With a national movement toward urban revitalization, downtown Orlando was chosen as the site for the show homes in an effort to illustrate how builders could revitalize an older neighborhood. Both homes were built on an urban infill site overlooking Lake Eola. While TNAH was built to add a contemporary flair to the historic neighborhood, TRAH demonstrates what can be done with today’s technologies and building advances to update older homes. The homes provide builders and consumers with a look at exciting features for new and remodeled homes.

Both homes offer the latest in universal design, energy efficiency and cutting-edge technology, including extensive integration of various low-voltage systems such as home-run structured wiring and whole-house lighting control, entertainment and security. Built with an eye toward energy efficiency, both homes have been certified “green” by the Florida Green Building Coalition and are ENERGY STAR® rated.

While both homes are green, it is TNAH that stands out as the cutting-edge green home. Developed in partnership with Building America, the U.S. Department of Energy program that researches and certifies energy-efficient home building, TNAH earned a preliminary score of 400 points in the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines certification system — a gold rating. It also received stellar ratings from Energy Star® and the Florida Green Building Coalition. 

	In addition to having solar panels, the home's roof is irrigated by water from a cistern that collects rainwater.

The home uses 73 percent less energy for heating and cooling and 54 percent less for hot water than a central Florida home of comparable size, according to certification figures. This represents an annual savings of $1,132, said John R. Broniek, senior building performance specialist for IBACOS, the Pittsburgh-based building science and consulting firm that provided technical assistance for the home.

Additionally, the home has a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating of 51, putting it halfway between a rating of 100 for a typical home and zero for a zero-energy home that produces at least as much energy as it consumes.

TNAH represents "all the products and techniques that are out there," Broniek added. Some examples:

• Pre-cast concrete walls — a panelized building style rare for residential construction in the Orlando area — provide an insulation value of R-26, with the insulation located inside each concrete panel.
  
  
• The heating and air conditioning system is properly sized and includes three separate units, with one heat pump serving the first and second floors and one unit for the third floor. This provides for an even distribution of cooling and the units don't short-cycle, or go for short periods of time and blow a lot of hot air, which often happens with an oversized system. In addition, all of the system's ductwork is within conditioned space.
  
  
• A photovoltaic system (PV) powers the refrigerator directly and excess energy is stored or used elsewhere in the home.
  
  
• Tankless water heaters minimize piping and reduce standby heat loss. Water in the system is preheated by a solar thermal system on the roof of the house. The photovoltaic system also provides power for appliances, including the refrigerator, and the power that isn't used can be sold back to the local electric utility.
  
  
• To meet Orlando's pervious surface percentage requirements, the builders paved the driveway with Flexi-Pave, a brand-new product made of recycled tires.
  
  
• The home's stucco exterior includes a product in the paint mix that mitigates pollution buildup on the house, attaching to toxins and enabling them to be washed off the building.
  
  
• The house also has a green roof, which is irrigated by water from a cistern that collects rainwater. It's sited to take best advantage of natural lighting; overhangs and balconies protect the home's interior from the hot Florida sun; and the lot has been landscaped with native plants.

Designed by Bloodgood Sharp Buster Architects and Planners (Des Moines, Iowa), with interior design by Robb and Stuckey Interiors (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) and built by Homes by Carmen Dominguez of Orlando, the 2007 New American Home is a three-story urban loft boasting 5,800 square feet of living area with an added 576-square-foot suite above its detached two-car garage, a roof plaza, courtyard and deluxe swimming pool. The home draws its inspiration from a national trend of homeowners leaving the suburbs to live in urban areas so they can be within walking distance of restaurants, parks and entertainment venues.

Consumers can visit TNAH 2007 online at www.tnah.com to discover these and other exciting ideas that can be incorporated into their own homes.  Since its inception in 1984, TNAH has had the distinction of being both a show house and a for-sale product, balancing architectural freedom and the bottom line.  It is a collection of ideas for the industry to take away — in large pieces, or bit by bit — and put into millions of homes across the country each year.
[ return to top ]