Cool House Tour 2008
After a record number of applications, the Cool House Tour has expanded this year to include 18 homes. Wherever you live, chances are you will find a cool home near you. From North Austin to Buda, from the Eastside to Westlake Hills, homes featuring energy-efficient and environmentally friendly design, construction and landscaping will be open for visiting. The tour includes both new construction and remodeled homes, which range from small to large, very affordable to high-end, and are constructed with a wide variety of materials. At all homes you will be able to talk with the owner, architect or builder, a Green Building staff member, or a TXSES volunteer.
Cool House Tour Preview
Rosedale Traditional
Energy efficient, low maintenance, Texas vernacular architecture is showcased in two homes on adjoining lots. Both homes were designed and built by CG&S Design Build. Mark Lind, CG&SDB Senior Project Designer, says "these homes were designed to be contextual within the neighborhhood and fairly traditional in character. "
Mark believes visitors will be interested in seeing the differences between the two houses. One earned a five star rating from AEGB, the other a three star. The five star house participates in Austin Energy's Power Saver program which provides a free programmable thermostat that AE can cycle off for up to ten minutes every hour during peak electricity demand times. This helps the utility manage its electric load, delays the need to build new power plants, and keeps our rates lower.
Some green features to look for: Large eve overhangs which minimize heat gain but allow lots of daylighting in the homes. Good cross ventilation to reduce air conditioning needs. Spray-in foam insulation in walls and ceilings. High efficiency lighting and appliances, including a tankless water heater.
CG&SDB staff are home tour veterans, having one other home on the Cool House Tour and one on the AIA Homes Tour. Mark notes the phenomenal growth of the tour over the past few years, and suggests it should be expanded to both Saturday and Sunday!
Westlake Unconventional
Long time green builder Bobby Zirkel of Shelter Design & Construction, Inc. completed this new modern home built in the Westlake Hills area in late 2007. Although the home was not rated by AEGB, it is creatively designed and boasts an eclectic selection of components and materials.
Some of the features include a second-story deck/green roof, photovoltaic system, and a unique 20-foot "daylighting tower" made out of clear polycarbonate panels that functions as a wall system and allows natural light into the space.
Also intriguing is the terrazo-style floor created by troweling recycled glass directly into the contrete slab and then polishing.
Bobby had a modern client to go with this modern home. The client maintained a blog about the process, allowing the contractors an inside look at the homeowner's perception of the home's progress and the quality of the work.
South Austin Solar
Builder Donovan Fite of J.D.F Co Constructors worked closely with Architect Craig Nasso and the homeowners to construct this 5 star new home on a south-central Austin infill lot.
This was one of Donovan's first homes in the Austin area, and is his first (but probably not his last) home to be selected for the CHT. "Working with Craig was great and these clients are really special to me," says Fite. "I only build a small number of homes every year because I am very hands-on and like to give my clients the kind of attention that I think some of the larger developers cannot give.
Being selected for the tour will hopefully allow me to never have to build anything but the best homes possible."
As is the case with any 5 star home, this home was well designed for our climate and the site. The existing small house on the front of the lot was upgraded and now functions as office space, guest house, and possible future rental opportunity.
The "L" shaped house footprint captures the predominant southeast summer breezes and features a 3 kW solar photovoltaic system on the south-facing roof. Most the home's rooms receive daylight from at least two sides; however, roof overhangs protect the interior from solar heat gain and only small windows were placed on the west wall.
Other green features include a durable, low maintenance natural stucco-finished exterior and a standing seam metal roof.
Taking the Tour
The annual Cool House Tour is co-produced by the Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) and Austin Energy Green Building. All proceeds benefit TXSES.
A guidebook, which serves as your ticket for entry, provides maps and highlights the green features of each home. With 18 homes on the tour, and the wide geographical area, it probably won't be possible to see all the homes. You might want to get your guidebook early and map out a personalized route! Guidebooks will be available after May 31, for $15 per person, either online at www.txses.org or at both Austin Central Market locations.
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