Naturally, I was skeptical about the need for virtuous luxury - until I visited Sheldon Crossing which is slated for Platinum certification under the LEED for Homes Program. This column has expressed the need for a "top down" or "trickle down" disseminatory approach to sustainability. In order for green design's roots to take, someone must hype green design for it to become popular enough to be bootlegged to the masses. In order to not contradict myself, I must indicate that Sheldon Crossing has created consensus aspirational living - slightly different then the "lowest-common-denominator" philosophy I typically jaw about - they've built a beautiful development, and done so with decreased environmental agitation. Upon seeing SC, I feel like green this good is worth emulating.
Sheldon Crossing‘s, Alex Plessett, describes SC as," an upper end, luxurious development with countless upscale features." He advertises, "Our model is about as luxurious as you can possibly imagine."
Compared to another nearly-million dollar development, SC has met (and exceeded) much greener metrics than its peers, and has done so without pruning away the features that draws one to a status-y neighborhood. I think Sheldon Crossing has done a phenomenal job. The following list of features comes direct from Plessett:
1. Viking appliance package!
2. Media room complete with fireplace and wet bar!
3. Coffered ceilings in the living room!
4. 5 fireplaces (4 gas fireplaces are located in the media room, living room, master suite and on the green roof and 1 electric fireplace in the master bathroom)!
5. The green roof has a sexy entertainment center highlighted by a flat screen TV flanked by waterfalls on both sides and a fire trough underneath. The entertainment center sits under a canopy of solar modules specifically designed to capture maximum sunlight exposure and while also providing shade to the homeowners below!
6. There's a summer kitchen on the green roof!
7. The roof is fully planted with lush plants and vegetation making it feel like your "private park in the sky!"And the views of Center City Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs are fantastic.
8. There is a Smart Home Automation system that controls your heating, cooling, lighting, audio visual and security systems with touch screen pads throughout the home. It can be operated by a remote computer or your i-phone while away from home!
9. The master suite is equipped with a morning kitchen in the sitting room. It comes complete with a built-in coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave and sink. This is located next to an organic looking 3-sided gas fireplace faced with reclaimed coconut shells!
10. The master bathroom is a spa-like retreat with radiant heated floors, a flat screen TV and electric fireplace at one end of the tub. The Kohler whirlpool tub is filled from a spout that comes out of the ceiling and provides a constant overflow of water over the sides of the tub for a truly relaxing sensation. There is also a dual flush toilet with heated seat, built-in bidet, air-purifier and night light!
"Although the majority of green homes do not incorporate sustainability with luxury, that is exactly what we are doing at Sheldon Crossing." Says Plessett, "Many green homes have been built with a minimalistic or bare bones approach leaving out the upscale amenities that are desired by so many people." SC Principal, Denise Lehmann, executed versatile design with a degree of taste rare even among designers. She mentioned the phrase "sustainable [interior] design" to describe the holistic, cohesiveness of the interior - a perfect aesthetic companion to a holistic envelope - Lehmann used recurrent colors (cream, taupe, brown, light gray-green, yellow) and textures (woven fibers, grass cloth, honed light and dark Emperador marble) to tie each room together. In one of SC's full baths, Lehmann made a gutsy move - instead of tiling the bath with charcoal gray slate tiles, Lehmann sourced reclaimed chalkboards from an old New Jersey schoolhouse and used them to clad the walls and floor with what appeared to be full size (that is, chalkboard sized) slate slabs. So, with one clever, memorable material selection, Lehmann installed a sense of place and history.
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