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100 PERCENT GREEN HOME IN Southampton BEING BUILT BY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER JERRY ROSENGARTEN
Home Will Be Prototype for 100-Acre Development in Shirley, Long Island

Jerry Rosengarten, a 20 year resident of Southampton Village and a real estate developer responsible for building homes, office buildings,

storage facilities, apartment complexes and hotels in Manhattan, the Hamptons, New Jersey and Florida, has chosen Southampton Village to build what he says will be the first 100 percent green house in Southampton.

Ground was recently broken for the 4,000 sq. ft. structure on one-half acre at 30 Pelham Street in Southampton Village. Networking® magazine has learned that when the home is completed in the spring of ’08, it will be a Tuscan style home with an exterior of stucco with wood trim and a roof of recycled material that will resemble slate. On the outside it will look like a conventional house, however under the surface will be newly developed products and methods which will make this house one of the most environmentally-friendly homes ever built in the Northeast.

“Everyone is talking about global warming, the need to reduce energy costs and our dependence on oil,” said Rosengarten. “More than forty percent of all oil used in the United States is used to build and maintain residential housing units, more than is used to fuel cars. This house will use 50 to 75 percent less energy than a structure built with traditional construction materials and methods.

“I decided about a year ago to build the first 100% green house in the Village of Southampton,” he said, “and the Village Architectural Review Board was very supportive of my plan.

“The Hamptons have a long tradition of hosting innovative architectural plans and new construction methods,” added Rosengarten. “My hope is that this structure, its construction process and green-building techniques, will change the way builders approach new construction and will become a model for the community. I intend to make information about this project available to the press, builders and the community during the building process.”

Anthony Musso of Anthony J. Musso Architects, Cold Spring Harbor, LI, is the architect for the house. Interior designer Betsy Nichol of Manhattan and Sag Harbor, NY, is consulting on the interior design.

“The Rosengarten home will be unique in the Hamptons. I don’t believe that there is any other residential structure that is as ‘green’ as this home,“ said Musso. “This will be a ‘net zero energy’ building, meaning that the site will produce its own energy with a savings of 60% to 100% over the course of a year. At 100% efficiency, the electric meter will read zero. That is the meaning of the term “net zero energy’, Musso added.

“The Rosengarten home will be sustainable, meaning that the envelope of the building, the electrical and mechanical systems and its finishes will be of recyclable, renewable or energy efficient material.”

What Makes the House Sustainable?

The following are some of the benefits of the Rosengarten project and how it will recycle the earth’s natural resources:

1. Geothermal HVAC:
HVAC stands for heat, ventilation and air conditioning. Water from approximately 50-70 ft. below ground will be pumped to a ground source heat pump system that will transport hot water to the radiant floor system for heating and chilling water for air conditioning. The ground water is a constant 55 degree temperature providing the heat pump system to run at a very high efficiency since it is not affected by the great swings of temperature of the air as are conventional air conditioning and heating systems.

2. Radiant heat:
Conventional heating systems use radiators, baseboard or warm air systems causing an uneven distribution of heat. In this home, the radiant heat will be delivered via circulating hot water in pipes beneath the floor. Radiant heat generated by water under the floor heats the house evenly without the cold spots that waste energy.

3. Windows:
The windows will be imported from Canada. They are constructed with reinforced, recycled poly vinyl chloride (PVC) with 1” insulated glass. The frames and sash seal with multi-point tilt and turn-locking hardware create a very tight seal allowing almost no air transmission through the joint. The glazing is 1” thick and has film to reduce the harmful rays of the sun while providing a well-insulated panel of glass.

4. Solar Heating:
Water circulating through solar panels generates hot water to heat the house, the domestic hot water and the pool, in conjunction with other systems.

5. Photovoltaic (PV) Roof Panel System:
Photovoltaic cells will create electricity from the sun’s rays. LIPA will buy back any energy not used by the home owner.

6. Roofing:
The roof will be made of recycled tires which until now have been filling up our landfills. They will resemble natural slate but last much longer.

7. Building Materials:
The thermal structural barrier of the house will start from the top of footing and extend up to the top of the ridge. The basement walls, first and second story walls and roof structure are made of expanded polystyrene structural panels. They are known as SIP panels and the panels used here are manufactured by the Techbuilt Company. After the installation of the panels, the interior can be clad with standard sheetrock and be finished as any standard home. The exterior is sheathed with plywood and can be finished with stucco, brick, stone, wood shingles, or clapboard. The house will use about 70% less lumber then normal structures. The use of this material will help preserve the forests. The thermal barrier of this house is much greater than a standard home allowing heating and air conditioning systems to be sized smaller and the operational cost to be much less.

The structural lumber and sheathing are standard material coated with a biodegradable, non-carcinogenic liquid. This coating prevents mildew, mold, termites, and insects from penetrating the wood. The coating has a blue cast in color therefore it is known as Bluwood.

8. Pool House and Pool:
The pool house will be built into a man-made burm on three sides in order to cool and heat it in a more energy-efficient manner. The pool will be heated from solar panels and the use of radiant heat under the pool is being explored.

Jerry Rosengarten’s most recent projects concentrated on the East Village with two-17 story buildings. The first, completed in 2002, is a 17 story condo above the non-profit landmark “The Theater for the New City” that saved the theater from closing. The other now houses The Bowery Hotel, which is being heralded as one of the top 25 new hotels in the world, designed by Eric Good and Sean MacPherson.

© 2007 NETWORKING® MAGAZINE 2020 GUIDE TO GOING GREEN

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