Off the Western tip of Nantucket Island, on a tapering spit of sand and sea grasses, lies a remote small island, accessible only by boat. Here, one of just three cottages on the island has been renovated to a LEED Gold standard by Scout Real Estate Capital.
A Scout subsidiary, Esther's Island Retreat, purchased the 10-acre site in October 2007 in order to learn about environmentally sensitive building practices. Scout owns resort properties in Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Bermuda and Hawaii. The learning that happened as a result of the Esther's Island house, will be transferred to Scout's other projects.
For more detailed information about Esther's Island click here
To see a short video on Esther's Island click here
A Sensitive Site
Geologically, Esther Island is a combination of coastal dunes and glacial outwash. The existing cottage was much too close to the edge of Madaket Harbor and its wastewater system included only a cesspool.
Planning for a renovated cottage responded to the site in several ways:
The disturbance zone was limited to less than a ½ acre and silt fencing prevented material storage from impacting much of the site.
The cottage was moved back 50’ from the edge of the Harbor.
An environmentally sensitive septic system and leaching field was designed from the project. Reducing nitrogen runoff into the Harbor was a key goal for the system design.
Thoughtful Design
In keeping with Scout's sustainability strategy, every renovation detail was tended to with great care to ensure the property's character was preserved while seeking to renovate the cottage to a Gold LEED standard. The renovated structure replicates the rustic design of the original cottage but has been constructed with renewable materials including FSC certified lumber, low VOC paints, and drought resistant, native vegetation. Scout engaged Hart Howerton, one of the country's top land planning, architecture and landscape architecture firms to assist with the project design.
Additionally, Linda Woodrum served the project's interior decorator. For 12 years Linda has served as the interior designer for the HGTV "Dream House" and this year, she was selected to design the interior of the HGTV "Green House", HGTV's highly profiled green home. Linda is recognized as a national leader in green, interior design.
100% Renewable Energy
Esther’s Island is not on an electrical power grid. Consequently the project includes several clean energy technologies in order to power the site:
A 5kw vertical axis wind turbine
A 4,000 volt photovoltaic solar array
A flat panel solar thermal array for hot water
Summary
The following are just a few of the areas that Scout has focused on for the Esther’s Island property:
Integrated Project Planning – construction specialists, energy experts and designers all collaborated to develop a comprehensive, green approach to the project
Durability Planning – durability issues including pests, rot, natural disaster and water exposure were identified as key issues to be addressed and inspected during construction
Solar and Efficient Wind Technologies – natural sources are the predominant power for the site
Minimal Disturbance - the site structure foundation is a helix of pilings above flood level and a very limited perimeter fence prevented site disturbance
Construction Waste Minimization – a chipper reduced the cubic yardage of non-useable existing building fabric and the waste of new construction materials was limited to 10% of total materials
Existing Soil Enhanced - 18 tons of organic compost for optimal growth have been introduced and an organic landscaping protocol is being executed
Non-invasive Landscape Design - landscaping is native, drought-tolerant plantings
Wastewater Maximization - Innovative/alternative AdvanTex Treatment System with a Presby Enviro-Septic leaching system
Rainwater Harvesting & Capture – fresh water use will be reduced by irrigating the landscape with captured rainwater
Forest Steward Council (FSC) Certified Wood – wood products used in construction have been bought from companies that practice sustainable forestry
Energy Star Appliance Use – appliances throughout the home meet requirements for Energy Star
Efficient Windows – high performance glass reduces the amount of glare, heat loss and air leakage
Water Efficient Fixtures – using dual flush toilets and aerators on sinks and showers will reduce water use
Low-VOC/Microbial-Resistant Paints and Sealants – the sealants and paints used do not have volatile organic compounds that can off-gas and release chemicals into the air
Organic Materials – furnishings will be primarily made of organic materials
