1. ✳ Builder Concept Home 2011 | Daylighting | Selecting Sustainable Carpet | Front Porch Revival in Illinois
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A MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS
Desert Oasis
New NGBS-certified home
blends into the Utah landscape
while providing practical shelter,
comfort, and efficiency in the
harsh environment.
MARCH | APRIL 2011 www.ecohomemagazine.com

2. Red Rock Oasis BLENDING WITH ITS SPECTACULAR SURROUNDINGS, THIS
PRACTICAL NGBS-CERTIFIED CUSTOM HOME PROVIDES SHELTER,
COMFORT, AND ECONOMY IN THE UTAH DESERT.
CASE STUDY BY JENNIFER GOODMAN
20 ecohomemagazine.com MARCH | APRIL 2011

3. PROJECT DETAILS
T
he breathtaking natural beauty of southern Utah’s Red Rock region makes Name: Terra Numa, St. George, Utah
it one of the country’s most picturesque places to live. But for designer Size: 2,772 square feet
Matt Marten and builder Jake Joines, building homes here requires not
only an appreciation of the pristine environment but a healthy amount of Construction Cost: $658,000
respect for it. Completed: January 2011
While their clients love the region’s spectacular scenery, ethereal cloud forma- Certifications: National Green Building
tions, and awe-inspiring sunsets, Marten and Joines are more concerned with its Standard-Silver, Energy Star
blazing-hot summers, cold north winds, and fast-moving storms. Marten, the owner
HERS Rating: 59
of Gulch Design Group, has spent 20 years exploring the nuances of the local
PHOTO: DANNY LEE PHOTOGRAPHY
microclimate and how to fine-tune his houses to respond to the harsh—and Architect: Gulch Design Group, Ivins, Utah
“moody,” he describes—conditions. Builder: J2 Construction, St. George
Combating the desert’s grueling temperature extremes—which range from 110-plus Structural Engineer: Weaver Engineering,
degrees F in the summer to the 20s during winter nights—starts with a well-thought- St. George
out approach to heating and cooling. For the Terra Numa custom home near St. George,
Marten and Joines came up with a zoned system comprised of eight high-efficiency
mini-split units with separate programmable thermostats. Thanks to this configura-
tion, a room on the west side of the house can be kept cool even during the hottest part
MARCH | APRIL 2011 ecohomemagazine.com 21

