GREEN ASPECTS

TheWatershed Inspiration Home celebrates a healthy coastal lifestyle and a healthy environment, with beauty and style. The architecture draws on influences from the Arts and Crafts movement focused on embracing craftsmanship, and the ways that the Cape Dutch and French Colonial adapted traditional design styles for a hot humid climate. Inspiration also stems from the original Fairhoper’s who were optimistic intellectuals, and loved nature and the arts.

The architecture of the Inspiration Home is shaped by both the site and by the climate. The deep, overhanging roof shelters the home from both the heat of the sun and the intense rainfall of the gulf coast. The windows and skylight are placed to capture daylight in each room and introduce views into nature from all angles.

While this is a luxury home, WATERSHED used the same affordable green design strategies that they have used with Habitat for Humanity and other affordable home builders to reduce energy use by half. After factoring in the rooftop solar panels, the Inspiration Home is projected to use 72% less energy than a benchmark home and will be the second Zero Energy Ready and Indoor Air Plus certified home in Fairhope, and South Alabama.

The interior design provides health and comfort by integrating natural materials, views to nature, interior plants, elements of water and dynamic natural lighting. Numerous studies show that these “biophilic” design strategies reduce heart rates and promote positive mental health and wellbeing. Interior materials also are meant to eliminate toxic ingredients that could impair indoor air quality.

The home’s adaptable design and resilient structure conserves materials by allowing the home to adjust to changing family needs without significant renovations. Whether you are interested in the design, the technical details, or both, the Watershed Inspiration Home will capture your eye and your imagination.