Buckeyed and LEED-certified

Ohio's first LEED Platinum certified single-family home is the final project of a remarkable high school program.

Wed, Apr 08 2009 at 8:47 PM EST

Last week, I gave the city of Portland a hard time when reporting on a home renovation project that’s vying for prestigious LEED Platinum status. In another “O” state over 2,400 miles away, Ohio, a newly built home has recently been awarded LEED Platinum certification. It will be the first single-family home in the Buckeye State to receive the honor.

For those who think LEED certification is exclusively given to solar-powered yurts in Northern California and severe-looking, experimental modern homes, think again. This Columbus, Ohio, residence is normal and homey, right down to the generous, all-American front porch.

Appearances can be deceiving, however, because there’s nothing pedestrian about this deep-green structure dressed in traditional, Midwestern clothing. Features include thermal and photovoltaic solar paneling on the roof, the use of low- and no-VOC building materials, the use of local and recycled building and decor materials, water-efficient landscaping, and more. All construction waste was recycled and the home uses 72 percent less energy than similar non-green homes. The building site itself is near public transportation and within walking distance of local amenities.

The most remarkable aspect of this American-as-apple-pie home is that it was constructed as a high school project. Yep. The home, funded and overseen by various city, nonprofit, and corporate entities, was also the labor of love of Home B.A.S.E.: 2007. The Home B.A.S.E. (Building Academic Skills and Experiences) program is described as “High school students building a new model for education by constructing energy efficient, high performing, sustainable, green, and affordable housing for America’s urban working families.”

Sadly, after over 10 years of building affordable homes, the Home B.A.S.E. program has been cancelled. It certainly went out with a grade-A bang.

The home will be open to the public on May 21st. If you’re not in the Columbus area, check out more details and photos of the home at the Home B.A.S.E blog and at the Columbus Housing Partnership website.

Via [Jetson Green]

Photos: Home B.A.S.E. 2007/Josh Lloyd @ Phillip Markwood Architects