Sponsored Post – from NATiVE
The 20th Annual Cool House Tour, a collaboration of Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB) and the Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) is this Sunday, June 12th from 10am to 6pm! This year there are eight homes, two communities, and an Austin Energy open house showcasing energy saving programs to help you create your own cool house. The selected projects cover a wealth of styles and sizes. Pick up your guidebook ticket early, read more about green building features and map your day in advance. Visit the homes in any order you wish. Enjoy the tour and thank-you for caring about energy use, its personal and social costs, and the importance of sustainable development.
NATiVE has one custom-built, net-zero home on the tour, along with two solar installations!
Pick up your tickets here
LEED AP and AIA continuing education credits are available for this event. AIA professionals receive one credit per project. LEED AP professionals must visit a total of six projects minimum to receive continuing education credits.
About the Cool House Tour 2016
The Cool House Tour 2016 is an annual self-guided tour produced by Austin Energy Green Building and Texas Solar Energy Society. The Tour showcases homes that are designed and built to high standards of energy efficiency, comfort and regional design. This signature event is a resource for learning how to live comfortably in the hot Central Texas climate. Homeowners and building professionals will be available to share their experience with you on bringing these sustainable homes to fruition.
About NATiVE’s Custom-Built Home on the Cool House Tour 2016
The owners’ chose an integrated design approach so that the deconstruction of their old home and construction of the new one went smoothly while they were overseas on a planned sabbatical.
Liz & Alan’s Home August 27, 2014
This site has been home for over 30 years to University of Texas professors who built successful careers and raised their family here. They watched their neighborhood expand into a collection of mega-homes built on small lots. Resisting that trend, they chose to stay in place and build a modestly sized, net-zero house. All planning took place in the nine months prior to the owners leaving the country on sabbatical. This included a surprise last minute discovery of archaic deed restrictions that altered the original design. Changes were made, the owners boarded their plane and nine months later returned to their new home.
The open kitchen/living area is the perfect space to entertain students, faculty and family. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves highlight their passion for literature. Natural day-lighting makes the home bright without artificial light while a sophisticated HVAC system and fresh air filtration ensure improved indoor air quality. As the owners anticipate aging in place, the layout is friendly to limited mobility. Passive solar design, standing seam metal roofing and a solar PV installation has rewarded the owners by generating more energy than they use.
Read our 3-Part case study on “Going Net Zero” Featuring this Green Home
- Part 1: Going Net Zero
- Part 2: Building A Net Zero Home
- Part 3: Zero Energy Home
