|
Plantation-Style New American Home Puts Accent on Green
The New American Home (TNAH) will be celebrating its 25th anniversary when it opens its doors to attendees at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando next month, once again displaying innovative building materials, cutting-edge design and the latest construction techniques to provide home builders with inspiration for energy-efficient, durable and stylish homes.
And as the association prepares to launch the NAHB National Green Building Program, The New American Home will also hold the distinction of being the first show home built and certified to the program’s scoring tool. The house achieved a gold certification level.
The New American Home is “so green, St. Patrick ought to cut the ribbon,” says NCHI member Bill Nolan, vice-chair for the 2008 TNAH Committee.
Since its inception in 1984, The New American Home has showcased the products provided by the National Council of the Housing Industry (NCHI) — The Leading Suppliers of NAHB.
It’s both a show home and a for-sale product, balancing architectural freedom with the bottom line.
|
|
 |
|
|
Fire pots at sunset | Mostly, The New American Home is a collection of ideas that the industry can take away — in large pieces, or bit by bit — and apply to millions of homes across the country each year.
This year’s project is a collaborative effort involving builder Robertson Homes, home designer The Sater Group, interior designer Robb & Stucky and landscaper Outside Productions; all contributed unique and innovative green features to the home’s design and construction.
Co-sponsored by NCHI and Builder magazine, The New American Home is a 6,725-square foot, plantation-style house located in the prestigious Waters Edge subdivision, a gated, 11-lot development in a private golf and country club community along the banks of Orlando’s Lake Nona.
|
|
 |
|
|
Luxuries inside and out | The two-story home is near a lakefront park and boat dock and features luxuries inside and out, with a family suite on the first level to accommodate an elderly parent or long-term guest, a first-floor master suite, an open kitchen and leisure room combination and an upstairs club room complete with theater-quality entertainment.
|
|
 |
|
|
Upstairs club room |
The home’s 2,950 square feet of covered outdoor space includes a kitchen and salon with a fireplace featuring arched openings to the lake view and a landscaped pool and spa.
To ensure the home’s energy efficiency and innovation, two U.S. Department of Energy Building America teams have worked closely with NCHI. IBACOS, Inc. provided design and engineering support, and the Industrialized Housing Partnership provided performance testing.
Ductwork Within Conditioned Space
As a result, the home has three strategically placed, high-performance HVAC systems. The heat pumps have a maximum of 16.6 SEER performance and each unit and its associated ductwork are within conditioned space — a relatively simple change in construction techniques that more builders are beginning to make.
A solar thermal hot water system serves half the house, while propane-fueled, tankless water heaters serve the other half — further adding to efficiency.
Other prominent features contribute to the home’s energy efficiency and durability. Exterior walls were constructed using autoclaved, aerated concrete blocks (R-8) with R-4 rigid foam insulation placed continuously on the interior and R-5.7 insulation integrated into the exterior finish system.
A thermal and air barrier was constructed at the underside of roof sheathing with the application of R-20 spray foam insulation. These features combined result in 42% whole house energy savings.
|
|
 |
|
|
Owner's bath |
An Airtight Attic
The attic is unvented, sealed and indirectly conditioned — a particularly innovative approach to energy efficiency and durability in humid climates like Orlando’s, said designer Dan Sater II, AIBD of the Sater Group.
“Traditionally, you have a ventilated attic that ‘breathes,’ but we have a huge problem with ventilated soffits,” he said. On hot summer days when the attic heats up far into the afternoon, moisture is drawn in during the cooler evenings. “It settles on HVAC equipment, it creates rust and mold problems,” Sater said.
Instead, the attic in The New American Home has been made practically airtight with spray foam insulation, eliminating the moisture issues while keeping the attic cooler. “It’s amazing how it really works as far as moisture goes. In arid climates, it’s not going to matter,” but it’s a great solution for coastal climates, he said.
The home also features a cupola-shaped belvedere over the central hall — a typical feature in plantation-style homes but with a contemporary, green interpretation, Sater said.
Cupola Creates Chimney Effect
The tall cupola creates a chimney effect in the home, drawing air up and out of the main floor and through the shutters around the dome. The practice, Sater explained, “goes back to old homes that were there before air conditioning. It creates a lot of opportunities for cross-ventilation and takes advantage of the breezes,” with the housing sitting near water. The 21st-century difference, though, is that the shutters that let air in and out at the cupola are thermostatically controlled.
Outside, the landscape design includes drought-tolerant and native plants like dwarf hollies, large-canopy trees like native oaks and magnolias that provide extra shade, and natural pine straw mulch to reduce evaporation and the need for watering, said Kate Trefz, marketing manager for Outside Productions.
Where grass is planted, “we always maintain a minimum of two feet of width” for the sod, Trefz explained. “This allows for easy maintenance for the lawn crews, which protects the turf and plant beds. If it were smaller, you’d have to replace the plants more often” because of the risk of damage from mowers.
Additional green features highlighted by NCHI:
Systems Engineering Cost Saving Trade-Offs
- Advanced framing systems
- Tightly sealed house envelopes
- Shorter, less costly duct work
- Engineered and planned infrastructure
- Smaller, less expensive mechanical systems
- Modular construction
Percentage of Energy Reduction
- 64% reduction in cooling energy consumption
- 55% reduction in heating energy use
- 57% reduction in hot water energy use
Other Green Features
- Adjacent wildlife habitat is maintained.
- Irrigation system uses a rain sensor and separate zones for turf and other plantings, allowing different watering schedules.
- Manufactured floor trusses reduce the quantity of materials and waste.
- Pre-finished wood flooring reduces the quantity of materials used and wasted and enhances indoor environmental quality.
- Humidistat-controlled bathroom vent fans manage moisture effectively.
- Direct vent, sealed-combustion fireplaces limit indoor pollutants.
- Covered entryways enhance durability and reduce maintenance.
- Appliances are water-conserving and Energy Star-rated.
- The pool uses salt rather than chlorine.
- Exterior landscape lighting is low-voltage.
- Low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints have been employed throughout.
|
|
 |
|
|
The pool |
Photos by James F. Wilson
To view more pictures and floor plans of The New American Home elsewhere in this issue, click here.
Tour Hours and Bus Schedule
Registered attendees at the 2008 International Builders’ Show can tour The New American Home during exhibit hours via free shuttle buses (ticket required) departing every half hour from the Orange County Convention Center. Shuttle bus tickets may be picked up at the The New American Home, which is open during show hours and located in “Transportation Central” of the C Hall Lobby, West Building.
|
Date |
Show Home Hours |
Depart Convention Center |
Depart Show Home |
|
Wednesday, Feb. 13 |
9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
|
Thursday, Feb. 14 |
9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
|
Friday, Feb. 15 |
9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
|
Saturday, Feb. 16 |
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. |
8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. |
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. |
For more information, e-mail Tucker Bernard at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8519.
|
