Repat seeks guidance, ideas and lessons learned on West Side for low carbon footprint home

Such a wonderful initiative. I really hope this comes together for you, it would be very exciting to see. Are you strictly looking at brown fields to build on or are you open to purchasing an unsalvageable/boarded up house for demolition, and then rebuild? (And don't attack me about tearing down! I'm talking about those houses on grant st. that are nothing architecturally special and barely standing anymore, not getting rid of beautiful old brick, etc, that has just fallen on hard times since its in typically undesirable neighborhood)

May I make a suggestion? A specialized builder would be nice, however, a good set of plans is better. There are currently available many places that have off the shelf plans that could be easily modified to blend in w/ Buffalo's neighborhoods.

Check out places like:
http://www.katrinacottages.com/plans/index.html

While I think it's an admirable idea, BuffaloBeaux is on the right track, if you ask me.

I really think the most appropriate way to undertake a project like this in Buffalo is by renovating an existing home. There are already tons of vacant homes in the city, and it would be great to keep another out of the landfill. On top of that, I think showing people what can be done with the home they already have would resonate with more Buffalo residents.

For more info on this, you could try contacting PUSH (People United for Sustainable Housing). They do great things around the city. I toured their old renovated NetZero home a few months back and it was very impressive- solar hot water system, solar panel roof, geothermal, reflective roof, examploes of what can be done in updating insulation, etc..

For more information check out pushbuffalo.org (I am not personally affiliated with PUSH)

There is always the East Side, which has plenty of new space for interesting pre-fabs.

www.fabprefab.com is a great site/source on models that are currently available in the US (not every one is appropriate for a Northeast winter, however).

Some friends of mine are doing that here in Atlanta. Check it out on Facebook, it has it's own page. "Midtown Green House". May give you idea's and help. Good Luck...exciting project!

All of the homes in the pictures above look like major contributor's to sprawl. They are not green they are greenfield killing spralwungalow's

Michael, it looks as if you picked the wrong forum to advertise your plans. This blog is filled to the brim with immovable "save everything" types, so any ideas you have about building something new will quickly be shot down.

I think it's a great idea, and as a West Side resident and property investor, I think it would add something distinctive to any of the blighted blocks we're trying to rehab. Don't let anybody tell you that renovation is your only choice. Building a new structure does not mean you're contributing to sprawl, especially if it's on the WEST SIDE OF BUFFALO. Sally, you're a fu-king moron and have no idea what you're talking about.

Ignore all these folks, or this entire process will become depressing for you. You have a great idea...go with it!

I'm an aspiring repat and this is exactly the kind of thing that thrills me and reaffirms I'm making the right decision by moving back to Buffalo.

I haven't seen it mentioned yet so here's a link to the Push NetZero House.

http://www.pushbuffalo.org/index.html?id=20100604115129

Definitely something you'd want to research if you haven't already.

I too am curious as to how receptive the city would be to building one these homes on the West Side (or anywhere for that matter). Eventually I would like to sell my house and possibly build a new home on an empty lot. I feel that's the only way I can afford all the amenities I want while living in the city.

I think I would either like to build something similar to the photos above or build a replica of a 1880's style home using all period style exterior finishes but have really modern energy efficient interior finishes. I'm not talking fake brick and generic watered down windows, doors, siding, etc, but modern made materials that look and feel identical to period materials.

I really think it will not be much more expensive to use those materials rather than vinyl siding & brick veneer. I want to prove that is can be affordable to build a home like that in the city using the right design so that future infill can follow suit.

Order one of these:

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

Or hire Kevin Connors.

If time permits, drive to the eclectic Shelburne Museum in Vermont to tour the 2001 Kalkin House.

http://shelburnemuseum.org/explore/buildings/galleries/kalkin-house/

For those that think this type of structure is cold in the winter months, the docents at the Shelburne will gladly set you straight.

Please don't make a house like that one on bird it is possibly the ugliest building in Buffalo. The examples you have in your starting picture are so much nicer, then the oddly angled square things. But I love old designs and you have to live in it!

A creative way of building a house could be buy building a newly designed house with old materials. Perhaps green demo a house or take parts from already demoed homes, and use them in your own newly designed home.

Frank Lloyd Wright's house on Jewett doesn't match the other houses there, but it's done tastefully (of course). If it's done tastefully, which I have suspicion you will, it will be a well respected home.

is the author's primary objective a low-carbon footprint or a cool, innovative, etc. space? if it's lcf i doubt any new build, cool or crappy, would match up with renovating an existing building. and if an lcf build is the primary criteria sally's sprawlungalow comment seems accurate enough; particularly in reference to the building in the upper right corner. they may all be aesthetically exciting sprawlungalows but that's a different conversation.

steel- what is your definition of a "crappy building"? if it includes poorly constructed most of frank lloyd wright's buildings would qualify.