Home Tour
Page 1
Existing 380 square foot Pod
Addition and renovation – phase 1
Contents of interior space = Pat’s office, Reception office, Waiting area, 1/2 bath, 3 story stair well, Master Bedroom, Master Bath, Fully conditioned basement containing a storage room for Shelter Ecology products, home gym, laundry, household storage, tool area and mechanical storage (530 square feet)
Cindy ended upon a 380 square foot pod which contained a bed and open storage, living room / dining area, kitchenette, office desk, toilet and shower - which was everything required to survive at that time. A water-based sealer was used on the concrete slab floor and cabinets - which locked out any toxins. She slept on an airbed because regular beds are treated with formaldehyde, and she used all 0VOC and low toxicity AFM paints and stains inside (see web site catalog). Untreated cotton throw rugs were used over the cold concrete floor. The heat source was electric baseboard and electric radiant heat because it was the only source of heat that was tolerable. A room size dehumidifier and a window unit air conditioner were used to keep the tiny house dry and mold free.
Six years later, Cindy married Patrick Patton. They decided to add onto the pod in stages. The first stage involved a renovation along with a 520 square foot addition making it 900 square feet. Cindy and Pat have very similar values when it comes to creating a home.
The agreed upon priorities in their green building process (in order of importance) were:
• Clean indoor air quality
• Durable, recycled content, natural and or toxin free material use
• Low maintenance
• Energy efficiency and future solar add on possibilities
Cindy designed the house with the consulting assistance of Chris Larson, Architect of Architerra in Asheville, to make it architecturally and aesthetically what she and Pat wanted. The exterior materials display the durability and low maintenance they required by using a 3 coat cementitous stucco with the paint added to the 3rd coat, so it will never need to be repainted. The lower 1/3 of the exterior and the soffits are covered with Hardi-Plank lap siding (and Hardi panel on the soffits) -which is a fiber cement siding that is much more durable in the changing weather conditions of WNC, than wood is. AFM Exterior Enamels were applied to the surface. Metal roofing, even though it is very expensive, was chosen mainly for its ability to withstand 50 – 100 years of weather without needing any maintenance. A light color was chosen to reflect the sun’s heat in the summer, keeping the house naturally cooler, and more efficient. SIP’s panels (Structurally Insulated Panels) were used in the 520 square foot addition roof for several reasons. In combination with the metal roofing, these make for a very energy efficient / tight envelope. SIP’s also allow you to span large areas of interior space without the use of trusses or ties along the ceiling. This was important because of the need to keep the space open and airy, due to the small amount of square footage they had to work with.