'Ultra Green' House in Gambrills Open for Tours

A home in Gambrills built with the environment in mind is now open for tours, with proceeds from the sale of tickets going to support two area charities. 

The Maryland Green Designer Show Home is now fully built, and features more than 60 design elements meant to promote energy efficiency. 

For $20, anyone can tour the 7,000 square-foot home, and proceeds will go to support Hospice of the Chesapeake and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic. Tours will run Thursday through Sunday until Nov. 17. 

Baldwin Homes built the home as a way of promoting green home building. It hopes to sell the house for about $1.2 million, with sale proceeds also going to support the charities. 

"Everyone talks about building green, but very few people understand what it means," Baldwin Homes President Mike Baldwin said. "Our objective was to show people what green building was all about, to educate the general public while benefiting the charities."

Baldwin said he hopes the house will receive a top "Emerald" rating for green construction from the National Association of Homebuilders Green Homebuilding Program. It could also earn a rare LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. 

Unique design aspects include special concrete walls, drywall and shingles made from recycled materials, buried rain cisterns, and duct work installed in ceiling space rather than attics. During a tour, visitors will be able to see each environmentally friendly design element. 

The house is also being used as a showcase for interior designers. Each room has been decorated and furnished by nine different firms. 

The Maryland Green Designer Show Home is located at 1760 Holladay Park Rd., Gambrills. To arrange for a tour, go to www.mdgreenshowhome.com