Austin Home Achieves Top Ratings in Three Green Building Programs

House earned LEED-Platinum, NAHB-Gold, and Austin Energy Green Building 5-Star Certification, plus Energy Star qualification.

EcoHome Magazine’s latest Case Study is about as green as you can get - a home in Austin, Texas that was designed and constructed from head to toe, from roofing, to countertops, to windows, to flooring, in such a way that earned top-level certification in four different green building programs.

For such an incredibly complicated project, it’s no wonder that the home’s verifier Chip Henderson compiled a simple three-page spreadsheet that included the mandatory requirements of each program to help him get organized.

“We took a look at the four programs and folded them into one to-do list,” recalls Henderson, of San Antonio-based Contects Consultants and Architects. “We realized that if we stuck to this one to-do list, at the end of the day we’d cross the finish line with all four of the programs.”

And so it seems, Henderson’s organizational skills paid off: The 3,266-square-foot home obtained top ratings by the three most widely accepted green building programs in Austin: LEED-Platinum, NAHB Model Green Home Building Gold, and Austin Energy Green Building 5-Star. The house is also Energy Star-qualified.

Designed by Austin-based Barley & Pfeiffer Architects, the home features advanced framing techniques, spray-foam insulation, high-efficiency air conditioning, energy-efficient windows, low-VOC interior finishes, a tankless hot water heater, CaesarStone quartz countertops, dual-flush toilets, and compact fluorescent light fixtures. A 3-kW solar photovoltaic array on the southeast roofline of the home offsets energy consumption by 25%.

The open kitchen features integrated Miele stainless steel appliances and Caesarstone quartz countertops.

While certifying a home in three major green building programs plus Energy Star may seem like overkill, Henderson says there are marketing benefits to the approach.

“You’re supporting the regional program for the local recognition that your consumers may be familiar with and at the same time combining that with at least one national program,” he says. “Depending on how you’re marketing your company, it has some advantages.”

Those involved in the project said they learned a lot about the programs’ similarities and differences.

“All of the programs have a lot of commonality because the building science community’s consensus of what we need to be doing to really call a house high-performance is very similar,” Henderson says. “So it wasn’t like comparing apples to oranges, it was more like a Fuji compared to Pink Lady--just variations but not radically different.”

Dwyane Wade’s New Chicago Townhouse features CaesarStone Countertops

Dwyane Wade’s New Chicago Townhouse features CaesarStone Countertops, a rooftop terrace, and views of the river.

According to Chicago Magazine, Dwyane Wade, who has always embraced his hometown of Chicago, got a sweet deal on a newly remodeled towhome in Kinzie Park. For those who don’t know, Dwyane Wade, US Basketball Olympic gold medalist and all-star guard for the Miami Heat, played his college ball just up Interstate 94 in Milwaukee and he’s made his South Side roots the cornerstone of his public persona. In fact, rumors fly every year about Wade potentially getting traded to the Bulls. For most people, this kind of trade would make sense.

And so it seems that this new home will serve as the celebrity Chicago native’s (and apparent housing expert) swinging bachelor pad for the times Wade is back in his hometown. What’s more, this townhome had a list price of $1.7 million, but Wade apparently got a great deal, only paying $1.4 million. Find the listing below.

Fabulous 3900+ square foot luxury riverfront, newly remodeled townhome in Kinzie Park. Hardwood Floors in Living room, dining room, kitchen, stairs; slate floors in foyer & family room - opens to fenced yard on river’s edge. Fireplaces in living room and master bedroom; kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, wine cooler & custom wet bar. Balcony with gas grill adjacent to kitchen, river view Master Suite and CaesarStone Quartz Countertops, marble floors, steam shower & soaking tub, closet organizers. Rooftop terrace w/great views. 2 car garage + 2 additional spaces at $40,000 each.

According to Chicago Magazine, the townhouse was built in 2000 and “newly remodeled.” Seems pretty nice for a place to crash in between seasons.

Original Story: http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/dwyane-wades-new-17m-chicago-townhouse-25513

Build a Green Home for Practically Nothing

A recent LA Times Article reported on sponsors occasionally donating thousands of dollars in high-end goods to home builders and designers. In exchange, manufacturers expect owners to open the homes for occasional public touring.

Some savvy Southern Californians have figured out how to get new green homes for practically nothing. An increasing number of entrepreneurs have persuaded companies such as bathroom fixture maker Kohler, quartz countertops manufacturer CaesarStone, appliance manufacturer Dacor and cabinet designer Bazzeo to provide free or discounted materials for newly built or remodeled homes. Nearly a dozen such houses have sprouted around Southern California. Virtually all are in the $1 million-to-$2 million range, though the freebies enabled owners to spend significantly less.

Why would a manufacturer be willing to donate as much as $100,000 worth of products to a home owner? This story is a hint to the answer: publicity. Think of it as swag on a grand scale. Just as a fashion house may give away its latest handbag so it can be seen attached to the arm of a much-photographed starlet, manufacturers of home appliances, countertops, fixtures and finishes are giving away their goods in hopes of being noticed in high-profile modern homes.

The catch: The homes have to showcase environmentally friendly design. Some manufacturers are going after projects with the U.S. Green Building Council's highest rating for sustainable design and building practices. Others go for green homes with celebrities attached to them. Regardless of who owns the place, manufacturers expect the homes to open for occasional public touring -- sometimes for a whole year -- and owners to discuss the virtues of the products in question, be it a CaesarStone countertop or General Electric appliance.

Such arrangements are nothing new. Traditional show houses, often sponsored by a magazine or a nonprofit organization raising money for charity, call for designers to make over a residence for free, often using products that are donated in exchange for a promotional push. What makes the new green show houses different is not only the emphasis on sustainability, but also the fact that they often are, first and foremost, private residences owned and inhabited by the builders themselves, whose living space essentially becomes a billboard for sponsors.

One recent house like this sponsored by House Beautiful magazine was the Kitchen of the Year, which showcased CaesarStone quartz countertops, Kohler & Viking appliances, and KraftMaid cabinets and boasted celebrity designers Christopher Peacock and Ina Garten. This kitchen had a large opening in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. The publicity was amazing, and it even made appearances on Good Morning America. So if you don’t mind opening your home up to the world, then cruising for sponsors to help build your dream green home may be right up your alley.