Cook + Fox’s Flexible Live Work Home Achieves LEED Platinum

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc-tennis-courts-to-get-carbon-neutral-composting-toilets/" target="_blank">Cook + Fox Architects</a>'s Live Work Home in Syracuse, New York is an innovative sustainable structure designed to suit various needs that change over time. The project won the <a href="http://soa.syr.edu/events/2008/greenhomes/competition/index.php" target="_blank">From the Ground Up Competition</a>, and it was recently presented with a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/house-of-vestas-to-be-europes-first-leed-platinum-certified-building/" target="_blank">LEED Platinum Certificate</a> by USGBC President, Rick Fedrizzi.

The modern <a href="http://inhabitat.com/loom-artist-studio-is-a-tiny-pink-house-boasting-big-eco-strategies-in-aspen/" target="_blank">loft-style structure</a> is very flexible thanks to its sliding doors and mobile partitions, which can divide the 1,400 square foot space in a multitude of ways.

Located in the Near West Side of snowy <a href="http://inhabitat.com/syracuses-green-roofed-kinky-lab-cuts-energy-use-in-half/" target="_blank">Syracuse, New York</a>, the home is placed to maximize solar exposure.

Skylight tubes line the roof, and large windows fill the rooms with light. Adjustable perforated screens were designed to wrap the exterior, bouncing filtered daylight inside and mimicking the natural filtration of light through a tree canopy.

The building is enveloped with <a href="http://www.sips.org/" target="_blank">Structural Insulated Panels</a> to prevent solar gain and preserve energy. A hot water-based <a href="http://inhabitat.com/spains-sustainable-solar-chamber-apartment-complex-takes-a-cue-from-corbusier/" target="_blank">radiant floor</a> efficiently heats the interior, while also allowing flexibility - no pipes or radiators need to be taken into consideration when rearranging the interior.

The flexible space built to last while providing a healthy living environment. Sustainable materials were used to ensure healthy indoor air quality, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/3013-installation-made-from-recycled-wood-cascades-down-a-london-building/" target="_blank">salvaged woods</a> were used for the cabinetry, and rain barrels and grasses were installed for rainwater maintenance.

The Live Work Home is a flexible and cost-efficient space for Syracuse’s <a href="http://inhabitat.com/aum-arquitetos-renova-proposal-revamps-a-sao-paulo-neighborhood-with-green-spaces/" target="_blank">lower income neighborhoods</a>.