ACE awards Johnna Barrett, of Barrett Design, Inc. the “Greenovation” Award

 
The Greenovation Award is given to the entrepreneur whose business exemplifies the principle of preserving our environment and is designed to honor the business that is making a measurable effort to minimize and/or eliminate negative impact on the environment through sustainability.

Once named among the Top Five Entrepreneurs in Atlanta by Catalyst Magazine, Atlanta Architect Johnna Barrett is the principal of Barrett Design, Inc. Barrett Design is a full-service interior design and architecture firm specializing in commercial office buildings, retail centers, multifamily housing, residential, spas and wellness facilities, resort and hospitality developments, nightclubs and entertainment venues, restaurants and interiors. These detailed homes are energy efficient and respond well to the natural environment by incorporating cool roof technologies, green roofs, solar paneling and much more.

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Rendering Low Res

Want to see a sustainable house go from concept to reality?  Scroll through our still photo gallery and watch as construction progresses.  Starting with the foundations we are following every step of the construction process so you can see the materials that make this house sustainable as they are being installed. 

Construction is underway on the latest SUSTAIN house project  — a custom designed residence for outdoorsman Joey Mines.  The home, being built by ACCMS construction, is located in Lagrange, Georgia on the shores of beautiful West Point Lake.  Located within The Settings of West Point Lake, the home will showcase sustainable materials throughout.   

Each week construction segments will be aired on Outdoors with Joey Mines to show ongoing progress of the home.  We will interview the material suppliers as well as the contractor and sub-contractors responsible for building the home.  The first segment will air on Saturday, April 4th.   Outdoors with Joey Mines is on 52 weeks on FOX SPORTS NET SOUTH Saturdays @ 10:30 AM EST and Thursdays @ 1:30 PM EST. The show is also on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on – MYOUTDOORTV.COM

For more information about the home and its sponsors please visit Joeysgreenhouse.com.  

Click here to view Architect Johnna Barrett talking live with Joey on “Outdoors with Joey Mines”

Green Home Design Georgia

Wingo Street Cottages is a pocket neighborhood located in the vibrant downtown area of Historic Norcross, Georgia.  Known in its early days as “Atlanta’s Favorite Summer Resort,” Norcross today consists of a 112-acre Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  Picturesque rows of restored narrow brick buildings contain shops and restaurants, and one of Atlanta’s few preserved Train Depots is located in the middle of town.  Throughout the Historic District old homes have been carefully restored based on historical precedent.  The dense tree canopy includes old growth hardwoods, magnolias and pines, while the streets are lined with crepe myrtles, azaleas and other native foliage.  A downtown park provides access to green space and a backdrop for numerous arts festivals and farmer’s marets. 

Construction is starting on the first two of eight SUSTAIN houses in the Historic District.  These homes have been stylistically adapted to blend with the original bungalows, arts and crafts and prairie style homes they are located adjacent to.  The first two homes are approximately 1700 s.f. each and once constructed will be LEED certified. Each of the homes will also be Energy Star rated which means, among other things, significantly cheaper power bills.  Kitchens and baths will have beautiful countertops with recycled content from ECO by Cosentino.  All of the recessed light fixtures throughout the homes have LED bulbs with a 20,000 hour life span.  That means it will be many years before you need to change a light bulb.  Beautiful eco resin panels from 3-Form, recycled glass mosaic backsplashes, Kohler plumbing fixtures, Tru Stile interior doors, and all Energy Star appliances are just a sampling of the features in these homes. 

Green home design Georgia.

Let’s review how most floor plans are created.  A typical house designer might begin the process by picking a style.  Colonial, craftsman, mediterranean, french country, etc.  Then some standard plans are created, based on historical precedent and what “sells”.  The pre-requisite rooms are drawn up with stylistically acceptable window openings, the elevations are tweaked and voila.  Finished.  Many of these plan designers are now promoting “green” floor plans.  Unfortunately what this typically means is they’ve bumped up the R-value of the insulation, and added better windows.  Materials and manufacturers aren’t specified so there is no control over what actually gets built.

Now let’s talk about the fundamental information that goes into designing a green home.  At SUSTAIN house, when we begin a new design, the most important thing we look at is the site.  All of the designs are based on a set solar orientation.  We use a north/south orientation to maximize natural light and minimize the effects of heat gain.  South facing walls are filled with windows with appropriately sized overhangs to provide shading during the hot summer months while still letting in lots of light for passive solar gain during the winter months.   Landscaping recommendations are provided to assist with solar shading and with selection of plant species that help conserve water.  Rainwater collection devices are specified for easy irrigation of gardens.

A green home has to be responsive to its site, first and foremost.   The next step is selection of the right materials.  Every material that goes into a green home should be responsibly sourced from renewable or recycled resources.  We specify only FSC certified wood products for framing and wood siding.  Our stone veneers are cultured stone made with recycled content, and the stucco we specify is made from recycled content.  All of the interior materials meet LEED for homes requirements.  They are made in factories that are committed to preserving the environment, have low VOCs, and are made with a set percentage of recyled content.  Kitchen and bath cabinets meet these requirements and are formaldehyde free.  Most of our light fixtures are equipped with LED bulbs that use very little electricity and with average use will last for 20 years! 