4. CASE STUDY
UTAH CUSTOM HOME
LANDSCAPING
The site design preserved 70% of
the lot’s existing vegetation such as
black sage, indigo, and creosote.
The small amount of watering that
is required for the yard’s drought-
tolerant plants and trees—includ-
ing prickly pear, yucca, and Arizona
rosewood—is controlled via a
Rainbird drip irrigation system.
Instead of turf, permeable crushed
sandstone covers the ground and
chat, a type of crushed granite, is
used for planting beds instead of
mulch. 800.724.6247. www.rainbird.
com. Circle 370.
ROOFING INSULATION
The PVC roof from IB Roof carries a By relying on a mix of closed-cell spray foam and
Class A fire rating for flame cellulose insulation, Joines saved $5,700 compared
resistance, has a life expectancy of to using spray foam alone. The products he chose
up to 40 years, and is 100% also take indoor air quality and material conserva-
recyclable. A foil-backed Energy tion into consideration. Demilec’s Heatlok Soy,
Star–rated Insulfoam radiant barrier, made of recycled plastic and renewable soy oils, is
2 inches of closed-cell spray foam, Greenguard Indoor Air Quality and Greenguard for
and 12 inches of cellulose up the Children and Schools certified. Formaldehyde-free
roof’s R-value to 50. It is prewired for blown cellulose from GreenFiber is SCS certified
solar panels. IB Roof Systems: for a minimum of 85% recycled content, mostly
800.426.1626. www.ibroof.com. post-consumer paper fiber. Demilec: 877.336.4532.
Circle 374. Insulfoam: 800.248.5995. www.demilecusa.com. Circle 376. GreenFiber:
www.insulfoam.com. Circle 375. 800.228.0024. www.greenfiber.com. Circle 377.
of the afternoon without compromising Also contributing to the home’s
comfort in other, less sunny rooms. efficiency is its Southwestern-inspired
This strategy cost about one-third design, which evokes the adobe
more than a traditional HVAC system, dwellings of the Anasazi who once lived
Joines says, but will help keep heating and in the area. Large sections of double-
air conditioning costs remarkably low. In framed walls allow for recessed
fact, the project’s green rater estimates windows and doors that emulate
that the home’s annual power bills will traditional adobe construction while
run about $328 for cooling and $377 for providing room for extra cellulose
KITCHEN
The Kohler 2.2-gpm Simplice pull-down faucet and Energy Star
heating, about half that of a similar-size insulation (up to 2 feet for R-50 in some
appliances from KitchenAid conserve water and energy in the traditionally built home in the area. areas). The single-level, ground-hugging
kitchen. Recycled-glass tile from Walker Zanger provides a The HVAC system is augmented by a layout—also favored by Pueblo build-
striking backsplash with desert-inspired hues. Kohler: flash-and-batt insulation system that ers—takes advantage of the earth’s
800.456.4537. www.kohler.com. Circle 371. KitchenAid: combines two types of wall insula- insulating properties.
PHOTOS: DANNY LEE PHOTOGRAPHY
800.422.1230. www.kitchenaid.com. Circle 372. Walker Zanger: tion—2 inches of Demilec spray foam “The more of the home that can be in
732.697.7700. www.walkerzanger.com. Circle 373.
followed by GreenFiber cellulose—to contact with the earth the less it’s going
achieve R-28 at a lower price than spray to vary in temperature,” Joines says.
foam alone. “Once we achieve an air To achieve the appearance of a
barrier with spray foam, we fill the rest natural adobe exterior, the builder used
up with something less expensive,” hard-coat Finestone Stucco and boosted
Joines explains. He used the same R-value by installing StarRgard 1-inch
insulation approach under the roof. insulated sheathing board between the
22 ecohomemagazine.com MARCH | APRIL 2011

5. PROFILE:
WINDOWS LIGHTING
Jake Joines
Deeply recessed Energy Star–rated aluminum windows To cut down on electric load, Joines uses OWNER
from Eagle feature a U-value of 0.30 and a solar heat gain high-efficiency lighting products whenever J2 CONSTRUCTION
coefficient of 0.29. The low-E argon-filled units come with possible. For the Terra Numa project he
Jake Joines launched his building
double weather-stripping, which helps to eliminate air speced Sylvania LEDs with 20 times the lifespan
career the academic way—switching
and water infiltration while providing exceptional noise and 70% less energy consumption than
majors at Brigham Young University
control, according to the company. 800.324.5354. www. incandescents. 800.544.4828. www.sylvania.
from mechanical engineering to
eaglewindow.com. Circle 378. com. Circle 379.
construction management. After getting
his master’s in construction manage-
ment from Arizona State University, he
started off working for big commercial
builders in northern Utah and Las
Vegas, including helping to manage the
construction of the $95 million Caesar’s
Palace Colosseum amphitheater, built in
2002 for Celine Dion’s live show. The
fast-paced, bottom-line-oriented world
of commercial construction helped
shape the project manager role he sets
for himself today with his six-year-old
company, where he builds three to four
custom homes a year.
As the firm’s sole employee, Joines
lives and dies by his subcontractors, and
naturally he’s picky about the ones he
hires, especially for specialized systems
such as HVAC, where he prefers to work
with commercial contractors.
Although many of his customers often
ask for high-performance features such
as PV systems, solar hot water, net-zero
capability, and geothermal heating and
cooling, for those interested only in “the
least expensive way to build a nice-
looking house,” Joines makes a point to
bring up the benefits of energy-efficient
and healthy features.
“Sometimes in the process of talking
about these things, once I educate the
stucco system’s water-resistive barrier access to a courtyard and a covered consumer, they get on board,” he says.
and fiberglass lath. patio, which further reinforce the —J.G.
Window placement was carefully home’s connection to the outdoors and
considered to optimize and control the bring in cross breezes during the milder
hot desert sun while silhouetting the months of the year.
jaw-dropping views. Marten placed tall Water conservation was also a top
picture windows on the north side to priority. Low-flow faucets and shower-
reveal nearby Red Mountain and low, heads, low-gpf toilets, and a high-effi-
wide windows on the south side to take ciency washing machine and dishwasher
in the open range and far-off horizon. keep water use low inside while the
“We have 360-degree views here, so we landscape design employs drought-
have to be selective of the ones we take tolerant native plants, a drip irrigation
advantage of,” Marten says. “Even if it’s a system, and a permeable crushed
small window, we make sure it’s in just sandstone and gravel driveway.
the right place to frame a specific view.” Terra Numa is Joines’ second NGBS-
A two-car garage, a bike garage, and a certified project, a detail the homeowners
recessed front entry make up most of insisted on. “They saw value in having the
the western side of the house, which certification, especially for resale,” he says,
contains no windows, shielding the rest adding that the Southern Utah Home
of the dwelling from the sun during the Builders Association’s Southwest Green
hottest part of the day. To the north and Build Council (of which he is chairman)
south, respectively, patio doors provide is working with area Realtors to help add
MARCH | APRIL 2011 ecohomemagazine.com 23

