The New American Home 2012 goes retro with stone façade, seeks ‘Emerald Status’Each year, The New American Home (TNAH) is the premier attraction of the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) International Builders’ Show. TNAH 2012 may be smaller than show homes in the past, but the 4,181-sq.-ft., retro-styled home incorporates outdoor living and green technologies, such as Logix insulated concrete forms (ICFs) with an R-value of R27, making it no less aspiring than its larger predecessors.
Located in Winter Park, Fla., just 30 minutes from the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, the home will debut at the 2012 NAHB International Builders’ show, February 8–11. It will also be open to show attendees to tour during the event.
The structural walls of this year’s home were built with ICFs from Logix’s platinum series, supplied by Stark Construction and Supply, the Central Florida Logix Distributor. Approximately 1,000 4-in. and 6-in. ICF forms (500 each) were erected by M.C. Construction Group Inc. The thermal mass of the concrete walls and the high R-value of the forms help the home achieve a high level of energy efficiency.
The ICFs were cast in place with 85 yds. of 3,000 psi, high fly ash content mixes provided by Mashmeyer Concrete. M.C. Construction also constructed the V Buck openings and poured in place the window sills; the concrete steam wall and foundation were done by All Star Concrete.
Phil Kean Designs, the architect and builder of TNAH, wanted something different and unique for the stone façade of the home. The team was unable to find any stone manufactured that fit their vision, thus, Environmental StoneWorks manufactured a specific stone for the home. Phil Kean states that they “took photographs of a lot of stones used in the ’50s and ’60s, and went through four different takes on it.” The final version far exceeded the team’s expectations.
The new product, Osceola Prairie Stone, was created and manufactured in Atlanta at one of Environmental StoneWorks’ five national manufacturing facilities. The style was designed to course at 4 in. heights. Individual pieces of the stone were scored in the middle for consistent horizontal lines and grout joints. White grout and detailed spacing were utilized to complement the uniformity of the individual pieces. The overall pattern for the stone façade used various lengths of 8, 16, and 24 in. of Osceola Prairie Stone. Additionally, the stone’s color has a white base that was enhanced by subtle grey tones with hues of charcoal and light browns. Additional coloring was added by mica flakes that were sprinkled across the face of the stone.
Once the design team saw the initial product, they decided to expand it into the gallery/dining area of the home. Furthermore, the Osceola Prairie Stone was used for the 6-ft. perimeter wall and the built-in BBQ and kitchenette. There was approximately 3,000 ft. of stone veneer used for TNAH project.
Kean designed the 2012 TNAH, produced and presented by the NAHB Leading Suppliers Council and Builder magazine, to achieve “Emerald Status” under the National Green Building Standard and is hoping to achieve additional green certifications under the Florida Green Building Coalition, U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods, and other programs. Green features of the home include the Lennox Solar HVAC system; LED interior and exterior lighting; solar screens; a light-reflecting, white membrane roof; and, the Logix ICFs. The home also has an electrical vehicle charging station, while the landscaping only consists of native plants to Central Florida’s climate and soils.
As NAHB’s official show home, TNAH gives building industry professionals an opportunity to see design trends, construction techniques, and materials that can be used in any new or remodeled home. The showcase products in the home are provided by members of the NAHB Leading Suppliers Council. According to NAHB, this year’s TNAH is expected to see about 7,300 attendees during the International Builder’s Show, about the same number that toured last year’s show home near downtown Orlando. For more information, visit www.buildershow.com.