One growing family’s desire to downsize their home proves that, even in our materialistic, wasteful society, we can aspire to live simpler, smaller, more sustainable, and—yes—richer lives.
Drew and Ezra Temko, both 30, moved to the Seacoast from the Philadelphia area two years ago. “We likely would not be living in Newmarket if it weren’t for the Mills,” Drew says. “I traveled to the area prior to our move and fell in love with the Mills for several reasons: being on the water, the beautiful exterior of the building, heated floors, large windows, and the location in downtown Newmarket.”
Photographed by Jack Bingham
Not far from the Seacoast, a little more than a half hour from downtown Portsmouth, is the town of Farmington, New Hampshire. Much like neighboring towns Rochester and Dover, Farmington’s history is steeped in mill manufacturing.
On a small lot in Rye Harbor, New Hampshire, not far from the rocky shoreline and the swell of the sea, sits a recent residential project that pushes the boundaries of sustainable design. The 2,400-square-foot home is replete with energy-efficient technology that reduces heating and electricity bills, generates home energy credits, is environmentally friendly, and looks good doing it, too.
When you think of things designed to help consumers and homeowners reduce their environmental footprint, chances are some of the first to come to mind are of the high-tech variety: solar PV systems, spray-foam insulation, electronic monitoring equipment, and other, costly investments. However, the last two decades have seen a considerable uptick in another eco-conscious application, the rain garden, which demands far less in the way of both maintenance and materials.
