The outdoor plantings were carefully selected to maximize native habitat for insects, animals, and pollinators. The plants are hardy and drought-tolerant, and the need for outdoor watering was eliminated in combination with the selection of a clover-grass seed mix for the lawn. 72% of the total lawn is planting beds, which provide the most valuable habitat, filtration, and stormwater management services.

• ENERGY STAR rated appliances

• 100% LED lighting

• Meets ENERGY STAR 3 criteria

• Electric water heaters

• PV solar array on rooftop

• Native and adapted plants

• Accessory dwelling unit

• $8.59 monthly winter electricity bill

• Daylighting and light-colored surfaces

Recognized at 2017 Iowa City Parade of Homes

Showcased in Iowa City Channel 4 video feature

Recognized during 2020 Iowa City Climate Festival

Architect & LEED: C-Wise Design & Consulting
LEED Homes Provider: Building Knowledge
General Contractor: Legacy Green Builders

Landscape: Fiddlehead Gardens

Green Rater: XRG Concepts

Mechanical: Affordable heating & Plumbing

The homeowner wanted to build a home that was flexible for different stages of life, with the ultimate goal of aging in place. The interior has spacious rooms that allow for flexible furniture arrangements and wide hallways and doorways to accomodate future wheelchair access. The 641 square-foot basement was designed to accomodate two bedrooms and a bathroom if desired by a future homeowner.

The main floor bathroom has a wide berth and accessibility features like grabbars and seated bathing. The single car garage has an occupancy controlled exhuast fan and is attached but separated from the living space by a vestibule, designed to help isolate vehicle fumes from occupied space.

The home is 100% electric. Electric homes are increasingly important; as energy from the grid becomes powered by a large share of renewables, the home will keep pace.

The low-pitch rooftop features a 6.4 kW solar array with panels installed edge-to-edge, maximizing solar production capacity. Electricity produced from the PV array exceeds the demand of both the main floor dwelling and the ADU for 6-8 months throughout the year.  

The lot for this home was chosen carefully. Development of existing sites helps preserve undeveloped farmland and natural areas, and this plot was previously developed with a home that was demolished some years ago. Muscatine Ave runs through the heart of Iowa City, connecting the downtown areas with suburban neighborhoods. The location is also transit-friendly, with four bus lines within walking distance of the home, and is connected to a variety of diverse uses including two grocery stores, several parks, a shopping area, and a school. 

The second floor of the home features a 476 square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) with a private entrance. ADUs are versatile for homeowners, as they could serve as private lodging for a family member, house a full-time nurse in later years, or rent out to a tenant to provide a secondary source of income. ADUs are growing in popularity as a way to increase density in suburban neighborhoods while still providing occupants with privacy and high quality of life.

Located in the heart of Iowa City, Muscatine Avenue is an all-eletric, 876 square-foot home with a 476-square foot accessory dwelling unit located on the second floor. The home was constructed in 2017 and received LEED-H Platinum in 2019 -- the second home in Iowa to receive this certification, and the first in the corridor. The mission of the project was to construct a home tailored to "aging-in-place" for the homeowner without not compromising on green features and flexibility for future occupants. See a video of Muscatine here.

LEED-H Platinum | 2019 | 1352 sq ft | Iowa City, Iowa