Zero Energy America is a project by Marc Rutenberg Homes to build four houses in the Tampa Bay area at the extreme of green building, with net zero electric bills — all with a comfort and style that makes them the most desirable homes in the market. With soft neutral tones, such as limestone and travertine as the dominant stones, the Castaway III Model is not just a showcase of Marc Rutenberg’s work, but also a demonstration of zero energy and extreme green building in a 4,552-square-foot luxury home. “There was a distinct goal to present current, more contemporary design to the marketplace while keeping the warmth and comfort that speaks so strongly to the mainstream market,” said Ashley Rutenberg, Zero Energy America Project Coordinator at Marc Rutenberg Homes. “Now that it’s complete, we hear often that the home is contemporary, but it’s still casual — like you could actually live in it, not just like a pretty picture in a magazine.”
As you walk up to and into the Castaway III, much of the floor beneath you is a vein-cut travertine plank tile that carries through from the outdoor loggia into the main living areas. Complementing this stone is a featured contemporary fireplace wall that integrates a bio-fuel (ethanol) burning inset fireplace that needs no chimney or venting into a custom-fabricated limestone hearth with a Daltile-supplied Emperador Light Classic ½- x 1-inch split-face marble tile overmantle. “The living room and its fireplace sit right at the entrance to the home, so the goal was to present an immediate wow-factor and set the tone of the home,” said Rutenberg. “It features a full floor-to-ceiling wall of stone housing a biofuel-fireplace, a beautiful vista through the Energy-Star-on-steroids windows, healthy cabinetry and LED lighting that shows it all off.