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Our decision to demolish the existing 1947 brick Cape Cod on this
site did not come easily. We spent the better part of 6 months
planning a renovation of the old home and in the end decided that
the final product wouldn’t give us the floor plan or efficiency we
desired. A partnership with Second Chance,
www.secondchanceinc.org;
a non-profit organization, which disassembles old houses, trucks
them to a warehouse and resells their nicest features was the
answer. Second Chance works with low-income residents of Baltimore
to train them in a wide variety of skill sets, ranging from
carpentry to craftsmanship -it was a win, win situation for
everyone!
Old houses feel different from new ones. We want that old-time
warmth and personality wrapped up in an efficient new space designed
with our present and future needs in mind. Our goal is to build a
Contemporary Craftsman Bungalow that will blend into its
surroundings rather than aggressively dominate them. A home with
intrinsic value where emphasis is placed on structure and systems,
one that borrows the best from the past and the present, creating a
home that's comfortable, healthy and safe, and that's easy to
maintain, as well as one with low monthly bills.
Sustainable means using something no faster than it can replace
itself, so the choice will still be there in the future. Some
believe that green building means having a sod roof, but we want to
build a home making environmentally sensitive choices without
compromising on architectural design or amenities. Like everyone,
budgetary constraints impacted our decisions and with the help of
our architect Richard Rosen and consulting architect Sandra
Leibowtiz we have chosen systems and materials that will create a
beautiful, energy efficient home; one that will both serve our needs
and the needs of subsequent owners for generations to come.
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