White Plains Home Recognized for Going Green

A ranch-style home on Holbrooke Rd. has become White Plains' first ever residence to be Leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, a designation handed out by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Christina Griffin Architect PC, a Hasting-on-Hudson based firm, is designing the project, only the third LEED for Homes certified project in Westchester County.

“I am delighted that this project is being recognized since it sets an example of sustainability for the community,” said Griffin, of her firm’s winning a 2012 American Institute of Architects Design Award.

Griffin’s firm—a member of the US Green Building Council—was the architect for the Angel Residence, owned by real estate agent Gerry Angel of 64 Holbrooke Rd. in White Plains. The 1953 ranch-style home was fully renovated with environmentally conscious features.

The home has an tightness rating of 28, which means it is 72 percent more efficient than a conventional house, according to Griffin.

Angel’s home—which is expected to recieved Gold LEED certification, once the home's landscaping has been completed—has been renovated to include:

• energy saving spray foam insulation
• geo-thermal heating and cooling; that heats the home and water, and supplies air conditioning
• heat recovery ventilation that maintains a healthy indoor air climate
• custom energy efficient windows
• solar panels, which covers all of the home’s electricity use
• LED and fluorescent lighting
• water saving fixtures
• sustainable landscaping, using drought resistant native plants that are irrigated by a rain harvesting collection system for water efficiency
• an open space layout that uses daylight to reduce need for electrical fixtures
• paint that is free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) 
• formaldehyde free cabinetry

Angel, who is a certified eco-broker, will also save money through energy savings, as her energy costs for running the house will shrink from around $1,350 a month to $90 a month.

“Both our firm and our client are passionately committed to promoting environmentally friendly design,” said Griffin, who is a LEED AP (Leader in Energy and Environmental Design). “It was a learning process that raised the bar with regard to our ability to reach higher standards in Energy Star and LEED ratings.”

Click here to read more about the Angel Residence. 

But this isn’t Griffin’s first green creation. The Green Building Professional Consortium—a development company that builds and promotes environmentally conscious buildings, which Griffin co-founded—designed the River Town House in Hastings-on-Hudson, which received the first Platinum LEED for Homes certification in Westchester in 2009.

Griffin—who is a member of the Hastings-on-Hudson Chamber of Commerce, former member of the Hastings-on-Hudson Architectural Review Board—designed a plaza and fire station for Hastings-on-Hudson and wrote the Hastings Design Guidelines, along with the Hastings Design Guidelines Committee. 

Christina Griffin Architect also won a Citation for Recognition of Architectural Excellence from the AIA for the renovation/extension of Protection Engine Company No. 1, the firehouse in the village. She is participating in the development of the Sustainable Design Plan with A.I.A Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter and a green building code for the village, as a member of the Hastings Green Code Committee. 

Griffin—who was selected by Westchester Magazine for its 2012 “People to Watch, 22 Stars on the Rise,” list and won top honors by Westchester Home in its 2012 Design Awards Contest—also teachers a sustainable architectural design workshop for teens.