Press release from Earthtone Design Studio:
A dramatic new, highly environmental home certified to consume less than a tenth of the energy of a typical new American home, has won the 2016 Innovative Home Design award of the Asheville Home Builders Association.
The custom three-bedroom two-bath 1,500 square foot home, located at 92 Fenner Street in Asheville, is the first designed and constructed by Earthtone Design Studio. The recently formed studio is collaboration of Greg McGuffey, design director and Felipe Santander, lead designer and recent Asheville/Swannanoa resident. It will be open for visitors between 1PM and 5PM Saturday October 15 and Sunday October 16.
(Note to editors: Photos of the exterior and interior of the home are available for viewing and downloading here)
The award-winning “Net Zero” home carries a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index score of 9, on a scale where the typical new American home is 100 (see https://www.resnet.us/hers-index). HERS is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance.
McGuffey and Santander met in Asheville in early 2015. After discussing their design philosophy, both had a sense of connection, with a shared work ethic and interest in architecture. McGuffey is also the owner of Earthtone Builders, a custom green building company, which he founded in Asheville in 2003.
Santander, a Chilean architect, who had relocated from San Francisco to Asheville in 2015, was seeking to work with a designer in the area with whom he shared a common vision. With an upcoming project on the books for Earthtone Builders, it was an easy and natural decision to test the waters and embark on their first design project together.
Santander received his architecture degree at the Finis Terrae University in Santiago, Chile in 2007. Santander’s passion for residential design began in 2006 when he was recruited by a professor to join the small design/build studio, WMR Arquitectos. He has worked as a design architect and construction manager, designing and building high-end residences, mountain cottages, and boutique hotels. He was hired by the international engineering company, Arcadis, to coordinate the design of an astronomical observatory in Northern Chile. Santander also worked as part of the design team in charge of a new airport in Easter Island, a collaborative project with the French consultant, ADPi.
In 2010, Santander moved to San Francisco, CA, where he expanded his design repertoire to include permaculture and urban farming. There he cofounded the ecological design studio, Integrated Habitats, creating and implementing food forests and edible gardens.
Currently residing in Swannanoa, NC, Santander believes modern homes can be beautiful and sustainable, regardless of how limited or generous the budget. Other Earthtone Design homes are under construction and on the drawing boards of the firm.
For additional information, call (415) 450-7510.
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