JANUARY 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 57
OPEN HOUSE
OF THE FUTURE
had been a blight on the community.
The price of the new home is
$375,000.
“One of United Way of Long
Island’s goals is to develop quality
housing and to ensure that families
and individuals are living in
healthy and safe environments,”
says the organization’s President
and CEO Theresa Regnante. “Our
organization is not new to housing
development…we are simply doing
more of it and taking advantage of
the latest technology in the industry,
such as using tablets to control room
temperatures.”
So, what makes this ‘little house
that could’ so unique and ahead of
its time? According to United Way of
LI, such homes have pre-engineered
components and advanced insulating
materials.
“We build the house as a system,”
says Wertheim. “Every component
complements the other. Everyone
works together for the same goal.”
Key features include:
• High vaulted ceilings and an
open-plan living, kitchen, dining area
• Generous-sized covered porch for
outdoor living; a drainable driveway
• U.S. Department of Energy Zero
Energy Ready Home certified
• Solar panels provide low- or
no-energy bill
• Healthy home with continuous
whole-house ventilation and advanced
air filtration
• State-of-the-art heating and cooling
system
• Energy Star certified
• Water management system to
protect roof, walls, foundation from
water damage
• Advanced exterior wall system
consisting of air sealing, quality
insulation and high-performance
triple-pane windows
• Smart home technology
•Low VOC (volatile organic
compounds)
paint and interior finishes
• Water conservation fixtures
• Energy-efficient lighting,
appliances
• Advanced septic system protects
local groundwater
• Drought-resistant, native-grown
landscaping
“This is our recipe for all homes:
healthy, super energy-efficient and
bright,” says Wertheim. “You live
better, feel better in them.”
“These homes are so energy efficient
— you only need 20,000 BTUs
— that all or most of their annual
energy consumption will be offset
with renewable energy, like solar
panels,” he adds.
Workers have been schooled
at United Way of Long Island’s E3
SmartBuild Training Center, which
also offers residents free Healthy
Home Energy Assessments. But best
of all, this is a rare case of a builder
not trying to make a buck on the deal.
“The Patchogue house is new construction
and will be completed February
2019,” Wertheim says, noting
that a lottery for qualified applicants
will be announced at a later date.
Individuals who are interested
in first-time homebuyer counseling
or education should contact
Elaine Kaleta, United Way of Long
Island at 631-940-3721 / ekaleta@
unitedwayli.org. To view more images
& videos visit; unitedwayli.org/
homeofthefuture
BEFORE: The new house replaced an abandoned home, which was demolished.
AFTER: An artist’s rendering of what the completed house will look like.
Professionals and volunteers joined forces to build the house.
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