November & December Update

As we are near the end of 2008 we have a lot to look forward to in 2009. We will have a new President with a strong goal to make the next 4 years better than the last 8 years. We have new legislation just passed in Michigan and in the the bail out that benefits renewable energies like wind energy, solar hot water and photovoltaic. If all goes as planned Michigan will become one of the major manufactures...

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New National BuildBlock Ad Showing The Award Winning Onekama Hybrid House

We are excited to again be part of BuildBlock national Ad campaign. This Ad will be in the October issue of ICF Builder Magazine. You can see the two national awards our project won from the ICFA (Insulating Concrete Form Association) in the ad. BuildBlock is our block of choice when specifying an ICF project. Stay tuned for some more awesome projects being built and in design using there fine p...

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September & October Update

We are excited to see the Watercress (Pictured) and the Vineyard project nearing completion and getting ready for the final LEED for Homes certification process. Congratulation to Adam Bearup of Hybrid Homes and his awesome team of craftsmen for all there hard work and dedication for following the LEED for Homes certification process on these two projects. We also are excited to see the interior...

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Onekama project Wins Two National Awards

Today we found out the Onekama Hybrid Home won two national awards from the ICFA (Insulating Concrete Form Association). The ICFA Excellence Award is the premier industry recognition for the most innovative and noteworthy ICF projects of the year. We are proud that BuildBlock our ICF supplier believed in our project so much that they entered us it these prestigious awards. Buildblock sweep the awards...

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LEED for Homes Program Review Class

On December 4th 2008 the West Michigan Chapter of the USGBC will be putting on a LEED for Homes program review class at Alliance for Environmental Sustainability in Grand Rapids Michigan. The class will be taught by Mike Holcomb one of the top green building authorities in the country. I highly recommend this class for anyone interest in green building.WHAT'S THE CLASS ABOUT?LEED for Homes is a...

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Green Bathroom Remodel

Today we start our green bath remodel with the help from Adam Bearup of Hybrid Homes, LLC we will be gutting a 1952 bathroom and remodeling it as green as possible. The first thing we did was to replace all the existing light fixture with energy star fixture. We replace a inadequate bathroom fan with a new energy star Panasonic Whisper Green fan/light. And the electrical switches will be motion activated. All new plumbing fixture will be Grohe WaterCare low flow fixture to conserve water with a...

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Great Lake Green Conference

The DeVos Place convention center at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan will host the state's first Great Lakes Green conference and exhibition. Events on Thursday and Friday are focused on builder topics and those on Saturday are catered to homeowners and consumers interested in green products and services.If you get a chance to go I'll be there working the LEED for Homes booth...

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National Ad Featuring the Onekama Project

Today we just found out BuildBlock the ICF supplier for the award winning LEED for Homes "Platinum" Onekama project took out a national ad showing our project in the July issue of Environmental Design + Construction magazine. Image Design and Hybrid Homes are proud to have specified BuildBlock ICF's and to be apart of there national ad campaign. The Onekama project is also featured on BuildBlock's...

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June & July Update

Were back from a Disney vacation in Florida and the 2008 Michigan Energy Fair. And were in the middle of a green remodel to our home and office. Our summer has been busy so far and so has our business. My wife Christy has been getting involved with the interior design on several of our projects now and enjoying the challenge. So here is a updated on our project's Hybrid Homes has the Watercress and...

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Review of the 2008 Michigan Energy Fair

We had a great time at the 2008 Michigan Energy Fair. My wife Christy and I meet and talked with a lot of interesting people from all over the country that were interested in the design of green/sustainable homes. I want to thank my wife Christy for all the hard work she did to help and prepare for the Energy Fair. The evening before the energy fair we had a VIP party for all those involved with...

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Our 2008 Spring Parade Home Wins Awards

We are excited that our 2008 Spring Parade of Homes house with Scott Bronkema Builders has won several awards through the Home & Building Association of Greater Grand Rapids (HBAGGA). We all were excited to win the 2008 Awards of Excellence for a $400,001 - $500,000 Home in the following categories below.Best Site HarmonyBest Exterior DesignBest Floor PlanBest Owner Sui...

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2008 Michigan Energy Fair

Its time again for the Michigan Energy Fair! Come visit the fair June 27th - 29th and see the latest in green building technolgies. We are proud to have the show home again for this years Energy Fair. Many of you saw the home under construction last year at the Energy Fair. This year you'll get to see it completed. This years key note speaker will be Govenor Jennifer Gramholm. Stop by our booth #8...

