Green Homes

Protecting the Florida Aquifer.

Most everyone is aware there is a global need to conserve our natural resources.  One of the most precious of these, WATER - clean, potable water, is rapidly becoming a scarce and depleting resource, and one location where this concern is on the verge of becoming a major crisis is Central Florida.  Water conservation has reached a point of criticality in Central Florida, to the point that counties have already passed strict ordinances which ban the use of potable water for irrigation.

Because of the booming population growth taking place in Central Florida, the potable water draw on Florida's aquifer is only years away from reaching its maximum load.  Water experts say the Florida aquifer will not be able to provide all the needed water by 2025 without causing significant environmental damage to lakes, swamps, and streams.  Alternative sources of water (e.g. St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers) are being sought but will cost in excess of $460 million to create infrastructure capable of delivering water from these alternative sources.  The St. Johns River Water Management District, which is responsible for managing ground and surface water supplies in Central Florida, has already stated it could stop issuing new groundwater permits in the next six years to avoid serious environmental damage from growing withdrawals from the aquifer.  To quote our friend Ron Jones of Green Builder Magazine...."If you think people are upset now about rising gas prices, just wait and see how upset they'll be when water supplies run dry!"

Water conservation and reclamation is a MAJOR priority in the design and construction of Green Builder VISION House Orlando 2008.  The water crisis confronting Central Florida is too important for our team to ignore in the construction of VISION House Orlando.  Therefore, we've assembled a team of highly talented and respected consultants and sponsors who will help us demonstrate a comprehensive approach for protecting the Florida aquifer.

VISION House Orlando will employ a five pronged approach to demonstrate water conservation principles.  The first strategy is to install low-flow shower heads and fixtures in accordance with the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and the Florida Green Building Coalition's Green Standards.  Second, we will install water efficient appliances (washing machine, dish washer, toilets, etc.) that utilize substantially less water than their conventional counterparts.  Third, we will install a Hoot aerobic treatment system which captures and treats water from the showers, faucets, and washing machine, and subsequently re-uses this water for irrigation.  Fourth, we will install cistern tanks capable of capturing and storing 7,000 gallons of rain water to be used later for irrigation.  Fifth, we will employ the principles outlined in the University of Florida's Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program to ensure the VISION House Orlando landscaping is designed and installed in such a manner that minimizes the need for irrigation.  This five pronged approach will certainly demonstrate water conservation and reclamation principles that everyone in Central Florida should take note of.  In fact, the total water reclamation we expect to achieve from the cisterns and the Hoot system alone amount to over 300,000 gallons of re-used water per year.  Imagine how much water we can avoid drawing from the Florida aquifer if these principles were implemented in a larger scale by several builders in Central Florida!

The Green Builder VISION House Orlando team is extremely proud and pleased to welcome the following sponsors to our team who will make our water conservation/reclamation strategy a reality.  Our fine sponsors are: The University of Florida, Averett Septic Tank Company, Inc. who will provide the Hoot system and the cistern tanks, Resource Recovery, Inc. who will provide a cistern pump and consultation services in the design of the cisterns, and Metro Environmental who will provide installation support for the Hoot system.

Please visit these fine sponsors at the following websites:

www.averettonline.com

www.h2orr.com

http://cfyn.ifas.ufl.edu/

www.metrowasteservices.com

SIPS AHOY!

The Structural Insulated Panels arrived late yesterday afternoon courtesy of: FISCHERSIPS out of Louisville, Kentucky. I want to thank Damian Pataluna of Fischer Sips for expediting the process.  The Framers will now spend the next several day's erecting the Sip walls, framing the first floor, setting the second floor-floor system, framing the second floor and setting the roof trusses.  This is an exciting time for VISION House. This is where things really start to take shape.  Now let's get you caught up on the last two weeks.  While waiting the arrival of the SIPS, we've been busy prepping the foundation.  We installed DELTA DRY MS to the foundation for our waterproofing. In addition, we installed the drain system at the base of the foundation using recycled crushed concrete stone for our aggregate. We then carefully backfilled the walk out basement walls, which brings us right up to date with the project.

I'll talk next time about the Institute for Business & Home Safety. 

Jim Rahman

Welcome West Orange Lumber.

We proudly welcome West Orange Lumber & Building Materials to the VISION House Orlando 2008 project.  West Orange Lumber is a highly respected building material supplier in Central Florida.  Their mission is to continually support, foster, and promote the development of builders and contractors through competitive pricing, exceptional service, and innovative products.

