Building codes are turning greener

San Antonio took the first step of the mayor's ambitious Mission Verde plan Thursday, passing new sustainable building codes aimed at making the city's homes and buildings more energy- and water-efficient.

The new rules, which the City Council passed by a unanimous vote, call for all new buildings starting in 2010 to be 15 percent more energy-efficient than currently required.

That would jump to a target of 30 percent by 2012, with a goal of carbon-free buildings by 2030.

"Carbon-free buildings" could be powered by onsite renewable energy systems, like wind or solar, that don't produce any greenhouse gases.

The ordinance also prescribes water-saving building techniques by 2010 that will cut in-home water use by 20 percent to 30 percent, San Antonio Water System CEO Robert Puente said. If 5,000 homes met the new standards, that would save an estimated 100 million gallons of water.

"I think this puts the city of San Antonio in the leading edge nationally as for doing the proper thing for the right reason," said Ed Kelley, retired president of USAA Real Estate and chairman of the task force that developed the ordinance.

The new rules came with the endorsement of an unlikely coalition - architects, developers and Sierra Club members.

"It's not often that the San Antonio Builders Association comes before you to support an ordinance that will increase the cost of housing," said Kim Shrum of the Greater San Antonio Builders Association.

Members of that coalition spent months on a task force developing the building codes. Although most acknowledge the new rules could increase the upfront costs of a home, they argue that the homeowner saves money over time because of lower water and power bills.

"The additional cost to build a new home to the 15 percent improved standard passed in today's ordinance should not cause a homeowner any additional out-of-pocket expense when looking at monthly mortgage payment plus operating costs for energy and water," said John Friesenhahn of Imagine Homes.

Councilwoman Delicia Herrera said the overall cost of homeownership was important.

"Affordable really means being able to keep your home once you get it," she said.

There is also an ongoing discussion at City Hall and among San Antonio's water and power utilities about incentive programs that could reduce or eliminate the upfront costs associated with energy- and water-efficient building methods.

The new building codes don't prescribe any specific methods to meet the energy and water saving targets. That will be left up to the builder, architect and homeowner.

The ordinance does outline a number of means to measure success. Among them is compliance with the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, and certification by third-party programs like the federal government's Energy Star program and Build San Antonio Green.

The ordinance also calls for creating a sustainable building committee of architects, engineers, construction professionals, green building experts and others to keep tabs on the program and, among other things, ensure it doesn't become too expensive or onerous.

Such a committee is important to help vet the multitude of green building products available, said Tim Swan, task force member and CEO of Metropolitan Contracting Co.

"Sustainability is critical to our future," he said. "But we must not forget that the sustainability industry is still an industry."

Copyright 2009 San Antonio Express-NewsAll Rights Reserved

PREMIER BUILDING SYSTEMS; Homeowners Save up to 60% on Heating and Cooling Costs With Structural Insulated Panels

A growing building technique - structural insulated panels (SIPs) - is helping Americans reduce home energy use. Compared to traditional "stickbuilt" construction, SIPs save homeowners up to 60% on monthly utility bills.

According to Premier Building Systems, North America's largest SIPs manufacturer: SIPs are large, pre-made wall, roof or floor sections using high-strength wood panels sandwiching a rigid insulating foam core. They replace the wall studs and fiberglass rolls or blown-in insulation builders typically use. Because SIPs come in large sections up to 8 ft. by 24 ft., they have fewer gaps needing sealing. www.pbssips.com

"A SIP house has fewer joints, less complicated interfaces between conditioned and unconditioned spaces, and it is dramatically easier to make it tight," says Sam Rashkin, National Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star for Homes program. In tests using large blowers, the U.S. Dept. of Energy's (USDOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that rooms built with SIPs have 90 percent less air leakage than typical rooms.

A tight, well-insulated SIP home saves energy in both hot and cold climates. "It only costs an average of $200 to $300 a year to heat one of my SIP homes," says Scott Bergford, Owner, Scott Homes - Builder of the Year in the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and USDOE's 2009 EnergyValue Housing Awards. "That's anywhere from one-fifth to one-sixth the typical costs for this region," adds the Olympia, Washington-based builder.

"While SIPS have been around for several decades, they are getting more attention as homeowners and commercial building owners are looking to build green," says James Hodgson, general manager of Premier Building Systems. "The energy savings are pretty dramatic, and a SIP home or building costs about the same as wood frame construction."

In addition to saving energy, SIPs help seal out pollutants such as radon, molds, and pollen for healthier indoor air, and reduce construction waste up to 60% by eliminating the need to cut studs, joists and other framing materials on site.

"A SIP home is a true green structure that looks just like any other home," adds Hodgson. "SIPs fit with any architectural style, and virtually any floor plan can be easily converted to SIPs construction. Plus they are far stronger and straighter than buildings framed on site."

Real Estate Outlook: Turnaround in Sight?

Almost no one in the economic forecasting business wants to take the risk of announcing that it's now official. We're past the rock bottom of the down cycle for real estate and now we're moving into recovery mode.

