Monolithic Dome home built and owned by Peggy Atwood in Kerhonkson.

Perhaps the most unusual home design of all was a super-insulated, monolithic dome house in Kerhonkson, built and owned by designer and contractor Peggy Atwood. Located on an old hunting camp site, the dome is constructed of sprayed concrete, with polyurethane foam sandwiched between the airform and concrete. Locally milled timber cleared from the site is used inside. The home uses passive solar, and has a woodstove, high-efficiency propane boiler and radiant heating in a concrete slab floor. Atwood said she hoped to upgrade to geothermal. The insulated concrete has an R-60 value, and in general monolithic domes claim to save 50 percent on heating and cooling costs compared to a similar size conventional building. 

JUDGING

Jack Christmann, principal of Energy Appreciators, an energy efficiency consultancy in New Paltz, is a LEED Accredited Professional and HERS rater in the Mid-Hudson and Capital regions. Christmann, a civil engineer, has been a construction manager for more than 25 years, and a home performance contractor since 2006.

Michael McDonough, award-winning architect and industrial designer based in New York, is a recognized thought leader in energy efficiency and green building technology. McDonough's experimental e-House in the Mid-Hudson Valley was conceived as a building science and design laboratory, and has been termed the most sustainable building in the world.

Paul E. McGinniss is a renewable energy advocate, co-founder of New York Real Estate Group and Paul E. McGinniss & Associates,and a New York State licensed real estate broker. McGinniss teaches a green building and renovation class at SUNY Ulster and works as a green building and renovation consultant. He is also a writer and green media consultant for ScheinMedia and the green advocate columnist for New York House.

CRITIERIA

To be eligible, projects must be single-family homes built between January 2000 and December 2006 and located in one of the New York counties that comprise our upstate editorial coverage area: Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Sullivan,Dutchess, Ulster, Greene, Delaware, and Columbia.All submissions were made between April 22, 2006 and December 31, 2007.

New York House's selection criteria are based on best-practices guidelines as outlined in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes Pilot Rating System.

Entries were evaluated on these criteria:
-Use building resources efficiently—through appropriate home sizing, improved design, material selection and utilization, and construction practices;
-Consume less energy—through proper insulation, HVAC sizing, and renewable energy systems, such as photovoltaic and wind;
-Use land wisely—through careful site selection, orientation, and landscaping;
-Provide comfort and health through improved indoor air and light quality;
-Last for many years with minimal maintenance;
-Homes were also judged on their design aesthetics.