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A Community With Sol Thrives in Tucson
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The net zero energy Armory Park del Sol winning home |
Armory Park del Sol in Tucson, Ariz. has a lot of appealing qualities and characteristics going for it.
It is full of universal design features. It features energy-efficient homes, including two all-electric “net zero energy” homes that put energy back into the power grid. It is within easy walking distance to downtown Tucson. And it is an urban infill that fits the character of the existing neighborhood.
Armory Park del Sol, by the John Wesley Miller Companies, now has one more accolade. One of its homes is one of five winners of the inaugural AARP-NAHB Livable Communities Awards acknowledging builders, remodelers and developers who build homes and communities with features that improve everyday comfort, safety and personal independence for those who live in them.
Armory Park del Sol, a 92-home community on 13.98 acres in downtown Tucson, was designed to be aesthetically compatible with the adjoining historic neighborhood, include state-of-the-art energy efficient technology and be “livable” for all physical abilities and ages, John Miller said.
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Great room | The development as a whole is universally accessible with six-foot wide common area sidewalks and wheelchair ramps from street grade at all corners and intersections.
The development is designed to emphasize community and people over vehicles, with the majority of homes facing common area sidewalks and having rear-loading garages.
A small park used for picnics and other events was created to enhance the spirit of the community.
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Kitchen | The universal design elements in the homes include such features as 36-inch wide door openings, levered door handles, bathroom turnaround spaces, no-slip tile floors, garage floor patios at the same elevation as the floors in each home, and toilets that are centered at least 18 inches from side walls and compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Some universal design features discreetly built into every home at Armory Park del Sol include:
- Step-free entryways
- Extra wide hallways
- Three-foot wide door openings
- Bathroom grab bars
- Roll-in and walk-in showers
- Dual shower heads with slide bar
- Six-foot wide sidewalks
- Extra wide patio access gates
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Solar panels on the net zero energy home |
Miller is long recognized as a national leader in energy-efficient homes. His two all-electric “net zero energy Homes” at Armory Park del Sol feature photovoltaic electric power generating systems and solar water heaters with on-demand water heater backup systems. John Wesley Miller Companies is one of four builders selected by the Department of Energy to develop net zero energy-use homes that are designed to put energy back into the grid rather than taking energy from it.
One of the net zero energy homes earned the AARP-NAHB Livable Communities Award.
Current standard energy-saving features in all the homes include:
- 14 SEER or better high efficiency heat pumps
- Programmable thermostats
- Dual pane high efficiency windows
- Energy-efficient appliances
- Masonry wall super structure, concrete-filled for thermal mass storage and sound-proofing benefits
- Ceiling fans
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Master bedroom |
For more information on zero energy homes, visit the NAHB Research Center zero energy homes project.
For more information on Armory Park del Sol and the John Wesley Miller Companies, visit www.armoryparkdelsol.com and www.johnwesleymillercompanies.com.
For more information about the AARP-NAHB Livable Communities Awards, e-mail Blake Smith at NAHB, call him at 800-368-5242 x8583 or visit www.nahb.org/livablecommunities.
To read about the Livable Communities Awards elsewhere in this issue, click here.
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Universal design roll-in shower |
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Aesthetically-appealing rainwater collection system |
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