6. CASE STUDY
UTAH CUSTOM HOME
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
A 70-cfm Fantech ERV exhausts stale air from each
bathroom and brings fresh, cooled air into the
bedrooms, reducing the load on the home’s air
conditioning system. Polished concrete floors and
walls finished with low-VOC Kwal paint also help
maintain healthy indoor air. Fantech: 800.747.1762.
www.fantech.net. Circle 380. Kwal: www.kwalpaint.
com. Circle 381.
BATHROOMS
Helping to keep water use low are WaterSense-
certified 1.5-gpm Eva lav faucets from Moen and
Kohler Highline dual-flush toilets with Class Five
flushing technology, which features a specially
engineered water flow for powerful but efficient
flushing performance. Moen: 800.289.6636. www.
moen.com. Circle 382. Kohler: 800.456.4537. www.
Years from now, homes kohler.com. Circle 383.
will stand up to the
environment. And stand
up for the environment.
Are you ready? HVAC
As part of a zoned heating and cooling
In the future, homes won’t approach, six high-efficiency 14-SEER Fujitsu
damage the environment, and the Halcyon mini-splits are concealed above
closets and behind return air grilles, while two
environment won’t damage homes.
Energy Star–rated 15-SEER LG cassette units
With LOGIX, that time is now. (one shown here) are mounted directly on the
LOGIX homes are as mean as they wall. The system’s four compressors are
located outside. Fujitsu: 888.888.3424. www.
are green – exceptionally strong yet fujitsugeneral.com. Circle 384. LG:
incredibly energy efficient. In fact, 800.243.0000. www.lg.com. Circle 385.
LOGIX is a homeowner’s best bet
at withstanding the devastating green features to the local MLS, an enforces strict design covenants to ensure
effects of hurricanes, floods and
initiative that will help owners get an homes blend in with the austere environ-
optimum return on their investment ment. Marten and Joines had to maintain
fires. It’s tomorrow’s stronger
when they sell a green home. and preserve much of the site’s natural
technology, today. Building such a one-of-a-kind home vegetation and limit the building footprint
put Joines at a disadvantage with the to less than 30% of the 0.75-acre lot. They
NGBS rating system, which requires also had to abide by a 13-foot height
higher point totals within each category restriction, a flat-roof requirement, night-sky
as higher certification levels are sought. restrictions, and an extremely limited brown
He struggled to achieve a Silver-level color palette for exterior materials.
rating in the program’s Resource “The key is actually to downplay the
Efficiency division, even though he architecture so we don’t lose the natural
achieved much higher levels—equiva- park-like setting,” Marten says. “The one
lent to Gold and Emerald—in all other factor that is common to all Kayenta
PHOTOS: DANNY LEE PHOTOGRAPHY
areas. “My homes are pretty custom, so I residents is living in and respecting the
can’t get any points for prefab panelized natural landscape.”
framing or for keeping everything on
2-foot centers that minimize how much Jennifer Goodman is managing editor of
lumber you use,” he explains. E H .
The stronger technology The three-bedroom, three-bath home
is located in the 2,000-acre master-
1.888.415.6449 l logixicf.com For more case studies,
planned Kayenta community, which visit ecohomemagazine.com.
Circle no. 70
MARCH | APRIL 2011