"We are very proud that our parade home achieved such high ratings with all three of the most relevant green building programs in our area," said Marshall Durrett, president of Durrett Interests. "Our team did an excellent job of ‘planning their work and working their plan’ when it came to coordinating the three ratings. When we got the news that we had been rated LEED Platinum, we couldn’t stop smiling for three days."

The architecture of the home, designed by Barley + Pfeiffer Architects, maximizes its potential to respond to solar and climate considerations by locating a first floor screened porch on the prevailing breeze side of the home and a stair tower on the opposite side. This provides a passive thermal siphoning strategy for natural cooling and ventilation of the home. Sleeping areas are located upstairs with living spaces downstairs to allow for energy efficient zoning of air conditioning systems.

Notable green building features include advanced framing techniques, spray foam insulation, high efficiency air conditioning, energy efficient windows, low-VOC interior finishes, tankless hot water heater, dual flush toilets, and compact fluorescent light fixtures. Also included is a three kilowatt solar photovoltaic array on the southeast roofline of the home, which so far has offset energy consumption by 25 percent.

Chip Henderson and Elton Chessman with Contects Consultants of San Antonio performed the green building rating services for this project, which consisted of verification of construction durability measures and inclusion of prescribed green building features. Services provided by Contects also included testing of the home’s performance upon completion to verify that it was indeed built to the level of energy efficiency required by each green building rating program.

ABOUT LEED FOR HOMES: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED for Homes is a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources, creates less waste, and is healthier and more comfortable for occupants. Benefits of a LEED home include lower energy and water bills; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. The net cost of owning a LEED home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home.

ABOUT NAHB GREEN: Through the National Green Building Program, the National Association of Home Builders is helping its members move the practice of green building into the mainstream. Energy efficiency, water and resource conservation, sustainable or recycled products, and indoor air quality are increasingly incorporated into the everyday process of home building. The National Green Building Program offers several resources and tools to help builders, remodelers, home building associations, and homeowners learn how to build green, and the benefits of doing so.

ABOUT AEGB: Austin has a style all its own: part Texas individualism, part 60’s idealism, part willingness to embrace hi-tech, and a love of things simple and common sense. Located in the heart of the state, we rest at a historic cultural crossroads. Around us are rolling hills and azure lakes and rivers; below us, one of the country’s most pristine aquifers. It was in this environment that some forward thinking individuals created what would become Austin Energy Green Building™, the country’s first comprehensive program designed to encourage using sustainable building techniques in residential, multi-family, commercial, and municipal construction. Sustainability means meeting our present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. More simply put, it means green building.

ABOUT ENERGY STAR: Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

ABOUT MUELLER: Mueller is one of the nation’s most notable new-urbanist communities located in the heart of Austin. The 700-acre site of Austin’s former airport is being transformed into a diverse, sustainable, compatible, revitalizing and fiscally responsible master-planned community. Mueller is taking shape as a joint project between the City of Austin and Catellus Development Group, a ProLogis company, over 10-15 years following nearly 20 years of extensive citizen input. Upon completion, Mueller will feature at least 4,600 single-family and multi-family homes, a mixed-use town center district, 3.8 million square feet of prime commercial space, 650,000 square feet of local and regional retail space, 140 acres of parks and open space, Dell Children’s Medical Center and the Austin Film Studios.

The first photo displays a recessed can light fixture that is specifically designed for use with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s). This specific fixture only allows for CFL’s with a pin-type connection versus a screw-in connection, thereby preventing the end user from swapping out the CFL’s for incandescent light bulbs. Just one CFL will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.

CFL’s produce light differently than incandescent bulbs. In an incandescent, electric current runs through a wire filament and heats the filament until it starts to glow. In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing argon and a small amount of mercury vapor. This generates invisible ultraviolet light that excites a fluorescent coating (called phosphor) on the inside of the tube, which then emits visible light.

CFL’s need a little more energy when they are first turned on, but once the electricity starts moving, use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. A CFL’s ballast helps "kick start" the CFL and then regulates the current once the electricity starts flowing. Older CFL’s used large and heavy magnetic ballasts that caused a buzzing noise in some bulbs. Most CFL’s today use electronic ballasts, which do not buzz or hum.

