Mar 28 2007
With rising energy prices and a growing demand for eco-friendly construction, more and more people are coming around to round homes.
When Yosh Schulman and his wife, Nili Simhai, decided to find an environmentally friendly option for their new home in Millerton, N.Y., they chose a prefabricated circular home for some of those specific reasons.
"My wife runs an environmental education center, so we wanted a home that made wise use of natural resources," says Schulman. "Circular home use fewer building materials. Their footprint's impact on the environment is minimal. There are heating and cooling benefits, as well."
Energy efficiency is important for the couple's area of eastern New York State, where residents experience lots of snow and cold winter temperatures. Yosh and Nili did their homework on the Internet and chose Deltec Homes for their green building project.
According to nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and "green" building expert Jim Dulley, round homes are a great choice for eco-friendly construction. "Although these houses look circular, most are made of many flat wall panels that give the circular appearance. These are some of the most unique-looking and energy-efficient designs of houses available," says Dulley.
After living in their home for three years, Schulman says he is "very impressed with the energy efficiency. When I compare my energy bills with my neighbors', ours are always much lower."
"We have countless testimonies from our homeowners about the savings they have enjoyed on their energy bills," says Joseph Schlenk, Director of Sales and Marketing for Deltec Homes, a family-run business that has become the world's leading supplier of circular homes over the past 40 years.
"We are probably best-known for building a hurricane-proof home," says Schlenk. "Many of the same features that make our design so wind-resistant also make it an extremely energy-efficient building option. Round structures are inherently more energy-efficient than rectangular- or square-shaped structures."
More importantly, Schulman felt that the company was genuinely interested in them as customers and as partners in sustainable development. "Deltec has been impressive to work with," he said. "We've built a relationship, and years later, they're still interested in our needs. They were very open to specific requests for environmentally friendly building and energy options. Plus Deltec uses wood in a very careful way because everything is precisely manufactured to their specifications."
In addition to making wise use of resources, their circular-style house is aesthetically pleasing "The home is extraordinarily beautiful. The space feels inviting and the structural design allows you to design the interior the way you want," Schulman says.
"Our clients are drawn to the circular design for a multitude of reasons," says Schlenk. "All of them seem to share one thought; the concept that a circular house brings another dimension into their lives, one often forgotten - the dimension of a beautiful space connecting us to the earth."