Winning Design Created by Farr Associates of Chicago ALYS BEACH, Fla., Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- A beautiful new courtyard home in Alys Beach captured a major category in this year's "American Institute of Architects/Chicago Design Awards" program. Designed by Doug Farr of Chicago's Farr Associates, the 2,400 square-foot home received the AIA Chicago Design Excellence Award for Environmental Sustainability. "We're extremely honored to receive this award," said Doug Farr of Farr Associates, a Chicago-based architecture firm. "Alys Beach is truly on the forefront of marrying uncompromising architectural beauty with environmental responsibility, and we're proud that our home is helping to bring much- deserved recognition to such a unique new resort town." According to the award presented at AIA Chicago's 52nd Annual Awards Banquet, "the architect used several techniques to maximize the structures' energy efficiency, ultimately attaining energy use that is 71 percent below code. Green features like the shaded arcade, central courtyard, geothermal heating and cooling, insulated concrete walls and even a shaded outdoor kitchen combine to give the home a languid comfort that enhances enjoyment of the setting." "Farr Associates really went the extra mile on this home design," said Christian Wagley, Alys Beach's Environmental Program Manager. "From placing terrace windows to dramatically reduce the need for artificial lighting, to utilizing a concealed 4.8 kW solar photovoltaic system, to incorporating reclaimed red gum wood floors from a barn in the Midwest so that no new trees were cut, Doug thought of everything."