This next photo displays a low-profile smoke alarm on the left and a low-profile carbon monoxide alarm on the right, both from the Silhouette line by Kidde. Silhouette smoke and carbon monoxide alarms blend in effortlessly with their surroundings. Their unique, square shape protrudes less than half an inch from the ceiling, allowing them to virtually disappear.

Both alarms run off the home’s electricity, and contain rechargeable batteries for backup power during power outages. The alarms will also link with other alarms to create an interconnected system so that when one alarm sounds, all of the alarms sound, offering an earlier warning throughout the home. Today’s building codes usually require that newly constructed homes have hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms with battery backup.

Silhouette alarms contain a sealed, rechargeable battery that lasts the life of the alarm, meaning homeowners never have to replace a battery. While homeowners will enjoy the low maintenance and look of Silhouette, the builder will benefit from an easy installation and fewer callbacks. These UL-approved, hardwired alarms are a distinctive home feature that will serve as an exceptional upgrade option for remodels and new construction.  

This last photo displays a curved blade metal supply register for heating and air conditioning. Curved blade ceiling registers are recommended by most green building programs because of their ability to better distribute heating and air conditioning throughout the home than their more traditional counterparts. Because of their more exaggerated metal fins, much like the rear spoiler on a race car, curved blade registers more effectively force the heating and air conditioning where needed in the home.

This is important because common practice in Austin is for ceiling supply registers to be mounted closer to a room’s interior walls so that the supply air may be "thrown" along the ceiling and toward the outside wall with windows. This practice is common because windows are where most of the heat gain in a home is realized in our climate. Throwing air conditioning onto windows "washes" them in cooler air and helps to keep their surface temperatures lower, thereby reducing heat gain into the home.

The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Austin, in cooperation with Catellus Development Group, will donate a portion of this year’s Parade of Homes™ ticket proceeds to benefit three local nonprofit organizations: the Austin Children’s Museum, the Austin Children’s Shelter and the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).

“Catellus is proud to be working with the HBA on this special way to support the nonprofits that are having an impact on Mueller and the surrounding community,” said Matt Whelan, senior vice president of Catellus, the master developer of Mueller. “The Austin Children’s Museum plans to relocate to Mueller’s future town center while construction is well underway at the Austin Children’s Shelter, located in the adjacent Rathgeber Village, making them natural beneficiaries for HBA’s annual tradition of supporting local nonprofit groups at the Parade of Homes™. And, in keeping with the spirit of Mueller as a vibrant part of Austin’s cultural scene, HBA and Catellus were eager to support an organization like HAAM that is helping provide healthcare services to our local musicians.”

Following a competitive process last summer, the Austin Children’s Museum selected Mueller as its new home based on shared commitments to family-oriented development, diversity and sustainability. Since 1983, the organization has provided a place where Austin’s kids can become more creative, inventive and competent for the jobs of tomorrow.

“We’re honored to benefit from an event like the Parade of Homes™ that is sure to bring countless families to discover or rediscover the progress being made at Mueller,” said Austin Children’s Museum Executive Director Mike Nellis. “Every time we go to Mueller for a meeting or site visit, we’re even more impressed by how the development is taking shape and we’re looking forward to the day when we can call Mueller home."

The Austin Children’s Shelter holds a special place in the hearts of both the HBA and Catellus.

“The Home Builders Association of Greater Austin and its members are proud of their involvement in the construction of the Austin Children’s Shelter cottages at the new Rathgeber Village at Mueller,” said HBA President Wes Peoples, who also serves as an Austin Children’s Shelter board member. “It’s very gratifying to know that through those efforts the HBA will play an important part in supporting Austin’s children for years to come.”

“We’re delighted that Catellus and HBA have chosen us to be a beneficiary of this year’s Parade of Homes,” said Austin Children’s Shelter Executive Director Gena Van Osselaer. “It’s evident Mueller extends well beyond its official borders. The support and recognition we receive from this event in this, our 25th anniversary of service to abused and neglected children, will help to sustain our mission and raise awareness of our new campus adjacent to the Mueller community.”

