Eco-Conscious Living Design

Poggenpohl and (FGHDG) Partner in Potential Platinum LEED Project on South Beach

Story by Josie GulliksenPhotos courtesy of PoggenpohlVeteran German-based sustainability company Poggenpohl and newly formed Florida Green Home Design Group (FGHDG) are joining forces to create potentially the most environmentally sound, or "greenest" home in the United States, right in the heart of South Beach.The 2020 Alton Road Project is an ambitious and innovative home being billed as a "showcase for essential, sustainable green ideas" and one that serves as the ultimate example of living eco-consciously. The goal is to create the first LEED certified platinum home in Miami-Dade County while simultaneously adding it to another elite list – one of only a handful of LEED certified homes in the world.Conceptualizing the home were architect Ari Sklar, developer Matt Lahn and general contractor Robert Arkin. The trio experienced a few setbacks, imposed by the City of Miami Beach, but worked through them and eventually used them to their advantage. Due to the 58-foot by 120-foot lot size, the City limited the single family home to 3,200-square-feet and the height restriction to 32 feet. Because of this, Sklar, Lahn and Arkin designed the main portion of the home as a cube and substantially set it back from busy Alton Road. An exposed masonry wall further protects the house by wrapping it on the north and west, thus creating a private courtyard for swimming plus a view of the adjacent golf course.The goal of 2020 Alton Road is to create a "Net Zero" home meaning, the home's system produces enough power to run itself with no need to take energy from the FPL grid. The use of photovoltaic solar panels, vertical axis wind turbines, geothermal heating and cooling, the most advanced insulation technologies and a rain water collection system to harvest and store rain water accomplishes that goal. Once these are functioning in unison, the system will produce enough surplus power eventually returning power to the FPL grid, resulting in a credit on the homeowner's monthly electric bill.The unique structure is set to alter and enhance Miami Beach's current landscape with its ultra-contemporary design while also adding value to the neighborhood, and serving as an example of a high performance, sustainable green home in an established urban setting. At the same time, it will meet the strictest codes and requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council.The five-bedroom, five-bath home with Poggenpohl kitchen adds to the interior's eco-conscious efforts. Poggenpohl products are exclusively made from wood grown by sustainable forest management and all the paints and lacquers used in production are solvent-free. The kitchen features two sinks, two dishwashers, and an island built-in food steamer – catering to those who eat healthy and entertain often.All Poggenpohl products are manufactured exclusively in the East-Westphalian town of Herford. Most of the company's suppliers – around 80% – are also lo-cated in the region ensuring that ecological standards can be consistently checked and enforced. Their latest product features an innovative carcass based on a honeycomb board making the parts lighter and resulting in 40% less material used.Because Poggenpohl is constantly looking for new possibilities of using environmentally beneficial materials and sustainable manufacturing methods, they were the ideal and first choice by the developer, architect and contractor for the 2020 Alton Road project.