VISION House 3 Aims for Glamor, Storm Resistance
The third project in the Green Builder VISION House series is taking on some special challenges. Unlike the previous two VISION projects in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and St. Louis, Missouri, this year’s house is being built in a steamy, hurricane-prone environment: Orlando, Florida.
Members of the public will have a chance to check out this latest VISION home toward the end of the International Builders’ Show and nextBUILD, set to be held Feb. 13 through 16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The home will be open to National Association of Home Builders members throughout the show, then will welcome the public on Feb. 16 and 17.
Designers of the VISION House ‘08 Orlando say the structure is a unique, high-end custom home that shows “green can be not only glamorous, but also sustainable by considering durability and life safety in an active hurricane zone.”
What makes the Orlando VISION house especially suited to a Florida environment? Features of the structure include:
A focus on water conservation, with cisterns for collecting stormwater runoff, “super-efficient” indoor fixtures and native, drought-resistant landscaping;
Spray Foam insulation, high-performance doors and windows and an energy-efficient heat and air-conditioning system for reduced cooling costs;
Zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds), natural plaster from American Clay both inside and — as a test application of a new exterior stucco product — outside the home. In addition to helping moderate temperatures and control humidity, according to the company, the natural plaster also inhibits mold, a regular concern in Florida’s hot, sticky climate;
Indoor furnishings, materials and finishes designed to minimize offgassing of VOCs.
Tags: energy efficiency, Florida, Green Builder, green building, native landscaping, natural plaster, VISION House, xeriscaping
February 17th, 2008 at 2:14 am
I wanted to let you know that I went to this on Saturday based on the info you posted on this blog. Since I lived pretty close to where the conference was being held I thought I’d go check it out.
I was very disappointed that there were not more vendors that were promoting Green products. There were a few, but most of the people I talked to were pretty vague about their commitment or interest in the green building imitative. The only one that really seemed to have something to say about Green Homes was the Green Building Magazine editor, Ron Jones.
A few architects I spoke with said, that it should be bigger next year because consumers were asking for more “green products” in the designs of their home. The Orlando Sentinel said that the show as overall a big flop because no body sold anything. The housing market has stalled.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see that Vision House. The market for sustainable development is out there, I’m sure. I just didn’t see evidence of it at the 2008 International Builder’s Show.