If you’re not careful, it’s easy to drive past the home of the future.

At first glance, the unassuming Mission bungalow-style house perched on a hill above Greenville’s Cleveland Park looks like many other homes in the neighborhood. It isn’t topped with a geodesic dome—and instead of a helipad, its walkway leads to a wide porch and a welcoming front door.

Step inside, however, and you enter the future—at least an energy-saving vision of the years to come. “Welcome to the Upstate House,” Carlton Owen says. “Let me show you around the place that’s bringing the idea of building Green to South Carolina.”

Less Use, More Reuse
Working with the Upstate Forever organization, Carlton and his wife, Brenda, along with state and local governments, architects, product manufacturers, and builders across the South, created a 2,500-square-foot energy-­efficient home (plus a full unfinished basement and two-car garage) that saves money and materials.

Futuristic features such as a solar-powered water heater, compact fluorescent lights, and soy-based foam insulation mingle with floors made from old wooden pallets and walkways and retaining walls built from salvaged stone.

“The whole project cost us around $400,000, just a little more than building a normal house. You don’t have to do a bunch of expensive, high-tech things to save energy and be environmentally friendly,” Carlton says, leading a tour through the comfortable living room. “Take this wood-burning stove from Norway. It’s one of the most efficient in the world, and it still heats most of the upstairs area. The rest of the heating and cooling system is electric—but our utility bill runs only about $50 a month.”

Energy-saving ideas fill the home’s yard as well as its rooms. Located on the edge of Greenville’s largest city park and a few blocks from Carlton’s downtown office, the Upstate House’s site offers a perfect combination of urban benefits and natural beauty.

“This was an abandoned lot for nearly 30 years, so it took a lot of work to bring it back. We removed all of the invasive plants and put in native trees and shrubs that don’t use as much water,” Carlton says. “The lot also borders Cleveland Park and overlooks Richland Creek, a tributary of the Reedy River, so it’s a gateway to both of those natural areas. We’re trying to stress the Green aspects of the project both inside and out.”