“We live in a beautiful house…it’s so well made. My brother-in-law, who is very hard to impress, is impressed! They just don’t build houses like this…we are so lucky to live here.”
– Client
The Story
Felicity and Elaine bought a lakeside property and began their search for a builder with design-build capability. After reviewing the EcoBuilders website and watching the Emerson case study video with Naomi and Emily they were sold; the next step was to make the phone call to Joe Buglino.
The goal of this new residential project was to build a highly energy efficient home on a lakeside property in Westchester County. The lot was tight and there were a significant number of building restrictions at the waters edge. EcoBuilders effectively determined the site placement, integrating the house and land it is sitting on and positioning it to efficiently take advantage of the maximum amount of solar energy while still enjoying the lake views.
There was no design for the house at the start of the project, so over coffee Joe and Felicity laid out a design plan. Joe and the engineer envisioned the plan and brought the project to life. As in any construction project there are unanticipated bumps along the way, and this building was no different. Although the construction budget remained on-track, there were design decisions made throughout the project that caused an increase in cost and a delayed the move-in date. It’s really all about how a company handles the challenges that crop up that counts. Joe’s project management and guidance made the owners feel like they were being taken well care of, and they are very happy with the house they have designed and built together.
A little about the efficiencies of the Lakeshore house. Eco Builders worked with a building systems specialist and together they were able to achieve a NET ZERO home that takes full advantage of the sun and the lake views. They implemented a panelized system for construction and worked with consultants to refine the building envelope, installing a high performance HVAC system. The photovoltaic system on the roof takes full advantage of the available solar energy. In May, Elaine said, “The solar panels are cranking and we produced more than we used for the last 2 months.”
Our clients have been very pleased with Joe’s patience, flexibility and ingenuity. “Joe was always very responsive … always got right back to us and has included us in all of the decisions. He has had a lot of good ideas.” “When gutter systems were discussed Joe suggested a rain chain; this is one of our favorite things outside the house.”
Joe has said a construction company is only as good as it’s contractors. Elaine added, “Our carpenter did an impeccable job. He is the real deal. The corners on the trim are finished so well you can’t see the seams.” Throughout the job we learned where the deficiencies existed and made adjustments as were necessary. And there were things we learned for future projects.
Now that our clients have lived in their home and experienced a winter we inquired about how things are going. They excitedly said, “We live in an amazing house … it is a great place to shelter at home.” “We are ecstatic with the end product.” “And by the way, most builders don’t follow-up when the job is done, we appreciate this call a lot.”
