47 Farm Pond Circle

We were attracted to the Farm Pond Circle reforestation community by the vision of a green, sustainably built home that's affordable to a middle-class family. It was a risk to buy the first house in a new development, but we've been very happy with our home, and we feel very good about the way it was built and our eco-footprint as home owners.

Contact Name(s): Gus and Amy Axelson
Address: 47 Farm Pond Circle, Freeville, NY
Type of Building: Residence/Home
Year Built: 2013
Building Features: Solar thermal water heater (monthly electricity bills this summer were $30, and that's our only utility); passive solar layout design so house is south-facing to maximize sun exposure and solar gain in winter; advanced framing techniques, double stud construction and energy heel trusses allow for insulation at 50-60% above energy code requirements; central wood stove feeds a sand-filled concrete chimney that will retain and radiate heat up through the second floor in winter; natural materials used for construction (hemlock wood siding, wood windows, wood garage doors on the exterior, wood countertops and local maple hardwood floors and trim, local pine tongue and groove ceilings, polished concrete floors, and non-toxic finishes on the interior); clover lawn provides natural source for fixing nitrogen, which eliminates need for fertilizer. Hundreds of tree saplings were planted on the lot on Earth Day weekend as part of the reforestation community; evergreens were planted on the east, west, and north sides (for shelter in winter), with deciduous trees to the south (provides shade in summer, but when they leaves fall off in winter, we can still get solar gain).
Special Considerations: Homeowners have a cat (so, please, no pets); please park along road and walk in.

Last updated September 29, 2015