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Happy 141st Birthday, Frank LLoyd Wright

Today is the birthday of Frank LLoyd Wright. Widely regarded as America's most influential architect, Frank Lloyd Wright left behind a rich legacy of homes and buildings, and created a distinctly American style of architecture that continues to influence architects to this day. He was born June 8, 1867 and pasted a way in April 9, 1959. His work has influence my life since I was a young teenager....

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Paw Paw "Vineyard" project is Projected LEED for Homes "Gold"

Image Design, LLC and Hybrid Homes, LLC are excited to announce our Paw Paw project (also known as the Vineyard Project) was just register as a projected LEED for Homes "Gold" project. Nestled in South Western Michigan's wine country this project is located next to a vineyard, thus the project name. This home will be a Passive Solar Prairie style home built with BuildBlock ICF (Insulated Concrete...

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Pentwater "Watercress" project is Projected LEED for Homes "Platinum"

Image Design, LLC and Hybrid Homes, LLC are excited to announce our Pentwater project (also known as the Watercress Project) was just register as a projected LEED for Homes "Platinum" project. This home has a Logix ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms)foundation with SIP panel (Structural Insulated Panels ) walls and roof from Porter Sips the siding will be hand hewn cedar log siding from Homestead Timbers...

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2008 Spring Parade of Homes

If you get a chance please stop by our 2008 Spring Parade of Homes house we designed. It was built by Scott Bronkema Builders and is full of custom crafted details which Scott is known for. This home is situated on a beautiful wooded site with views of two different ponds and is one of the last sites to build on in Dix Farm development in Rockford Michigan. The parade of Homes starts May 21st and...

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Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day everyone! I hope you all take a moment today to really appreciate our earth and maybe do something today to help save it. Try planting a tree or picking up some garbage get your kids involved too. If you really want to help call your senator and tell them that you would like them to support a Renewable Portfolio Standard - or RPS - that will help jump start the growth of alternative...

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Onekama Project Receives LEED for Homes "Platinum" Certification

Image Design and Adam Bearup of Hybrid Homes are please to announced today that its Hybrid Home project in Onekama Michigan has been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) highest certification through is LEED for Homes program. The Hybrid House received LEED "Platinum" certification. Only 22 other homes in the nation have received this honor. Along with the "Platinum" LEED Certifications...

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Energy Audits are they worth it.

After meeting so many people at the Home & Garden show this last weekend and hearing them all telling me about there utility bills being $500 to $1,200 dollars and wanting to know what they can do to make there home more energy efficient. I told them sometimes replacing old, leaky windows with new, energy efficient windows may help, but you need to take a step back and see how your home is really...

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Come see us at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute

Thank you for those of you that stop by Team Hybrids booth and the LEED for Homes booth at the West Michigan Home & Garden show at DeVos place this past weekend. I got to meet alot of great people and vendor wanting to know about Sustainable Home Design and LEED for Homes. For those of you that missed us at the Home and Garden show or for those of you that didn't get enough of us we are also going have a booth for Team Hybrid and a booth for LEED for Homes at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute on...

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Result from our What is your fravorite home style poll

In December through February we polled our blog reader on "What is your favorite home style". And the following were the results of our poll.Traditional Style 11%Arts & Craft Style 23%Prairie Style 31%Cottage Style 15%Old World Style 9%Modern Style 20%Other 6%I want to thank everyone that took part in the poll we had over 105 responses, it will help us in our marketing research. I personally like all these styles but was excited to see the top 3 Styles. If you would like to find out more about...

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January and February Update

This year has started off with a bang! We have been hired to design a green remodel in Sawyer along with three new LEED for Homes certified projects in Glenn, Delton and Tustin. Adam Bearup of Hybrid Homes, LLC will soon start construction on two LEED for Homes registered projects we designed in Paw Paw and Grand Rapids these homes will raise the standard for what is green building.Our Spring Parade of Homes house is coming along great, this will be a must see home built by Scott Bronkema Builders....

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Janurary is Radon Action Month

This month is National Radon Action Month. At Image Design we are alway watching out for you and your loved ones. Did you know that Radon is actually deadlier than carbon monoxide. List below are some interesting fact you might not know.Breathing home indoor radon causes nearly one hundred times more deaths each year than carbon monoxide poisoning. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer....

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