Growing Up Green

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Photo Courtesy of Troy Theis

Inevitably, it happens: The family grows and the abode gets a little cramped. Such was the case for the owners living in this small bungalow in the Fulton Neighborhood of south Minneapolis. With one child and another soon on the way, more space was a necessity.

They could have upsized in a move. Instead, they chose to remodel. Bryan Anderson, AIA, associate architect at SALA Architects, came up with a design that reconfigured the main floor and added a stylish second story with children’s bedrooms and a suite for the owners—so stylish, in fact, that it was recognized with a Fulton B.L.E.N.D. Award. This well-insulated space replaced a drafty attic: “The concept was to put a wool cap on the house and capture some of that heat loss,” Anderson explains.

The owners’ goal was to incorporate green features. A key component was the use of high-density foam insulation in the upper addition and existing main-floor exterior walls; despite double the square footage, the owners saw a 40 percent reduction in their heating bills. Other green strategies include Toto dual-flush toilets, paper resin countertops, and formaldehyde-free wall paneling. The exterior is a play on the “wool hat” concept with long-lasting weatherproof fiber cement siding panels contrasting against the stucco below. Metal sidewalk grates were adapted as distinctive sunshades above south-facing windows. The metal roof is fully recyclable at the end of its life.

But the owners’ decision to not move or tear down is perhaps the greenest feature of all: They improved the existing home, and with it, the neighborhood. “We made this little drafty bungalow a home they could stay in for a long time,” Anderson says. “It was really cool to see how much we influenced the big picture.”

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