Trident Sustainability Group is honored to announce that their project at 306 West Waldburg, the first LEED platinum single-family residential project in Savannah, GA, was chosen by the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) as a 2014 award recipient.

Prior to the honor of being part of the selected group of projects, which received the award, the “compatible new build” category, the residence was awarded in 2013 the USGBC-Savannah Green Building Award and as well received the ENR 2013 Southeast Best Projects award, in the Small Project Category.

“I’m very pleased that this project was able to achieve the honors by the established judges from the HSF, said Tommy Linstroth, Principal of TSG. “The recognition locally from Savannah as one of the historic cities in the USA means a lot to me and all my collaborators”. 

The residence, located in the Historic Victorian District of Savannah, sets a precedent for sustainable residential design, blending contextually compatible materials with a contemporary design language. This LEED Platinum project redefines southern vernacular architecture demonstrating that high performance; healthy homes can be custom built utilizing a limited budget, within a historic environment.

This realization was achieved by bringing the owner, architect, designer, and contractors together during initial stages of design, allowing for specific modernist aesthetic and sustainability details to be achieved in a trade market where mainstream techniques are the normative. 

Featuring a 3-kilowatt solar PV array, ­plumbing fixtures that will reduce water usage by half, EnergyStar rated appliances, Cree and Eco-Smart LED lighting, 20 SEER variable speed heat pump with energy recovery ventilation, and Low-E laminated doors and windows, 306 W. Waldburg requires 70 percent less energy than a typical house; resulting in a HERS rating of 32, and the objective to feed energy back to the grid over long-term usage. Materiality also plays a crucial role in energy conservation, when designers used locally sourced pine for the decks, trusses and stairs, 2x6 framing 24-inches on center to allow for better insulation and less material consumption, renewable bamboo flooring, open cell spray foam for insulation, paints containing zero VOC’s, 100% recycled sheetrock and an 82% waste diversion rate to minimize the environmental footprint of the house.  Fry reglet reveals and European-designed BOSCH appliances compensated for traditional trim elements and appliances while adding to the overall minimalist aesthetic of the project.