December 5, 2011
Nation's Building News

The Official Online Newspaper of NAHB

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The New American Home: Smaller Than Its Predecessors, Packing a Giant Punch
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The New American Home 2012. Photos by James F. Wilson

At 4,181 square feet, The New American Home 2012 (TNAH) is smaller than many of its show home predecessors, but by incorporating the latest in green building methods, effective home automation and graceful outdoor living, the home is no less ambitious.

“With The New American Home 2012, we have attempted to create what we think people are looking for today and what they will be looking for down the road,” said Brad Grosberg, with Phil Kean Designs, the company that designed and built the home.

In addition to being a bit smaller than previous show homes, it offers “a little bit higher detail, with lots of the creature comforts that let you enjoy your time in the house,” Grosberg said.


Flame on

A Classic Style at Home in Central Florida

TNAH 2012 in Winter Park, Fla., is about 30 minutes from the site of the 2012 NAHB International Builders’ Show and can be toured throughout the show on Feb. 8-11.

Created as Phil Kean’s reinterpretation of the classic white box-style design of the ’60s and ’70s made popular by such architects as Le Corbusier and Richard Meier, TNAH 2012 serves as a real-world laboratory — demonstrating concepts, materials, designs and construction techniques that can be replicated, in whole or in part, in homes built anywhere across the country in any price range. Kean created the home as a two-bedroom floor plan that will appeal to empty nesters, but the home has “four additional rooms that can be converted to bedrooms if desired,” he said.

The home also takes maximum advantage of Florida’s friendly climate while incorporating the latest advances in home technologies, green building and energy efficiency. The Central Florida home features movable glass wall panels and motorized screens that provide a seamless traffic flow from the indoor to outdoor spaces.


Art niche

“I was inspired by some of the stuff that was happening in Florida in the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s,” Kean said. “There was indoor-outdoor design that was emerging before they had a lot of air conditioning in the state. They had houses that provided living inside and outside.

“I found that to be very intriguing,” Kean said. “That’s where I started with modern thoughts of broad overhangs and terraces and rooms that blend from inside to outside.”Learner, Greener, Smarter

Produced and presented by the NAHB Leading Suppliers Council and Builder magazine, Kean designed the 2012 show home to achieve “Emerald Status” under the National Green Building Standard and is hoping to achieve additional green certifications under the Florida Green Building Coalition, U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star; Florida Yards and Neighborhoods and other programs.


The gallery

Green technologies in the home include LOGIX insulated concrete forms with an R-value of R27, the Lennox Solar HVAC system, LED interior and exterior lighting, and solar screens. The home also has an electrical vehicle charging station.

Only plants native to Central Florida’s climate and soils were used in the landscaping, eliminating the need for irrigation, pesticides and fertilizers.

Integrated Technology

With an integrated technology package designed and installed by Architectural Electronics in Winter Park, the home features structured wiring and control systems that provide the home owner with a high-end experience — advanced lighting controls, motorized shading, a security system, video surveillance, two media systems and a central vacuum — at a reasonable price, and each of the systems can be controlled through a smartphone.

The New American Home 2012 includes structured wiring for telephone, television, Internet, audio, video and communications and almost every room is outfitted with an empty conduit routed to the equipment room.

In addition to smartphones, simple-to-use touch screens in the home can be used to arm, disarm and check the status of the home’s security system.


Movable glass between the dining room and lanai

Other must-see features include the structured stone by Environmental Stone Works, cabinetry by Timberlake, Kohler fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms, art niches and water and fire features — fire elements that set the home apart.

Kean, as architect and builder of the home, has led an extensive team of industry professionals. A list of team members can be found on the TNAH website, which also features videos of the production process and a list of the product suppliers for the home. The home was built on an infill site in an older neighborhood near downtown Winter Park and is within walking distance of shops, restaurants and a public library.

Registered IBS attendees can tour TNAH 2012 daily during the show. Free shuttle buses (tickets required) will depart every half hour from the Orange County Convention Center, site of the IBS.

View the floor plans and more photos of The New American Home 2012 elsewhere in this issue.

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