Felix notes: “As much as we would prefer to design using only high-efficiency systems and building materials, it still isn’t quite practical yet. Homeowners, and their budgets, will decide how much more efficient and green a design will be beyond that of what’s required.”
Similarly, with rustic floor plans from the mid-$400,000s to just under $500,000, the Lone Spur Collection has features typically found in custom home designs, such as alder, hickory or knotty oak cabinets, granite countertops and propane fireplaces with native stone facing.
Eco-friendly design elements include continuous insulation wrapped on all exterior walls to resist moisture and wind, Anderson series 200 Low E dual-pane windows and patio doors, highly efficient electric heat and cooling pumps, energy-efficient water heaters and furnaces, low-maintenance fiber cement siding and trim and solar water heaters.
With the additional blown insulation, the exterior house walls are R-22, and the ceilings are R-38, explains Steve Iverson, vice president of construction for TRD&B. He adds that the vaulted ceilings in the great rooms have structural insulated panels with closed cell foam, producing R -40.
Roger and Judy Egan are working with Mom’s Custom Homes on their 3,900-square-foot home, which incorporates many of these eco-friendly elements and others. They have worked closely as well with Talking Rock’s architectural committee and their construction and development head, Clint Poteet.
“Judy and I felt in this day and age it would be foolish to build a beautiful house without incorporating as many green components and energy efficiency into the house as possible within a reasonable expense structure,” says Roger, a New England native, Vietnam War veteran, restaurateur and vineyard owner. Judy, a former bank president, has lived in Arizona for more than 50 years.
For example, they’ve added propane usage to their utility system, adding to a combination of power sources to maximize efficiency and reduce cost. In addition, they are installing the latest energy-saving windows and doors as well as maximum insulation and underground cisterns to capture rainwater for recycling.
Inside, the Egans will be using a natural materials such as bamboo, cork, and slate, recycled carpet with low gas emission and, wherever possible, fluorescent and LED lighting systems.
“The Talking Rock staff couldn’t be better,” says Roger, who expects that he and Judy will move into their home about nine months from now. “The solutions we’ve come up with will hopefully create some new guidelines for energy conservation — moving forward in the true spirit of the Talking Rock Community.”
For more on the community, see www.talkingrockranch.com.
