KBB - April 2009 - (Page 46)

Green Desert Rose The New American Home offers an oasis of luxury and green design A down economy is no time to stop looking for inspiration. On the contrary, it’s when the chips are down that we should all be striving to do our best work so we can be ready when the good times return. The New American Home 2009, the show home and construction technology laboratory unveiled annually by the National Council of the Housing Industry (a committee of the NAHB) during the International Builders’ Show, gave the crowd of some 6,000 building and remodeling professionals who ﬂocked to Las Vegas in January the jolt they needed. A true home as haven, the house is an architectural masterpiece, seamlessly blending opposites to create the perfect expression of domestic yin and yang. It’s a party house for sure, with its extensive outdoor kitchen complete with swim-up bar. Then there’s the completely open interior ﬂoor plan with a kitchen that sets the stage for gatherings that are sure to last into the wee hours of the morning. Yet at the same time, a comfortable outdoor living space, including an outdoor bedroom and a cozy indoor breakfast nook built right into the kitchen island, encourage quiet leisure and family time. The kitchen is large enough to accommodate endless guests, but its work areas are compact, designed with several smaller prep spots to keep the size from overwhelming the functionality. There’s no doubt about it, the New American Home is a testament to what luxury is all about. But it offers practical inspiration as well. Following are some of the highlights. GREENER THAN BEFORE Despite the size (it’s 8,816 sq. ft.), it’s the most energy-efﬁcient New American Home to date, with a clean natural-gas-powered heating and cooling system, enough solar cells to power the entire house and the latest in insulation innovation. The heating/cooling system is ducted to allow each room’s temperature to be controlled independently so only the rooms in use need to be kept at a comfortable temperature. Four tankless water heaters provide an endless water supply without having to keep gallons hot day and night. Water is heated only as needed, and to keep the supply at the ready, sensors were added to each bathroom that automatically turn on the heaters when someone enters the room. Thick, insulated concrete walls and design details, such as lightcontrolling window louvers that help protect the interior from the hot Vegas sun, lower energy costs as well. The exterior of the New American Home is echoed by the kitchen walls and countertops (top & middle). In the master bathroom (bottom), a tub with sound vibration, chromatherapy and built-in music offers ultimate relaxation. Design motifs appear throughout the house, establishing a sense of continuity. For example, in the kitchen, the countertop design mirrors the exterior architecture, echoing not only its rectilinear shape, but also its “earthy, beige color,” noted Connie Edwards, director of Continued on page 48 sources Builder: Blue Heron, Las Vegas Architect: Danielian Associates, Irvine, CA Interior Designer: Robb & Stucky Interiors, Las Vegas Manufacturers: Cabinets: Timberlake Cabinetry; Bath ﬁxtures and ﬁttings: Kohler; Cooking appliances: Viking; Countertops: DuPont Corian and Dupont Zodiaq; Outdoor kitchen: Alfresco Open Air Culinary Systems; Washer and dryer: Whirlpool 46 + K BB April 2009 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - April 2009

KBB - April 2009
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Editorial
Focus
Trends
Products
Options
Profile
Abroad
Design
On the Hill
Mixed Message
Green
Tech
Additions
Education
Editorial Index
Ad Index
Favorites

KBB - April 2009