That's understandable, but the fact is that the signs are all there. Sales and pending sales of homes have turned up sharply in hard-hit markets. House prices are more affordable. Consumer confidence polls show slight but noteworthy improvements in the public's outlook.

Check out developments for the week of April 6 alone:

Mortgage applications for purchases of resale and new homes were up again — 8% for applications using conventional loans, and a remarkable 17% gain in applications to buy houses using low-downpayment FHA mortgages.

Mortgage rates remain at near historic lows, though they may be bottoming out. Thirty-year fixed rates rose a tenth of a percent on average, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, to 4.7%. Fifteen year rates stayed flat, around 4.5%.

A group of new consumer-sentiment polls came out showing that Americans are feeling better about their economic prospects for the first time in months. A survey of 15,000 adults by Discover Financial Services recorded a significant jump in confidence between February and March. A New York Times/CBS poll of 1,000 consumers found the same. The Times even put the results at the top its front page with the headline: "Poll Finds Brightening Outlook on U.S. Economy."

Members of NAHB reported that shoppers' visits to look at new houses for sale are "on the rise and consumer interest is increasing.” The association also announced that more than half of all U.S. households — 55 million of them — can now afford to buy the median-priced $200,000 new home. That's up 45% in the past 24 months.

Even Business Week, which has been particularly harsh on housing in recent years, ran a cover story about the turnaround getting underway — focusing on hard-hit areas of Florida, California and Las Vegas, where sales have been rising fast and unsold inventory taking a plunge.

The report quoted Paula Hellenbrand, president of the Cape Coral Florida Association of Realtors®, who predicted an end to inventory problems on the near horizon.

"At this rate (of current sales),” she told the magazine, "we're going to see a big shortage of inventory by summer, and that will trigger price increases.”

That would be extraordinary, especially in view of still-rising unemployment and depressed levels of spending by consumers. But don't count it out.

This article appeared in the April 14 issue of Realty Times and was reprinted with permission.


NBN Tools

Construction Costs Lowered!

As businesses throughout the nation and the world in every industry and profession are coping to reduce overhead and other operating expenses in order to remain competitive while giving lasting value to their customers, Elegance in Design Custom Homes is proud to have accompished just that.

Throughout all of 2008, as a founding partner of a local buyers purchasing group, we have been negotiating prices for goods and materials that would bring significant savings to you, our clients. To date we have been able to bring overall costs down 9%! I am especially pleased to announced that basically every category of durable goods has been contracted and our clients are reaping the benefits.

Due to the success in the material cost savings, we have been over the last 2 months working to bring favorable labor costs to the table. Stone masons, stucco installers, framers, roofers, etc., have all been contacted and we are now starting to see decreases on the labor side of the operations.

For example, a project to be started in August of 2008 had a frame labor cost of $5 p/sq ft. As this house was in excess of 8300’ framed, the quoted cost was greater than $41k. Today that same house would be built at $3.75 p/sq ft framed which results in a greater than $10k savings! When you factor in the other labor cost savings we here at Elegance in Design should be able to build any new home at rates we havent seen in years, which gains a tremendous amount of additional equity for the homeowner.

Final home costs are still determined by each individual buyer based upon their level of finish out.

As another service that was recently added we are now able to give a customer 10 free initial hours of design time with an award winning interior designer. Those hours can be spent on any facet of the project, from paint to fixture selections, to window treatments and furniture. Once again lasting value is being built into the project not only from a cost basis standpoint, but also from a customer service perspective.

Thank you for your continued support!

New Project - Blanco Tx

We are proud to announce the groundbreaking of an exciting new project in Blanco Tx. This beautiful 4000 +/- sq ft home has exquisite tile flooring with mosaics, knotty cherry custom cabinetry, beautiful granite counter tops throughout, firepit and spa, and all stainless steel appliances.

Mechanically this home has an advanced HVAC system with damper control and wireless access portability, spray foam insulation, and a 41,881 gallon subterranean rain catchment system located directly beneath the RV/2 car garage!

Watch for updates and progress to include photo's!

With national headlines looking down see why Texas is looking up!

http://www.texaplex.com/

I wanted to pass along this short video. I believe you will find it to be a great source of inspiration as well as a valuable tool that you are free to use.

Home Technology Design: How to Successfully Integrate Electronics Into Your Design

When designing a home with technology as part of the project a great deal of thought and effort goes into implementing a home technology design. Gone are the days of a phone jack here and a cable outlet there. Savvy clients demand home technology and many more know they should have it.

Successful projects start with asking several key questions such as:

How much technology is the client looking to implement in their home?
How will integrating technology impact the overall design?
And the most import, how can the team accomplish everything that the client has requested?

The hallmark of a truly successful project is the collaboration of many talented people and countless hours of brainstorming, coordinating, planning and designing. These design sessions need to include the client, the Building Designer or Architect, the Interior Designer and the Home Technology Integrator. This will ensure that all people on the design team are familiar with the client’s wants, needs and desires and how those decisions will impact each team member.

