Met with hours-long lines of eager viewers and dozens of crowded buses to and from its location, The New American Home (TNAH) 2006 was unveiled as the
Met with hours-long lines of eager viewers and dozens of crowded buses to and from its location, The New American Home (TNAH) 2006 was unveiled as the official showcase home of the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, which drew in excess of 100,000 attendees, January 11-14 in Orlando, Fla.
The Portland Cement Association, Florida Concrete & Products Association and the National Council of the Housing Industry (a division of the National Association of Home Builders) were among the lead sponsors of the 10,023-sq.-ft. TNAH, which boasts two-story insulated concrete masonry exterior walls. Normally, builders in Florida construct homes with a first-story masonry system and use standard wood framing for subsequent floors. The wall system is said to effectively stop moisture penetration and allows the builder to construct a super-insulated house just by using a thicker insulation panel. TNAH’s masonry walls, fiber-cement siding and concrete roof tiles provide protection from termites, fire, and most importantly to Florida coastal residents, natural disasters, including high winds.
The home’s 367 yds. of ready mixed were supplied by Rinker Materials Corp., while masonry units were delivered from Cemex, Florida Rock Industries and Tarmac America. Precast lintels were produced by Castcrete Inc., with Oldcastle Architectural providing the home’s tinted concrete pavers, used to lay out the patio and construct the retaining wall units. Concrete roof tiles were supplied by Monier Lifetile.
Many of the home’s distinctive design features are constructed with concrete, including three decorative precast fireplace mantels. The home’s acrylic texture exterior finish incorporates portland cement base coat materials from Cemex. All portions of the exterior not finished this way used James Hardie Co.’s Hardi Plank, as well as soffits and eaves made from the fiber cement board.
In the program’s 23rd year, TNAH is located in southwest Orange County on the shores of Windermere’s Lake Burden and is Energy-Star rated through the U.S. Department of Energy Build America campaign. It uses 61 percent less energy for heating and cooling and 50 percent less energy for water heating, compared to a similar house in this climate. As in past years, TNAH project demonstrates real-world concepts, materials, designs and construction techniques available currently in housing built any place at any price range.
Orlando builder Hannigan Homes Inc. and architect WCI Architecture & Land Planning collaborated with interior designer Saxon-Clark and landscape architect Redmon Design Co. to create a home that is appealing, functional, and environmentally friendly.