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Almost a year ago I was introduced to a couple who wanted to build an environmentally responsible beach house for themselves and, more important, they wanted to build it for $100 per square foot.
My first reaction was that it was impossible to build any house for that price. I’ve been living in the Hamptons for 10 years and have gradually seen the cost of East End construction rise from roughly $125 per square foot around the time I moved here to the $300-plus figure that it is today.
If you were to ask any reputable East End builder what it would cost to build a house in the Hamptons, they would most likely start at $300 per square foot, or rather start at $1,000 and work their way down. All this when the national average cost of construction is, you guessed it, $100 per square foot.
Why is it so much more expensive to build here? Obviously, the cost of living is higher than the national average and thus labor wages would be higher. This could explain some of the disparity.
Also, the average quality of construction—due to the stiff competition—in the Hamptons is going to be higher than the national average so this could explain some more of the difference. Inflated real estate values could also be influencing the cost by driving material prices higher as supply yards have steeper overheads.
Being cognizant of all of this, I was still oddly intrigued by the couple’s question. Not by their desire to build a house in the Hamptons at the national average cost of building, but by their desire to build it green.
Was it possible?
After just finishing a project where we sourced out exotic recycled materials from all corners of the globe and demanded that all our wood products come from managed forests, I had to remind myself of the founding principles of green building. There are two basics that supersede all others: that the home is energy efficient and that it is able to withstand the test of time, both by the environment and by humanity.
If a house needs to be repaired often, or if the next generation sees an obvious need to tear it down and rebuild it due to style or inadequate systems, then that house failed in its attempt at durability. If one house can last for 100 years or more then that is a good thing.
Keeping these two principles in mind, I looked at the challenge again and realized that the durability question was already taken care of. The cottage that existed on the site had been built by the client’s father 60 years ago and the existing 800 square feet of structure was only being expanded to accommodate all the branches that had sprouted off the family tree over the years.
This house was going to be looked after in the same manner that the first cottage had been and would likewise be handed down to the younger generations. So, in trying to answer this couple’s question, I was faced with one simple challenge: Were we able to design a $100-per-square-foot energy-efficient house?
We have spent the past year designing, engineering and value engineering what has become a pet project for all working in, or connected with, our office. We even enlisted the help of all our subcontractors, asking them to be the designers in creating inexpensive yet efficient systems around an empty house.
After that, we went back and filled in the living areas of the house around the systems and mechanicals. Along the way, we have discovered framing and insulation techniques that allowed us to get highly efficient insulation values out of thin 2-by-4 walls. To my knowledge, this was something not really done on the East End.
Additionally, we found comparable substitutes for most of the name brand products we use. Recycled denim insulation is not needed to make an Energy Star-rated home, simple formaldehyde-free fiberglass will do. Also, we discovered that many of the entry-level window companies make windows with the same energy rating as those at the top of the market. In essence, what we have done is discovered how the rest of the country builds for $100 per square foot. It’s not rocket science, its building science.
Excess is not required to make a good house. Necessity is the mother of invention and recessions are seemingly good training grounds for learning how to do things more affordably.
Now, the house is not built yet, so the battle is not won. But even if unforeseen circumstances raise the cost per square foot by a heaping 25 percent, a major achievement for East End construction will have taken place and will hopefully pave the way for a slew of small, relaxed, well-designed beach houses, much like those that sprang up in the early heyday of the Hamptons.
Maybe this less expensive, greener way to build will even bring on a shift in the East End’s demographic, creating opportunities for affordable housing both for year-rounders and weekenders on a budget. The possibilities and opportunities are endless.
At the very least, that question posed a year ago has gotten me to think differently about the homes we create. In a very good way. I’ll keep you updated as the project progresses.
Peter Sabbeth is the owner of Modern Green Home, a Sag Harbor-based design and construction company.
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