Plan for energy-conscious condos in Mount Airy

Now, the Seiberts are razing a warehouse on Carpenter Lane to construct a 25-unit condo and mixed-use building.

The project, 520 Carpenter Lane, will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified (LEED). Construction is scheduled to start in early 2015 and, with some modular designs, should be completed in six to nine months, G.C. Seibert said.

Re:Vision Architecture is designing the three-story building, which also will include a public courtyard and garden, cafe tables, and shared work space available for rent.

Elfant Wissahickon is the real estate broker for the units, which range in price from $250,000 to $450,000.

The Seiberts also hope to incorporate "passive-house" design, to reduce the need for insulation and multiple water heaters.

Instead of a 50-gallon water tank in each unit, for example, they may install a 2,000-gallon tank that can service them all and be heated by solar power.

"It's like using a one-liter bottle vs. a six-pack," said G.C. Seibert. "There's less waste and less overhead."

Scott, 38, and G.C., 43, bought their first fixer-upper homes when they were in college.

"Our parents fixed up properties, and we spent weekends helping them do that," said G.C., who studied mechanical engineering at Lehigh University, then earned an MBA there.

Scott attended Carnegie Mellon for business and then worked at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Plan for energy-conscious condos in Mount Airy