And finally, a green home has to be energy efficient.  We are an Energy Star Partner and every SUSTAIN house plan we sell carries the “Designed to Earn the Energy Star” seal.  Each of our green home plans has been independently reviewed and verified to include energy-saving features and construction practices that will result in a home that is 20–30 percent more energy efficient than a standard home.

A green, sustainable home by SUSTAIN house is an amazing creation.  Small square footage packs in a wealth of interior details.  A SUSTAIN house is smart, energy conscious, spacious, open and airy and beautiful.  Our first line of homes is the Modern Forest Series. There are a total of 5 house plans available for purchase.  Click the link at the top of the page to view each of the individual plans, renderings, and more detailed information.  All exterior and interior materials have been specified to earn LEED credits, and with proper site selection and following the LEED checklist included with your home plans you can easily be LEED gold or platinum certified.  We want to show that environmental consciousness can be beautiful.  All of our home plans have been independently reviewed and carry the Designed to Earn the Energy Star seal. This means that when built according to specifications you can count on an annual energy savings of 20-30% over similar homes built to code.

When you build a SUSTAIN house you can be assured you’re building with clean, high-quality natural materials made by companies and people just like you who care about protecting our natural resources.  But a SUSTAIN house is so much more than that.  We believe that the forms, materials, colors and lighting that create your home have a direct effect on your well-being.   And that’s something we’re just as committed to nourishing as we are to green living.

At SUSTAIN house we believe that green living is not just about meeting green building requirements.  It’s about reconnecting with nature through well thought out design.  Walking into a SUSTAIN house is a breath of fresh air.  Literally!  All of our building materials have been carefully selected to improve indoor air quality.  Every home is designed to maximize natural daylight and provide beautiful views.  Pre-designated solar orientations mean that you’re not just buying a house plan.  You’re buying a carefully thought out home that will respond to nature through every season. 

We believe that your home should be a reflection of your values and through extensive research we have selected materials and products that are cost effective, eco-friendly and beautiful.  

SUSTAIN house is the green residential division of Barrett Design, Inc., the internationally acclaimed architecture and interior design firm located in metro Atlanta, Georgia. 

One of the most striking features of the POPLARhouse is at the entry door, where water trickles over a stacked stone wall into a reflecting pool below. The POPLARhouse  is designed for easy indoor/outdoor entertaining  with a spacious kitchen located at the center of the home that opens onto a large patio, and ample room for seating.  A garden for herbs or flowers is conveniently located in the center of the patio adjacent to the outdoor kitchen.  Inside, the kitchen bar area easily seats six.

The master suite of the POPLARhouse is located on the main level, with a spacious bathroom and it’s own separate laundry area located just outside the walk-in closet.  A Kohler digital showering system with body jets, a hand shower, and a rainhead with chromatherapy provides customizable shower functions.  Countertops here, as in the rest of the house, are ECO by Cosentino. 

The main living area is just off the kitchen, with north windows for constant natural light and views through the kitchen to the outdoor entertaining area.  An Eco-fuel fireplace is recessed into the wall with television outlets and equipment recesses above. 

At the top of the stairs light floods in from the windows and french doors leading onto the outdoor roof deck.  The roof is equipped with modular green grid roof panels, that allow you to customize how much of the roof you want to “green”, and how much you want to leave open for outdoor furniture.  There are three additional bedrooms upstairs, two large and one small that could be used as a nursery or home office, and a shared bathroom.  The main laundry room is located upstairs as well, central to the bedrooms, along with the mechanical equipment closet.

Visit SUSTAINhouse.com for additional information including floor plan downloads and the gallery of interior and exterior materials.

The dramatic lines of the NISHIKIhouse do little to underscore the warmth of the interior spaces.  Entering the foyer an organic Eykon textured wallcovering covers the floating wall, while random sized windows stream in constant, museum quality, north lighting .  The main living area is in the large rectangular wood form, and the wood doesn’t stop on the outside.  The interior walls and ceilings are 8″ horizontal wood with a chestnut stain, and contain many art niches and recessed bookcases.  The views extend from the front of the house to the rear of the house with large windows and 15′ high ceilings.  The living area has a recessed Eco Fuel fireplace with connections above for tv and equipment.  The large kitchen is designed for entertaining.  An island cooking area topped with ECO by Cosentino  is perfect for conversing with family and guests, while the rear worksurface has glass windows extending down to the countertops.  Side work areas have horizontal cabinets above for ample storage.  All appliances are Energy Star and all of the recessed light fixtures are LED which means with average use the lightbulbs can last 20 years!

Stepping down from the main living area is the dining room, with sliding doors that open onto a sunken garden facing a water feature that is fed from the rainwater collection system.

Just off the foyer, leading to the bedrooms, is the Relaxation Room — a concept pioneered by the architect in her work with spa and healthcare facilities.  The room has insulated walls to block out sounds, chromatherapy lighting that allows for adjustment of the color of the room via remote control, and wall mount locations for a flat panel television.  Built-in speakers, separate from the main audio system of the house, can provide an ambient music source.  The room is designed to hold a fully reclining massage chair. 

The master suite and the two additional bedrooms all have french doors that open onto the landscaped outdoor terrace and reflecting pool. 

To view additional information, download the floor plans, and browse the gallery of interior and exterior finishes please visit our website at www.SUSTAINhouse.com.