Attention to detail is a trait Carol and Mike Gordon have in common. Their ability to focus drew them to their respective careers in commercial insurance and in law enforcement, where mindfulness and a nose for minutiae are required.
“Don’t underestimate our sailing and boating experiences either,” says Carol who, like Mike, has a captain’s license. “Everything on a boat has to be efficient, multipurpose and operational. Even if you’re out for a short ride, planning and diligence are important.”
The six places they bought and tweaked, or renovated down to the bones, over the course of their 30-year marriage also honed their carefulness.
At last, after decades of fixing up other houses, the conscientious couple decided to go all-in on their own house, start to finish. Following a thorough search, they settled on land: not on the water and not on a golf course (been there, done that), not too close to others, but not too far from the cultural offerings in downtown Fairhope. They consolidated three lots on Summit Street that were just right.
Next up was assembling the experts that could realize their high ideals. Architect Rebecca Dunn Bryant of Watershed, builder Scott Norman, energy consultant Anna Keene Miller of Keen Living and a team of eco-conscious, aesthetic artisans lived up to the challenge. The outstanding result: the nation’s first dually certified FORTIFIED Gold Hurricane and Zero Energy Ready Home.
By definition, the Zero Energy Ready Home is so efficient that it “can offset all or most of its annual energy consumption,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy. In addition, the FORTIFIED Gold Hurricane house can withstand hurricane-force winds, a must for Gulf Coast living and peace of mind for its residents. The home won a Department of Energy Housing Innovation Award in 2022 for these feats of innovation.
Read the full article HERE.
Article written by Judy Culbreth
Photo by Summer Ennis Ansley