Shooting For LEED Platinum in Mount Pleasant
1814 Irving Street NW
When Erik Hoffland moved into a Mount Pleasant rowhouse in 2003, he knew it was going to need a lot of work. He had to put pots and pans down on the floor when the ceiling leaked. A small hole in the floor revealed, of all things, the bathroom.
“It was a group house that was just falling apart,” Hoffland told UrbanTurf. “Structurally, it was a mess.”
Seven years after purchasing the three-bedroom, three-bathroom house at 1814 Irving Street NW (map), the architect amassed enough money to begin a full gut renovation. Based on a couple of environmentally-friendly projects he’d worked on, Hoffland decided to shoot for LEED Platinum certification for the house. He had that in mind when he purchased it, he said.
“I chose the house because it was in such a rundown state,” Hoffland explained. “From an environmental standpoint there’s nothing better than keeping an existing house, but in this case it really needed to be gutted and there was not much structural or architectural integrity to what was here.”
Hoffland recycled what material he could, and used reclaimed materials in the rest of the house, including the flooring. He also used environmentally-friendly finishes, including recycled content tile and countertops, and efficient appliances. But those aren’t the main features that keep energy use down, Hoffland explained.
“I always tell people that the actual surface materials you see are really the smallest component of keeping a house sustainable,” he said. “It’s how tight the envelope is and the mechanical systems that really contribute the most efficiency.”
So, the home was built with spray-foam insulation, a tankless water heater, efficient windows, a high-efficiency gas furnace and solar panels that supply 50 percent of the home’s energy each month.
The rowhouse, which was designed with what Hoffland called a Scandinavian modern vibe, also used architecture to try and help its occupants curb energy use.
“We really tried to open it up with skylights and an open floor plan to make it as light as possible, so at daytime you don’t need to have lights on in the house,” he said.
Hoffland has yet to formally receive the LEED Platinum certification, but his application has been submitted and he is confident it will be successful. For now, he is on to his next project: He sold 1814 Irving and recently closed on a larger home in need of work just three blocks away.
See other articles related to: erik hoffland, leed, leed platinum, leed-certfied homes, mount pleasant
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/how_one_of_dcs_first_leed_platinum_homes_came_to_be/8653.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever
Back in 2022, the DC Zoning Commission gave the green light to a large mixed-use deve... read »
Opening for sales this spring, The Brownstones at Westbard Square will feature 101 ne... read »
Today, UrbanTurf is taking a look at the tax benefits associated with buying a home t... read »
Donohoe presented plans on Thursday evening for a new multi-family residential projec... read »
Even with two large apartment buildings delivering in Northern Virginia's National L... read »
- Raze Application Looks To Pave Way For 700-Unit Development in Brookland
- Coming Soon: New EYA Brownstones at Westbard Square in Bethesda
- A Look At The Tax Benefits of Buying a Home Through a Trust
- Early Plans Unveiled For 130-Unit Development in Friendship Heights
- 3 Down, 7 To Go: A Look At The Thousands of Units Coming to National Landing
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro