Huggable Homes

Alden Homes has married smart and sensible design with warm and cozy appeal in their newest community project: The Gables at Elm Tree. Located in Mount Joy, Penn., the 116-lot Craftsman-style community features nine distinctive single-family homes with unique curb appeal.

"Each of these modern cottage-style homes features smart technology and efficient space use on the inside along with appealing, comfortable designs on the exterior," says Bill Martin, architectural designer with Alden Homes. "These homes have so much charm and appeal that we've had people say they feel like the house is giving them a hug."

The warmth of the overall home design starts on the outside of each house with low-maintenance siding and a 360 Series garage door from Haas Door. Each garage door features frosted glass and is backlit from within the garage, so it looks like the doors glow at night.

"The durable and elegant 360 Series door is an upgrade option that every single homeowner has requested since we started selling lots last year," says Martin. "We're specifying this door with Painted Bronze or Dark Bronze Anodized to complement the vivid colors and styles of the home exteriors. This garage door makes such a powerful curb appeal impression that we've had non-residents request information on them for their own homes."

The rust- and corrosion-free aluminum garage doors in the 360 Series are available in a wide variety of finishes, including 14 new powder coated wood grain finishes plus custom colors. A multitude of window glass style options also exist for the high-end garage doors. According to Liz Borg, another architectural designer with Alden Homes, this is the first time the company has specified Haas Door products on their homes.

"We started out wanting to feature glass in our garage doors, and our supplier at Shank Door made the recommendation of the 360 Series doors," says Borg. "The look was ideal for the home designs, and we liked that the lighting system in the garages illuminate the doors at night. The Smart Technology system throughout the entire home that was developed by Lutron automatically brings on the lights in the garage, mudroom and kitchen when the homeowner approaches the house at night. This creates an exceptionally 'warm feeling' as you drive up to the home."

The Gables at Elm Tree is being developed by Alden Homes, a builder in the Lancaster County area for more than 25 years. The team at Alden Homes has constructed more than 1,000 homes in the four communities they've created over the years.

"We're not competing with a track builder because we're personalizing the homes to meet the specific needs of the homebuyers," says Borg. "The Gables at Elm Tree is a way for our company to branch out and present new ideas for community living. From the Smart Technology systems to exceptional interior space utilization, these homes are crafted specifically for an individual or family."

For additional information on the development, visit www.gablesatelmtree.com.