FarrarGreenHome.org
The House
The Farrar Green Home will be an open and airy two story, four bedroom, three & 1/2 bath home. The house is designed to emphasize the scenic view of Lake Hodges, and to make the most use of natural light and breeze for the greatest energy efficiency.
“In the United States, buildings account for 39% of the total energy consumption. Building a green/energy efficient home will help minimize the impact of our natural resources while reducing our footprint on the earth. Shouldn’t we all work towards these goals?”
- Drew Hubbell
Anyone can build green! Green building is supported by many federal, state and local tax and other cost saving incentives. For example, the Farrar Green Home has already been selected to be an SDG&E Case Study Home as a model of green building. The Farrar Green home was designed, from the first pencil sketch, to be green. Architect Drew Hubbell, with Hubbell and Hubbell, has a long track record of designing beautiful green homes.
Some of the green features in the design include:
* The house is oriented to take maximum advantage of the sun for natural lighting and for the coastal breezes. The house is also oriented for optimum use of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar panels which will be sufficient to completely power the home and two plug-in hybrid cars.
* The house will be constructed with 1 foot thick, insulated concrete form (ICF) block made from 85% recycled concrete and Styrofoam. These provide excellent thermal and sound insulation, a high level of fire resistance and are termite proof and mold resistant. The house was designed specifically with these ICF building blocks in mind in order to minimize construction waste and labor costs. Waste from the blocks will be ground up and used for hardscaping.
* Using Parallel Strand Laminate (PSL) structural beams, made from previously used wood scraps glued together, which will reduce the need for new materials.
* Passive ventilation strategies bring cool air in to the ground floor and allow warmer air to escape naturally through a solar chimney. This allows the home to be comfortable for the majority of the year without additional heating or cooling. Decks and roofs extend over western facing windows to shade the windows from the hot afternoon sun.
* The standing seam metal “cool” roof, with a radiant barrier, will reflect the heat and will also allow the solar panels to be simply snapped on. The metal roof also allows for easy rain water harvesting.
* Insulation in the roof and interior walls will be formaldehyde free cellulose blown in to ensure maximum effectiveness. The exterior walls, made of recycled Styrofoam and concrete, will require no additional insulation.
* A view deck over the entry to the house will also act as a cool roof to help reflect solar heat before it can enter the home and will provide another place to relax and enjoy the view.
* The house will be heated and cooled using a Ground Source Geothermal Heat Pump. This system uses the ground as a heat source or heat sink for high efficiency heating and cooling and will be powered by the PV panels. The Geothermal Heat Pump will also be used to heat the swimming pool and the hot water for the home, reducing the need to burn natural gas
* Smart Home technology will monitor and control exactly how much electricity and water is being used. The system will optimize HVAC loads and shut off any lighting or equipment that might be left on overnight. It will also automatically control the irrigation system based on local weather patterns and monitor flow rates to shut off circuits if it senses leaks.
* Sustainable materials such as bamboo and cork for flooring, recycled glass and concrete for counters and non-VOC paints and finishes will be used throughout the home.
More about the Farrar Green Home Green Pools (.pdf)