Since 2005, Turnberry Custom Homes in Cumru Township has been offering new home constructions, renovations and remodels within the realm of “green.” At the heart of it all is Turnberry owner Kevin Kozo, who embraces a practical approach to sustainable building. For instance, to minimize the amount of site disturbance, Kevin searches for extraordinary in-lots in existing subdivisions to preserve the natural landscape. In addition, natural sunlight is always considered for alternative heating and cooling benefits.
Other more advanced sustainable choices include the use of energy-efficient appliances and “green” materials such as tank-less water heaters (water is heated only when needed) and low or odorless, non-toxic paints. Eco-friendly PEX plumbing systems are more resistant to heat loss than other plastics, and blown-in cellulose insulation (made of fire retardant recycled newsprint) is easy to install, non-toxic and affordable.
Kevin, who works with a team of top-quality tradesmen, has earned certification as a green professional through the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). According to NAHB, the award recognizes builders and remodelers who incorporate green building principles without driving up the cost of construction.
Green as a Four Leaf Clover
It was by chance the day Steven Keifer and his then fiancée Jolee Djaraher drove by the construction site of a future Turnberry Custom Home in 2009.
The couple had been looking and had found a home they wanted to purchase in another neighborhood. “We were in the area visiting a friend and hadn’t expected to see this one,” says Steven, who out of curiosity got out of the car with Jolee to take a closer look.
The house was a work in progress, a sea of two-by-fours in a hole in the ground. A handful of mature trees stood in the backyard. One tree in particular, a large Norway spruce in the front of the house, had a retaining wall built around it.
The builder’s plans, tacked to a piece of lumber, gave the couple a really good idea what the house would look like when it was finished. Steven and Jolee fell in love with the kitchen and its northern view of Blue Mountain.
The biggest surprise and unbeknownst to the couple was that the house they were falling in love with was going to be “green.”
“We hadn’t planned on purchasing or building ‘green,’ but that became a significant factor in our decision making,” says Steven, who called Kevin without hesitation from the site to let him know they were interested in buying the house.
A Rare Find
During the building phase, the original 10-by-16-foot kitchen area was redesigned to accommodate a longer island bar (instead of a breakfast nook table area). Perfect for large families and social gatherings, the thick granite top with flecks of rose, gold and black features a stainless steel sink and barstool seating for eight. The curvaceous sitting area, in front of glass sliding doors, leads out to a spacious deck (made of recycled material) for indoor-outdoor entertaining.
The couple chose glass-front kitchen cabinets over solid wood. An ornate cherry wood oven hood (rather than metal), above a Bosch dual fuel range with electric oven and propane cook top, pulled it all together. The changes posed no real problem for Kevin and his crew. “They happen along the way, but they are often few and easy to manage since everything is already chosen,” Kevin says. “Our goal is to give the client everything they want in the home while keeping budget in mind — I would say we are pretty good at that.”
The 2,800-square-foot home in Hamburg Heights took close to nine months to complete, and as planned, it was finished just in time for the 2009 Parade of Homes (held in September). Kevin, who now serves as president of the Berks Home Builders Association, took home several awards for his environmental and building efforts, including best exterior, best interior, and best of show. It was his first and only third-party “green” certified home at the time.
Steven, Jolee and their daughter, Rachel Djaraher, moved into their new home with Sugar, the family dog, the following month.
Turnberry's Signature Details
To the right of the kitchen, a mudroom and laundry area including a dryer, front-load washer and utility sink has loads of storage and serves as an entryway into a two-car garage.
Bullnose “round” corners throughout the home lend a smooth look to the walls. The detail, Kevin says, is even more durable than a standard straight-edged wall. Other unique details include Turnberry’s nine-layer trim above interior doors and windows. “The carpenter was here for weeks installing one layer at a time,” says Steven. The trim is a special design used in many new constructions and remodels.
Tray ceilings in the dining room, entryway and grand master bedroom add a glamorous touch. Lyptus hardwood flooring in the entryway, kitchen, pantry, powder room and dining room provides durability, and a timeless oak handrail and iron balusters lead to an open second-floor study room area with four surrounding bedrooms.
The grand master bedroom, with large windows and a view of the Blue Mountains, has a corner gas fireplace. The master bath, featuring an air jet tub and a shower with glass tile accents, a double bowl vanity with granite tops, and elegant overhead lighting fixtures, exceeded the couple’s expectations. “We knew it was going to look good, but we didn’t know it was going to look this great,” Jolee says.
Another wonderful aspect of the home, they say, is that it is less than five miles from Steven’s workplace, where he serves as superintendent for the Hamburg Area School District. For Jolee, a school psychologist at Schuylkill Valley Area Elementary School, the extra distance poses no problem. The drive home is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
Last but not least, the Keifers’ walk-out basement is still a work in progress. “We’re getting there,” says Steven, who has plans for a wine cellar, great room, bar and bathroom.
“We often say how lucky we are,” says Jolee. And maybe that’s because she’s living the American dream, in her dream home, with her dream husband (the two married shortly after moving in).
The Keifers’ Energy Star-rated home received third-party certification through the National Association of Home Builders. For more information about “green” building standards, go to nahbgreen.org.
Turnberry Finished Basement
Pete and Lori Craig of Mohnton moved into their two-story traditional home in July 2002. The property, close to five acres, is located in Estates at Cedar Hollow.
Last year, for additional space, the couple decided to remodel their under-utilized basement rather than rebuild. Their decision to preserve the landscape around their home was a nice “green” move.
The work, which started in June, took a little over three months to complete.
A wide stairway with built-in step lights leads the way from the upstairs main living area into what is now the most popular room in the house. The space used every day by Lori and Pete (to escape from their two teenage sons Darren Damiani and Travis Craig) features a wall-mounted flat screen TV, kitchen and bar area, separate workout room and sitting area. Other occasional visitors include granddaughter Ella Damiani and the family’s two Yorkshire terriers, Abby and Jackson.
As with all projects, Kevin looked for both sustainable and recycled materials to use, but as for incentives for builders to build green, he says, there really are none. “In your own small way, you’re making a difference and we all need to start somewhere,” he shares.
Every LIttle Bit Counts
For its durability and naturally insulating qualities, moisture-proof cork flooring—born from a renewable source—was used throughout the room. And all Viking appliances – an oven, beverage refrigerator and microwave (drawer oven) used in the kitchen and bar area – are Energy Star high-efficiency rated.
For style, manufactured stone was used as an architectural element to accent the bar area, primary wall and pillars. It was also used to complement the room’s custom cabinetry. Lori and Craig selected leather furniture and a heavy solid wood coffee table. They also custom designed a copper-top sofa table with matching end table. “They complement the copper backsplash behind the bar,” Lori adds.
The family had, at one time, thought about building a timber- or log cabin-style home in another area. “We love Lake Tahoe and the Adirondacks and we love to ski,” says Lori. “But we came to the conclusion that we love our home and our neighbors, so it was a no brainer for us to finish the basement using a theme based on the areas we love to visit most.”
Both TCH clients agree that preserving the environment for future generations can be stylishly smart and easily accomplished in the home with ongoing due diligence.
RESOURCES Turnberry Custom Homes | 8 Sandy Way, Cumru Township | turnberrycustomhomes.com | 610.775.7575
BY MARCIA WEIDNER-SUTPHEN | PHOTOS BY ANNELIESE GEHRIS, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MCDONOUGH
