A LEED Gold-Certified Smart Home as Seen in Custom Builder Online

We were honored to be featured recently in Custom Builder Online. Our team’s commitment to high-performance, future-focused building is highlighted on a national stage. The article showcases the core of our approach at August Homes: integrating modern smart home technology with sustainable, energy-efficient construction to create homes that are comfortable, resilient, and designed for how families live today, and how they’ll live tomorrow.

Our Loudoun County project brings this philosophy to life, demonstrating how a home can achieve net-zero performance, support exceptional indoor air quality, and remain easy to maintain while delivering a refined living experience. Being recognized for this work reinforces our mission to elevate what custom homebuilding can be across the DC Metro region.

In this spotlight, you can expect to see:

Loudoun County Net-Zero Home
Sustainable Features
Main-Level Primary Suite
Indoor-Outdoor Living
Multi-Use Rooms and Future-Ready Spaces
Smart Home Integration and High-Performance Design
Customized Technology
Your High-Performance Home Builder in the DMV

Loudoun County Net-Zero Home

This new construction is a net-zero, LEED Gold-certified Loudoun County custom home recently featured by Custom Builder Online. Set on a 10-acre property, this residence demonstrates how smart home integration and high-performance building come together to create a home that is efficient, resilient, and designed for long-term comfort.

This home was custom designed for this client, and is now our Morgan model. The roof-mounted 15-kilowatt solar array, strategically angled for optimal performance, works in tandem with all-electric home systems, airtight construction, triple-pane windows, and advanced insulation. A fresh-air exchange system ensures exceptional indoor air quality, and an EV charging station supports energy-conscious living. Our client for this home was a couple who wanted a beautiful, energy-efficient home with the option to age in place. We were more than happy to deliver that. There are many reasons DMV homeowners are choosing high-performance homes, and the features below point to the biggest motivations.

Sustainable Features

What sets this home apart is the way performance, technology, and design are integrated from the ground up. Instead of adding features one by one, every component, from the solar-ready roofline to the fresh-air ventilation system, works together to create a home that’s efficient, comfortable, and built for long-term resilience. Smart automation, all-electric systems, advanced insulation, and elevated indoor air quality come together in a unified approach that reflects how August Homes builds for the future.

Here's what many of our high-performance homes feature:

Open floor plans that naturally bring people together
Natural light spaces are oriented to capture views and brighten daily life
Everyday living conveniences are built into the layout
Flexible layouts suitable for work, fitness, hobbies, or a finished basement
Gathering spaces sized for casual evenings or larger get-togethers

These features create a home that adapts to the rhythms of daily life while remaining easy to maintain.

Primary Suite on the Main Level

This net-zero home has a main-level primary suite that prioritizes long-term comfort and accessibility. Large windows bring in natural light and highlight the surrounding landscape, while the layout keeps essential living spaces on one floor. This design supports aging-in-place options and offers ease of daily living for this couple without compromise.

Indoor-Outdoor Living

This home's layout is designed to strengthen the connection between interior spaces and the natural setting of the property.

In this home, indoor-outdoor living means:

Main living areas align along the rear of the home to capture landscape views
Smooth transitions to outdoor dining and lounge spaces
Window placement that enhances natural light and privacy
A home office designed with desk-height views overlooking the acreage

This alignment allows homeowners to enjoy the outdoors throughout everyday life, with spaces that feel open, bright, and connected to the land.

Multi-Use Rooms and Future-Ready Spaces

Modern families need flexibility, and this high-performance home in the DMV anticipates all those needs.

It features:

Multi-use rooms that adapt to work, study, fitness, or creative activities
Optional finished basement for expanded living or recreational space
Hardwired data lines for consistent connectivity
Blank conduits throughout the home for future wiring needs
Planning for acoustics, lighting, and privacy in dedicated workspaces

This approach ensures the home remains adaptable, functional, and high-performing well into the future.

Smart Home Integration and High-Performance Design

As highlighted in Custom Builder Online, this project reflects August Homes’ unique ability to merge advanced technology with holistic building performance.

High-tech features include:

Integrated smart home automation controlling lighting, climate, window shades, and security
15-kilowatt solar array optimized for energy production
All-electric home systems and appliances
EV charging for owners and guests
Energy monitoring with compatibility for platforms like SPAN
Options for battery backup systems

High-performance fundamentals:

Insulation standards that surpass building codes
Airtight construction for reduced energy loss
Triple-pane windows for comfort, efficiency, and sound control
Advanced HVAC systems designed for consistent, balanced performance
Fresh-air exchange to support healthy indoor air quality

High performance at August Homes means building a home as a unified system, one that delivers durability, comfort, and efficiency without sacrificing usability.

Customized Technology

At August Homes, technology is never a one-size-fits-all feature; it’s an extension of how each family lives. True high performance comes from treating the home as a complete system rather than a collection of parts. That holistic mindset shapes every decision, from insulation and air quality to the level of smart automation a homeowner wants to engage with.

For this Loudoun County home, personalization meant striking the right balance between high-tech capabilities and the owners' specific preferences. While the home is built to support advanced automation, our clients chose the technology level that matched their lifestyle. They even embraced the visual presence of solar panels, opting for steep roof angles that display the 15-kilowatt array proudly, an example of how design and performance can align with a homeowner’s values.

Whether a family prefers minimal automation or a fully integrated smart ecosystem, August Homes ensures the technology enhances daily life, supports long-term resilience, and integrates perfectly with the home's overall performance.

Your High-Performance Home Builder in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and DC

As a DMV high-performance home builder, August Homes designs and builds custom homes across the Washington, D.C. area. This home serves as a powerful example of what’s achievable when advanced technology, resilient construction, and cohesive design come together. You can take a look at the difference between high-performance building and custom home building to see what we do.

Whether you’re considering an energy-independent home or exploring options for a custom build in the DC Metro area, our team is here to help you begin. Our process makes the experience smooth, and our portfolio shows you the high caliber of work you can expect. You can take a look at our cost guide to start planning your future.