Bea Kinney wanted a custom home designed for her ranch near Sun City and Georgetown, Texas. The retired computer engineer had never built her own home before. She met Built Green Custom Homes at a home and garden show and asked us to guide her in designing and building her own home on her land in Williamson County.
The unique home features a Texas limestone exterior with a galvalume metal roof. The home was designed to include universal design features such as built-in ramps, wider doorways and grab bars to allow aging in place. The interior of the home features a chef’s kitchen to make it easier for Bea to enjoy her hobby of baking. The kitchen includes both range with oven as well as separate built in French door oven. The custom designed counters enable additional storage of small appliances while still retaining full 2’ counter for prep area. The cathedral ceiling in the living features cedar plank trim. The initial design was based on qualifying for Passive house energy certification. Spray foam insulation keeps the home and attic cool in the summer. The home is primarily heated by an energy-efficient wood burning stove supplemented by a mini-split heat pump. Fresh air is achieved over the entire home by a European style energy recovery ventilator. Fresh water is supplied by a 20,000-gallon rainwater system. Wastewater plumbing was piped to separate black water and grey water. Hot water is supplied by an energy-efficient heat pump water heater. The Manabloc water distribution system cuts hot water delivery time by half. The central vacuum system makes cleaning a breeze.
The resulting custom home enables Bea to enjoy the beauty of her ranch and the wildlife, while living with the convenience of nearby Georgetown.