To start the process the first step is to partner with a company that specializes in Home Technology Integration. This company should have the experience and expertise in implementing projects from basic to very complex.

Most Home Technology Integration companies recognize the importance of educating designers and builders. Many are certified to teach continuing education and are more than willing to help educate you on working technology into your designs.

The most qualified home technology companies have the ability to understand the entire home design and construction process, and generate detailed CAD drawings showing locations and specifications of products that will be used in all facets of the project. They should also understand how these products will interact with the home’s overall design. Home technology should always blend with the design of the home and the décor of each room.

The integration of home technology can be as simple as how a flat screen TV above a fireplace can be concealed, to a complete home automation system that will allow centralized control of everything in the home from distributed audio and video, climate control, security, lighting, pool control and motorized window treatments.

Distributed Audio

One main area that more and more people are requesting is Whole House audio or distributed audio. This is the capability to have multiple music sources, i.e., cable box, satellite music, iPod or MP3 music players, accessible from any room in the house. The size and complexity of these systems can be from a very simple keypad to select the source and raise and lower volume, to a full color touch screen that will show all music information including artist, song title and cover art. As these systems become more and more prevalent in our homes, the manufactures of these systems have been listening and are now providing hardware that is easily concealed. One example of this is the in-ceiling / in-wall speaker.

We have all seen these nice little eye sores sticking out in all the wrong places. Image if you could, the ability to have that speaker be a 4” square with a grill that can disappear with the color of the ceiling or wall. Well these speakers are available now. Also the technology is there to allow the speaker to be concealed completely behind the drywall with no grill showing at all.

The one thing to keep in mind is that the more that you need to conceal the speaker the higher the cost. So on that next project, don’t think just because the client would like to have music in that elaborate study that it has to compromise your design. There are many possibilities and many options.

Another item that is becoming even more popular is what is called an Entertainment Server. This is a hard drive based system that will allow the home owner to place all digital media from Music, Movies and Photos onto a single system that can be accessed from any room in the house. When it comes to photos we have been living in that digital age to the point that we all have collections of digital photos scattered between computers and digital cameras, that we never have the opportunity to enjoy the last family vacation. With the advent of the Entertainment Server we can now enjoy those vacation photos along with our favorite music, all in the comfort of our Family Room that is easily accessed with a simple unified remote control.

With an Entertainment Server the main thing to keep in mind is the more information that needs to be stored will increase the price. Also, as the technology becomes more advanced, and more readily available the cost of these systems will come down. An example would be a recent manufacture of one of these servers has just introduced a more cost effective unit based on the same advanced technology that they provide in their $12,000 unit for a cost of around $3,500. This same manufacture has also just introduced the capability to control their server through an Apple iPhone or Apple iTouch unit. This means that the control of these systems is becoming easier and more user friendly.

Lighting Control

One of the fastest growing home technologies by far is lighting. Lighting design and Lighting control along with motorized window treatments is the most dramatic way to enhance the atmosphere, convenience and safety of a home, while adding eco-friendly energy savings.

A lighting control system allows the scenes created by the lighting designer to be easily recalled from a single button push, while simplifying ease of use and removing wall clutter. Each room can have multiple “looks” or scenes stored as a single button press. Many of our clients enjoy custom labeling the lighting controls with simple terms like “Read” or “Dine” or “Entertain”. Imagine pressing one button and having the room or the entire house smoothly transition from one scene to the next to match your exact needs.

Lighting systems can be integrated with your other control systems so when you press the movie button in the theater the lighting dims automatically, or when you drive into the driveway the path lights turn on and doorway lights switch on.

Motorized window treatments work together with lighting design and control to manage the amount of natural light allowed into a space. They also provide privacy, block damaging UV rays, and help reduce excessive heat.

Home Theater or Home Cinema?

Many clients are requesting a Home Theater to be designed into their homes. The term Home Theater generally refers to a large screen TV and Surround Sound, but these days just about anything with a TV and more than two speakers is called a Home Theater. Today a new term has evolved that is more akin to the experience of going to the movies, with picture and sound quality that surpasses commercial theaters, these spaces are being referred to as Home Cinemas.

The Home Cinema experience starts with a room dedicated to maximizing the true experience of watching movies while creating the suspension of disbelief. The room should allow the user to escape from the day to day barrage of demands and getaway to an area of their home that is truly relaxing and designed with the main intent of watching movies, sports or just enjoying a special event broadcast in high definition picture and sound.

No matter what the request, a skilled Home Technology Integration firm will have the right team of people to not only design a system that meets the needs of the client, but can deign a system that is easy to use and adds value and convenience to any home.

When it comes time to include home technology as part of your next project, reach out and contact a Home Technology Integrator and see how they can help make your next project truly successful for all parties involved.

Reprinted with permission from Design Lines magazine.

CEDIA is an international trade association of companies that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for the home. The association was founded in September 1989 and has more than 3,500 member companies worldwide. CEDIA Members are established and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience in this specialized field. For more information on CEDIA, visit the association’s website at www.cedia.net.