PROJECT FILES
green light With a desire for Platinum LEED Certification at the forefront of their minds, the builders of this Kiawah Island cottage sought only the most energy-efficient lighting and plumbing fixtures for the seaside home’s interior.
T Story by Megan Busch • Photography by Patrick Brickman & Matt Bolt
he home and design industry has heard nothing but good things about Kiawah Island’s up-and-coming Indigo Park, which features the 2013 HGTV Dream Home. The entire neighborhood was constructed and planned by some of the best homebuilding talent in the Lowcountry. Architect Chris Rose and building company Royal Indigo began with an idea to create a LEED-Certified (a designation for excellent environmental design), green-conscious community in the heart of Charleston’s
island resort town; to do this, they employed the help of several local businesses, including plumbing, lighting, and appliance company Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. Heather Thomas of Ferguson describes Indigo Park saying, Heather Thomas, Lighting Manager, “The developers’ main and Wade Kuisel, Builder Outside Sales concern was to be an Associate, of Ferguson Enterprises eco-friendly community. So, specifically, they wanted to ensure that their homes achieved Platinum LEED-Certification. Because we work with homeowners and builders on a daily basis with green products, we were knowledgeable about the lighting and plumbing fixtures appropriate for the job.” However, green building is not unique to Kiawah; simple additions and upgrades can bring your own home closer to a LEED Certification. Working in the industry for years and with the developers of this unique Kiawah neighborhood, Heather and her Ferguson colleague Wade Kuisel, have come up with several solutions for the homeowner who wants to not only make a tiny carbon footprint on the environment, but also save a little cash on his or her energy bill. For lighting, the duo recommends recessed LED can lights by CSL Lighting and dual-function, under-cabinet LED task lamps, like the ones they installed in the Indigo Park home. Heather describes, “LED lighting is probably the most cutting-edge technology in the residential arena right now. The new lamps are different from traditional bulbs because they have a significantly longer life span. A
(left) LED recessed can lighting in this Indigo Park home’s ceilings actually saves the homeowners money on their electricity bill and helps them make a smaller impact on our earth’s environment. (right) With beautiful design and vast, vaulted ceilings, the homes in Indigo Park prove that one can have both beauty and energy efficiency.
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CH+D • Winter 2013