The leadership team at West Orange Lumber has already begun making strong contributions to the VISION House project in terms of coordinating the receipt, staging, and distribution of materials and supplies for the project.  In addition, they are leveraging their years of experience to bring additional, high caliber partners to the project.  West Orange Lumber's leadership within the Central Florida building industry will prove invaluable to VISION House Orlando.  And because of their ongoing community support of worthy programs, such as Give Kids The World, we have even more reason to be proud in calling West Orange Lumber our partner.

To learn more about West Orange Lumber, please visit:

www.westorangelumber.com

Welcome Detailed Solutions, Inc.

Tracy DeCarlo, owner of Detailed Solutions, Inc., and author of "Don't Forget The Linen Closets," has more than 12 years experience in the residential construction industry.  During this time, she has worked with many talented architects, builders, and designers, all of whom cared about their products and customers.  Nevertheless, Tracy knew that at the end of each building or remodeling project, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, most homeowners could spout off a laundry list of items they wished they had thought of before it was too late (for example, positioning of windows and doors to facilitate placement of furniture, identifying often overlooked locations for duplex power outlets, proper positioning of light and plumbing fixtures, etc., etc.).  This was not a list of exotic features.  On the contrary, it was almost a compilation of items related to function - the considerations and conveniences that make everyday life flow more smoothly.

Tracy formed Detailed Solutions to provide customers with consultation services aimed at proactively identifying the many functional components that are often overlooked during the design of a home.  Using techniques outlined in her book, along with detailed checklists and hands-on consulting services, Tracy helps homeowners take control of the construction budget process while at the same time creating a functional environment that meets their unique lifestyle needs.

Tracy is an excellent addition to the VISION House team because she provides us a unique skill set that compliments our goal of building an exemplary showcase home.  An added bonus to having Tracy on our team is that she's also certified to assess and score homes using the Florida Green Building Coalition's Green Standards which have been adopted by the Florida Home Builders Association as the official green standard for Florida's builders.  Tracy is also a certified Aging-in-Place Specialist.

As a member of the Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando and the Florida Green Building Coalition, Tracy addresses the functional aspects of home design and usage, including items such as energy efficiency, disaster mitigation, air quality, plumbing, electrical, lighting, and storage.  By working with homeowners to focus on their daily habits and preferences, Tracy helps them create living spaces that support and compliment their lifestyle, while at the same time teaching techniques to manage the bottom line.

To learn more about Detailed Solutions, Inc., visit:

www.buildingtips.net

Thank You Andreyev Engineering, Inc.

A complete and thorough geotechnical investigation was a priority for the VISION House Orlando project to ensure suitable subsurface conditions at the home site.  To accomplish this task, Andreyev Engineering, Inc. completed a comprehensive soil and groundwater investigation and provided evaluations and geotechnical recommendations for the design of the home's foundation system and driveway.  They also provided additional consultation as needed as construction has progressed.  Thank you Andreyev Engineering, most specifically Scott Cavin, P.E., for your support of VISION House Orlando.

To learn more about Andreyev Engineering, Inc. and the services they provide, please visit:

www.andreyevengineering.com

Thank You Williams, Smith, & Summers, P.A.

The VISION House team extends its thanks and appreciation to the offices of Williams, Smith & Summers, P.A.  Their offices coordinated the closing activities associated with the VISION House Orlando project.  Because of the unique nature of the project, there were various complexities associated with the construction loan which needed to be addressed at closing.  Recognizing these complexities, and the sense of urgency to close the loan without error, the team at Williams, Smith & Summers went above and beyond to ensure a successful closing.  On the day of closing, their staff was kind enough to open their offices an hour prior to normal operating hours in order to accommodate our schedules and give our closing their undivided attention.  In addition, several iterations of the HUD-1 were exchanged back and forth with the lender which Williams, Smith & Summers handled flawlessly.  The end result was an expedited closing which took place on schedule and without error.  Thank you Williams, Smith & Summers for your professionalism, excellent customer service, and support of VISION House Orlando.

Williams, Smith & Summers, P.A.

380 West Alfred Street

Tavares, Florida 32778

(352) 343-6655

Thank You Countrywide Home Loans.

