Domus Alba Residence David M. Harper FAIA LEED AP, Architect
“These doors and windows are beautiful and strong, which is the perfect mix for this home,” added Harper.
Miami, FL (PRWEB) February 24, 2015
A first-of-its-kind LEED Gold home in Pinecrest, Florida, is raising the bar by walking the sustainability talk. Adding to the efficiency of this gorgeous, precedent-setting home: CGI Windows and Doors products.
David M. Harper, FAIA, has split his time between homes in Atlanta and Miami for decades. The recent arrival of twins encouraged him and his wife to set down roots; they chose Pinecrest. A longtime believer in “walking the talk,” David decided to design and build the property, using the home as a framework to promote sustainability on a variety of levels.
“This home was designed to demonstrate our own personal commitment to the principles of sustainability and expand the envelope of what’s possible,” said Harper.
The result: Domus Alba is a stunning piece of residential architecture positioned with minimal impact between a 500-acre nature preserve and Biscayne Bay. Completely coated with limestone, the solid mass visual of the exterior walls transitions seamlessly into a grid of white-framed windows at the front entrance. Featuring about 8,000 square feet within the envelope (less than 7,000 air conditioned), the home began the LEED certification process at -16.5 points due to its size.
Following Hurricane Andrew’s decimation of south Florida in August 1992, Harper served as chair of the building code committee tasked with upgrading and improving building codes in the state of Florida. In this capacity he learned the importance of good impact windows as part of a successful building envelope in a hurricane-prone area.
When it came to designing his own home, Harper wanted the exterior envelope to exceed current building codes. Familiar with CGI Windows and Doors for years, he selected fixed, operable, and sliding products to be part of his new home. All doors and windows are LoE and triple-paned to help with temperature regulation.
“These doors and windows are beautiful and strong, which is the perfect mix for this home,” added Harper. “Since accessibility to the outdoors is paramount, these windows and doors are opened and closed frequently. Not only are they an integral part of the sustainable building envelope, they are sturdy – and beautiful!”
Fenestration plays a large part in Domus Alba, with dramatic sweeping walls of glass windows 20 feet high descending into a 30-foot-wide wall of operable CGI sliding glass doors, all framing a great room providing a superb indoor-outdoor relationship. Depending on the weather, this 2,500-square-foot section of the home may be operated as non-air-conditioned.
Completed in the latter part of 2013, Domus Alba earned LEED Gold certification in July 2014 and is the first home of its size to reach LEED Gold in Florida. The home was selected as Home of the Year in 2014 by the South Florida United States Green Building Council. The house was also the first LEED home in Pinecrest.
David M. Harper, FAIA, is Principal and Managing Director of HKS Architects Miami. Domus Alba was designed under the banner David M. Harper, FAIA, Architect.
ABOUT CGI:
CGI was established in 1992 and has consistently built a reputation based on designing and manufacturing quality impact resistant products that meet or exceed the stringent Miami-Dade County impact standards. The company has over 200 employees at its manufacturing plant in Miami, Florida. Today the Company continues to lead as an innovator in product craftsmanship, strength and style, and its brands are highly recognized and respected by the architectural community. CGI product lines include the Estate Collection, Sentinel by CGI, Estate Entrances, Commercial Series and Targa by CGI. CGI Windows & Doors is a wholly owned subsidiary of PGT, Inc. (NASDAQ: PGTI). For additional information, visit http://www.cgiwindows.com.