The name that is synonymous with nationwide
green rehab initiatives and the project that currently ranks as
the country’s top LED performer is Talon Court.
to capture rainfall that would be reused for toilet flush-ing
and for irrigating the landscape. A 450-square-foot
roof garden was designed by Steve Mott to manage
stormwater runoff.
France allowed the exterior colors and textures to
influence the interior palette and selected finish material
manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the project.
Some of her choices, like the pressed sorghum straw wall
panels and the sunflower hull resin composite, represent
emerging sustainable technologies.
DeChesere softened the exterior appearance of the
home by the addition of a carport. The existing concrete
driveway was scored and cut into squares and used to
create pavers around the periphery of the house. The driveway
was replaced with a pervious surface and exterior vinyl siding
was harvested and replaced with Hardie Shingleside panels.
One of the most significant changes made to the floorplan
was the repurposing of the garage as habitable space. This area
is now an office shared by the DeCheseres, linked to the living
area through the foyer. A living room fireplace was removed
and replaced with a light well and built-in entertainment
center, and access to bed and bath chambers was redirected to
provide more privacy.
Jay DeChesere launched his latest venture, Sustainable
Design Collaborative, with members of his Talon Court
green team from his office in the home’s repurposed
garage. On the table is the Bald Head Island Barrier
Island Study Center plan and on the computerized
drawing board, a green home in the North Carolina
Mountains. Heather DeChesere harvests fresh greens
and vegetables from the couple’s home agricultural
garden at Talon Court.
Completed in six months, DeChesere came to a fork in his
pathway. The house was so nice that rather than market the
property for resale, he and Heather decided to move in.
Today, the Barrier Island Study Center is moving forward,
but the name that is synonymous with nationwide green rehab
initiatives and the project that currently ranks as the country’s
top LED performer, earning an unprecedented 113.5 platinum
points during its 2010 certification by the US Green Building
Council and a solid gold designation from the NC Solar
Center’s Healthy Built Homes program, is Talon Court.
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WBM january 2011
Photo by Joshua Curry