To be successful, extraordinary demonstration projects, such as VISION House, rely and depend upon sound financial resources.  Countrywide Home Loans provides us this assurance.  As America's #1 Home Loan Lender, Countrywide shared our vision of constructing a showcase home that demonstrates respect for our environment and its precious resources.  So for that reason, Countrywide embraced the VISION House Orlando project and quickly joined our team to custom tailor a construction loan that meets our project's aggressive needs.  Not only do we applaud Countrywide's support of VISION House, but we also appreciate their professionalism and how quickly they closed on the project's loan.

Countrywide is fully committed to the future of the home building industry as they've strengthened their position by partnering with the NAHB University of Housing.  Their exclusive partnership allows them to deliver timely knowledge and information to professional homebuilders, while helping to strengthen the home building industry.

Learn more about Countrywide Home Loans and their efforts to support the home building industry by visiting:

www.builders.countrywide.com

Welcome Biosphere Consulting, Inc.

VISION House Orlando is being built on a lake front lot along the shores of Lake Apopka.  Central Floridians understand that Lake Apopka has suffered from years of abuse and neglect.  Sadly, we are now left with a lake that is both unclean and polluted.  What a shame considering Central Floridians at one time could boast of Lake Apopka's crystal clear waters and the professional bass fishing tournaments that were once held on the lake.

With VISION House, we will demonstrate various practices aimed at restoring the health of Lake Apopka and protecting it from further contamination.  For example, swales will be incorporated into the landscape, designed to prevent contaminated stormwater runoff from reaching the lake shore area.  We will also use permeable hardscape materials to facilitate the absorption of rain water into the earth as opposed to having it runoff towards the lake, thereby preventing harmful fertilizers, oils, and other pollutants from reaching the lake.

Another important element of our strategy is to restore the lake shore area on the VISION House lot.  Over the years, the lake shore area has been populated by invasive vegetation which is not conducive to a healthy and vibrant lake shore environment.  The removal of this invasive vegetation is critical and will be a key component to our strategy of restoring the health of Lake Apopka.

We are pleased to announce Biosphere Consulting, Inc. has agreed to partner with us in the restoration of the lake shore area on the VISION House lot.  Biosphere, with the support of the Department of Environmental Protection, will play a leadership role as they spearhead the effort to remove all invasive vegetation which presently exists on the lake shore.  This is a massive undertaking and Biosphere has stepped up to the challenge.

By using sound scientific principles and strategic environmental tactics, Biosphere Consulting, Inc. has become a specialist in the restoration and creation of natural environmental systems.  Biosphere also operates a nursery to support these types of projects and has expanded to include landscape projects designed to increase habitat value in developed and urban areas.

Once the lake shore area on the VISION House lot is cleared and rid of any and all invasive vegetation, Biosphere will lead the effort to plant aquatic vegetation which will thrive along the lake shore.  The end result will be a lake shore that promotes vibrancy along the shores of Lake Apopka while at the same time providing a healthy environment for the various species of wildlife that call Lake Apopka home.

Obviously, the VISION House lake shore restoration project will not single handedly bring Lake Apopka back to the pristine state it once was.  However, if the principles demonstrated by this project are carried out on a much larger scale throughout Lake, Orange, and Seminole counties, we will be successful in making dramatic strides towards the restoration and preservation of one of our most precious natural resources....Lake Apopka.

To learn more about Biosphere Consulting, Inc., please visit

www.BiosphereNursery.com

Welcome Total Building Consultants & Inspectors, Inc.

Total Building Consultants & Inspectors, Inc. has agreed to join our team to conduct inspection services for VISION House Orlando.  We welcome the trained and certified professionals at TBCI as they'll add an extra level of assurance to our project by ensuring VISION House Orlando is constructed in full accordance to the project's plans and specifications.  The team at TBCI bring with them a wealth of construction knowledge with over 40 years of experience in both construction and inspection services.  TBCI is a member of the National Association of Home Inspectors and utilize some of the most advanced inspection equipment in the industry.  We are pleased TBCI has agreed to partner with us on this dynamic project.

Visit Total Building Consultants & Inspectors at:

www.totalbuildinginspectors.net

Welcome Florida Dock, Inc.

Westmont Homes is pleased to welcome Florida Dock, Inc. to the VISION House Orlando project.  Florida Dock is a premier builder of docks, decks, and seawalls in Lake County.  The staff at Florida Dock is very professional and some of the finest people to deal with.  It is for that reason they've earned a strong reputation for being customer focused and attentive to building high quality products.  Florida Dock will construct the boat dock and pier for VISION House Orlando and we could not be more pleased to have them on board with us.

Visit Florida Dock, Inc. at

http://www.fladock.com