Modern green dream home in Linden Hills is sustainable inside and out
This new modern home on a small city lot in Minneapolis is sustainable inside and out. It's the AIA Minnesota Home of the Month.
By Lynn Underwood Star Tribune
June 3, 2017 — 8:58am
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Modern home right-sized for a small city lot is green inside and out without sacrificing style, designed by Christian Dean Architecture.
Chad Holder
GalleryGallery: Modern home right-sized for a small city lot is green inside and out without sacrificing style, designed by Christian Dean Architecture.
Homeowners Mel and Rosemary Wieting on the sundeck/outdoor room of the Linden Hills home.
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Although the home has three levels, the boxy contemporary design creates a lower profile on the city lot.
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the south-facing sundeck doubles as a private outdoor room warmed by a mod gas fireplace.The pergola has angled wood slats to allow sunlight in winter and provide shade in summer.
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The wrap around side and back decks are made of Accoya, a thermal insulated sustainable wood.
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The black-and-white kitchen, with a 12-foot-long island and recycled paper countertops, is the hub of the home.
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The floors are finished with durable, low-maintenance Douglas fir ply made from salvaged lumber.
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Gallery white minimalist interiors are accented with Aalto black pendant lights. The Wietings can step out to the sundeck/outdoor room from the dining area.
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A sculptural open staircase leads to the top level.
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The living spaces are warm and filled with light thanks to passive solar design strategies.
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Spa-style master bathroom features over-sized walk-in shower with dual heads and a heated floor.
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Main Level floor plan by Christian Dean Architecture.
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Upper level floor plan by Christian Dean Architecture.
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Architect Christian Dean
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Mel Wieting dreamed of building an ultra-energy-efficient home someday. But he wasn’t sure how he would combine green technology with comfortable and inviting living spaces.
He found out after he and his wife, Rosemary Wieting, bought a hillside lot in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis.
First they hired Better Futures Minnesota to deconstruct the tiny ramshackle cottage on the property. The company sells the salvaged materials, including metal and light fixtures.
Then last September, the couple moved into the completed modern home with a solar array covering its flat roof to generate electricity.
The home’s shell is constructed with super-tight structural insulated panels (SIPs), and the dwelling sits on a Thermomass concrete foundation.
The couple lounge in a strategically placed outdoor “solar” room hidden from the street. The wraparound raised deck is made of Accoya, a durable thermal-insulated wood guaranteed to last 50 years.