HAAM has been chosen in part because of the HBA’s and Catellus’s commitment to Austin’s local economy. The music industry contributes nearly $1 billion in economic activity, more than $25 million in local tax revenue each year and provides 11,200 jobs. HAAM provides access to affordable health care for Austin’s low income, uninsured musicians, focusing on prevention and wellness.

“The Austin vibe that’s continually evolving at Mueller is extraordinary,” said HAAM Executive Director Carolyn Schwarz. “We’re proud to support the culture in this truly Austin neighborhood by helping to add live, local music to the Parade, and we’re appreciative that our efforts will result in contributions that directly support the musicians that make Austin such a great place to live.”

The 56th annual Parade of Homes™ opens its doors on Saturday, May 23 and runs through Sunday, June 7, 2009 at Mueller hosted by Catellus Development Group. This year’s Parade of Homes™, the first in Central Austin in decades, will be unlike any other as it focuses on ultra-green, ultra-urban homes from a group of exclusively local home builders: Bill Taute Homes, Cool River Custom Homes, Durrett Interests, The Muskin Company and Streetman Homes.

The tour allows visitors to check out the latest in architecture, interior decorating, landscape design and green-building features. These homes, starting at approximately $1 million, are anticipated to be the first in Central Texas to earn three energy efficiency ratings: (1) a five-star rating in the nationally recognized Austin Energy Green Building program, (2) LEED® certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and (3) green building silver level certification from the National Association of Home Builders. The homes on the tour will range from 3,000 to 4,500 square feet.

Mueller’s commitment to a broad range of home types and prices is planned to create a diverse, mixed income community. With the inclusion of the Parade Homes, residences at Mueller now range from the $120,000s to more than $1 million. Homes will be open as weather permits. For information about tickets, parking and event features, visit www.AustinHomeBuilders.com

About the HBA
For more than 55 years, the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Austin has served as the leading not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to residential construction and remodeling in Central Texas. With approximately 850 members, the HBA works with government, public, business and community organizations in five counties to protect every family’s right to home ownership. The HBA and its members work to ensure that those who protect us, teach our children, and provide essential services can afford to live here. The vast majority of new homes are purchased by middle-class families – the very people at risk of being priced out of our communities by rising taxes and government fees. For more information, visit www.AustinHomeBuilders.com

About Mueller
Mueller is one of the nation’s most notable new-urbanist communities located in the heart of Austin. The 700-acre site of Austin’s former airport is being transformed into a diverse, sustainable, compatible, revitalizing and fiscally responsible master-planned community. Mueller is taking shape as a joint project between the City of Austin and Catellus Development Group, a ProLogis company, over 10-15 years following nearly 20 years of extensive citizen input. Upon completion, Mueller will feature at least 4,600 single-family and multi-family homes, a mixed-use town center district, 3.8 million square feet of prime commercial space, 650,000 square feet of local and regional retail space, 140 acres of parks and open space, Dell Children’s Medical Center and the Austin Film Studios. For more information, visit www.MuellerAustin.com

By providing each fixture with its own distribution line (blue for cold water and red for hot water), the line can be made just the right size based on the amount of water that is needed at the fixture. Shower heads may need more water than lower-flow fixtures, such as toilets or dishwashers, so larger lines can be properly sized to run from the manifold to the shower. This results in faster hot water and reduced waste.

Combined with ViegaPEX tubing, the MANABLOC offers additional benefits to both the plumber who is installing the system and the homeowner who uses it. Additional benefits of the manifold include:

• Fewer fittings (connections) behind the walls of the house.
• Individual shut-off valves. If one fixture needs to be worked on, it is no longer necessary to completely turn off water to the entire house or building.
• Balanced water pressure. This reduces the chances of hot or cold surges that may occur when two or more plumbing fixtures are used at the same time.
• Easy installation. The Viega MANABLOC water distribution system with ViegaPEX tubing is fast and easy to install. It also is corrosion resistant.
• Reliable. A 10-year transferable system warranty comes with every MANABLOC.