature of some of the new systems. For instance, installing ductwork into the flooring system of the second floor made it very hard to find space for recessed lighting and plumbing.

"I can't begin to tell you how difficult it is to integrate all the systems in the home," he said. "But ultimately, that's what makes this house more efficient."

Baldwin plans to complete the home next month. It will eventually sell the home, and hopes to fetch a $1.2 million sale price. All profits from the sale will be donated to charities, including Hospice of the Chesapeake and Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic.