Ridgeview Construction Changes Perception of Prefabricated Homes

By Craig Robert Brown
Green Alliance Staff Writer

SALISBURY, Mass. - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, especially when considering home design – what's attractive to one person may not be to another. Perceptions are changing, however, when it comes to prefabricated and modular home building. At least, that's what Ridgeview Construction owner Shane Carter hopes to achieve with a build in Salisbury, Mass.

Ridgeview, a Deerfield, N.H. based building company, is the general contractor for Boston magazine’s tenth Design Home project. Each year, Boston seeks a new location in the greater Boston area that focuses on a new perspective of living. For Design Home 2014, the theme is a modular home build with minimal waste and completely net-zero in design.

“I think that changing the perception is really important," said Carter. "Modular homes today, being factory built in controlled conditions with very little waste and very little on-site build time, is really an efficient and green way for home construction."

For many homeowners, going green is a way to be financially sustainable. It's also a great way to live environmentally, which is the why Natalie Treat, along with her husband Tom, offered their property to be the stage on which Carter will build their green home.

Both nature lovers and environmentalists, the Treats saw a once in a lifetime chance to get their dream home when the original home selected for the project was no longer available. The couple immediately offered their property as a replacement.

The modular assembly, along with additional green technology, will help to render the home as a net-zero build, cutting down on the home's carbon footprint.

Net-zero, essentially, means that over a year, the solar panels installed on the roof will generate roughly as much electricity as the home consumes. The heat pump heating system produces 60 percent less greenhouse gas emissions and the hot water heat pump uses 1/3 the energy than that of a standard hot water heater.

Tom Treat commented that by working with Ridgeview on the project, the couple had found a partner in Carter who understood the home “as a system."

Assembling the home from pre-fabricated materials allows Carter, and the team working on the project, an easier time bringing the home to net-zero than a traditional build. The pre-fabricated materials also offer a quick turnaround time as opposed to the time it takes to build what Carter refers to as "stick and brick" homes.

“A custom built home will take about six months in duration, but with this one we will be about three months,” said Carter.

Despite the quick turnaround of the build, Carter recognizes that the project won't come without difficulty and that it takes a lot of planning, from the factory to the build site.

"There are always challenges," said Carter. "There are the fitted parts you have to try and work around. There’s challenges for the electricians and challenges for the plumber and getting mechanicals 100 percent; challenges for the HVACS and heat pumps too. It’s not as straightforward as starting from the stick build homes that allow you to adjust as you go."

At a modest 2,400 square feet, the Treat's home features a first-floor partial open concept, three bedrooms, an office, 2.5 baths, a third-floor lofted space, finished basement and a patio with screened in porch. It's size and layout that reflects a change of taste in the realty market as homebuyers begin to see that bigger isn't always better.

Designer Lisa Wasserman Sivan outfitted the home with colors and textures taken from nature to highlight the home's connection to the environment. The home will include Energy Star appliances, Mitusbishi high-efficiency electric heat pump heating systems, and all-electric Whirlpool appliances, including an induction stove. Carter added a wood burning stove to the home's design which also includes Nuheat radiant floor heating, dual flushing toilets, LED lighting and ample windows for natural light.

Carter is no stranger to green home building; its at the core of his business. Eschewing the faster, cheaper, less efficient current method of building, Carter takes his time with each Ridgeview project ensuring a home or business is built to provide clients with peace of mind.

“We're trying to smash through the barrier of what is a green home and how it’s built. We build a whole slew of different green homes, we build timber frame that are very sustainable and stick build homes that are very sustainable," said Carter. "Modular is just another way of a system build home that is very efficient in time, money and environmental impacts.”

Carter's eco-friendly building philosophy is one of the reasons Ridgeview joined the Green Alliance - a locally driven union passionate about bringing together environmentally-friendly businesses while also providing its members with discounts on green products and services. Since 2006, Ridgeview has made a name for itself as one of the premiere green building companies in the Granite State with projects from the seacoast to the Lakes Region and in-between.

The Treats will open their completed home to tours from September 10 to October 5. Throughout that time the Treat's home is open to tours Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Located at 39 True Road in Salisbury, Mass. tickets are $25 and 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to Boston Children's Hospital. Boston magazine will lease the home from the Treats during the open house.

Carter is moved that his company was selected to work on a project that will not only benefit the Treats directly, but also has the potential to help many families through Boston's Children's Hospital.

“Any time someone chooses us to build their home, we're honored," said Carter. "If we can provide a sense of security, or comfort, while also helping the environment, that's a good day at work."

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.bostonmagazine.com/designhome

To learn more about Ridgeview Construction, visit www.greenbuildernh.com

For more about the Green Alliance, visit www.greenalliance.biz