Preempting an initiative proposed recently by Florida governor Charlie Crist to increase the energy efficiency of new homes built in the state by 15 percent, the New Southern Home in Orlando goes beyond efficiency. At a whopping 12,200 square feet, the showcase house may seem to contradict many green concepts. However, it does feature some green materials and practices, as well as universal design, an innovative home automation system and architecture that's out of the area's vernacular.

The house, which will be open for viewing by the public through at least next February, is certainly expansive, with six bedrooms, seven full baths, four half baths, a combined catering kitchen/laundry room, a home office, a game room, a home theater, an outdoor kitchen and a two-car garage, all in the main house. There's also a separate guesthouse with a four-car garage.

Built by James M. Krantz Construction and designed by Chris Gooden of Gooden Residential Design, both Orlando companies, the New Southern Home explores options in water conservation, solar energy and low-maintenance landscaping. Those features are part of the reason the home is being considered for certification by the Florida Green Building Coalition. They also demonstrate that even a home this size can still be, at least in some ways, green and efficient.

 

Fiber-cement siding and roof tiles made from recycled materials were used for both the main house and carriage house, which meet in an L-shaped design (above) and connect via a porte cochere (right).
 
Images Courtesy Delve Productions

Southern Comfort
Many terms have been batted around to describe the home's architectural style: Southern cottage, Hamptons/coastal, even French Country. The facade features copper-topped synthetic stone flues, fiber-cement siding and a slate-looking roof made of recycled materials. The main house meets the carriage house in an L-shaped design. The two areas connect via a porte cochere supported by antebellum-style columns and complemented by a turn-about to create a resounding Southern image.

"It's Martha's Vineyard/ Cape Cod meets the Michigan Lower Peninsula," says Gooden of the home's design. "It's not a typical Southern home, but most people feel it has the comfort of a Southern home."

New to green design, Gooden oriented the house to the site, which has predominantly southern exposure. He used expansive roof overhangs not only to prevent abundant, hot afternoon sun from spilling into the house but also to provide space and perfect placement for solar roof panels to harness the sun's power.

In addition, he incorporated ample skylights and windows throughout the house. Even closets and small bathrooms gain natural sunlight, which reduces the amount of time residents must rely on artificial light.

Krantz, a Florida Green Home certifying agent and an aging-in-place specialist, considers the home's barrier-free universal design of central importance. Meant to accommodate multi-generational families as well as individuals with special mobility needs, the home features showers with flat-leveled entrances and an elevator to provide easy access to all areas of the two-story residence.

Certain innovative building products, such as insulated concrete form (ICF) walls and Energy-Star-rated doors and windows, helped Krantz and Gooden meet their green design goals. Studies show that ICF walls can reduce a residence's cooling costs by up to 50 percent over traditional concrete block construction. In addition, ICFs act as fire retardants, don't emit toxic gasses, crack and buckle up to five times less than concrete block wall, and help keep the home quieter by reducing the intrusion of outdoor noise from traffic, powered lawn equipment and other sources.

Dramatically angled ceilings, ample built-in cabinetry, fireplaces, granite countertops and a barrier-free universal design are among the home's many features.

Images Courtesy Delve Productions

It's a Hoot
Among the New Southern Home's many conservation-related features is a mini wastewater treatment plant called the Hoot Aerobic Treatment System. The five-stage system treats sanitary water by pumping oxygen into the wastewater and then disinfecting it. Once treated, the water is recycled through a drip system for irrigation purposes, along with rainwater collected around the house. The landscaping itself is designed to require little to no water, thanks to plants such as Zoysia grass, which thrives in low-water conditions and requires less mowing.

Other measures were taken to help this green mansion achieve energy efficiency. For instance, Icynene insulation protects both floors of the house. Icynene minimizes air leakage from the building's envelope, which helps lower utility bills and yields a healthier indoor environment. It also keeps the home quieter.

The house has an efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system with a built-in dehumidifier. In semi-tropical climates like Florida, where humidity often causes more discomfort than the actual temperature of the air, homeowners tend to rev up the AC to combat humidity, which is a wasteful approach, according to many experts. By reducing the amount of time the AC has to operate, the dehumidifier will help lower utility bills while keeping the homeowners more comfortable.

The New Southern Home breathes better than traditionally constructed houses, thanks to a HEPA filtration system. This system improves indoor air quality by removing pet dander, cooking smells, tobacco smoke, allergens and other air pollutants.

Other amenities include Energy Star-rated kitchen appliances, a central vacuum system, solar water heaters for the entire first floor and low-flow showerheads, toilets and other plumbing fixtures.

Keeping the Home Comfortable The New Southern Home's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system showcases technologies that improve indoor air quality and use energy efficiently. Here are some of the system's highlights:

The home's 15 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) air conditioners are expected to reduce utility bills by $150 annually over lower SEER systems. The house also has an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) from Sarasota, Fla.-based Fantech that pulls fresh air in from outside, dehumidifies it and filters it.

The system's 5-inch media filter can capture up to 98 percent of airborne contaminants, including pet dander, pollen and other dusts, notes Steve Chambers of Orlando-based Century Air Conditioning and Heating, which installed the system.

To improve energy efficiency, Chambers divided the home into seven heating/cooling zones. That way, different areas of the home can be set to different, and optimal, temperatures.

The homeowners can use the home's touch-screen panels to program a personalized humidity comfort factor, which saves energy by using the dehumidifier rather than the air conditioner. "The lower the humidity, the cooler the house feels," Chambers notes.For a new 2,000 square-foot house, a system similar to the New Southern Home's would cost between $7,000 and $10,000, compared to $5,000 to $7,000 for a system less oriented toward clean air and energy efficiency.

The Touch of a Button
In keeping with its theme of innovation, the New Southern Home features a General Electric SmartCom home automation system. More than just a convenience factor, a home automation system can help homeowners conserve energy and save money, especially at the end of the day, when the touch of one button ensures all of the home's lights and other powered equipment are turned off.

Using touch-screen panels located throughout the residence, homeowners can control the lighting, thermostats, security and intercom systems, and an audio system, which can access music from an iPod, CDs, a stereo and even a television.

The homeowners can also check and adjust the temperature, chlorine level and other settings for the zero-entry pool/spa, which overlooks a neighborhood lake. And for home security, the homeowners can control cameras mounted outside the house and speak with visitors at the front gate or front door from just about anywhere in the house.

Eventually, the system may allow users to monitor water and power usage, control the oven, set laundry reminders and control television/movie distribution throughout the house. "The capabilities are endless as to what can be added to a system like this," Krantz says of the whole-house automation system.

One other trendy security feature is the kitchen's walk-in pantry, which converts to a panic room/storm room. Constructed with a concrete lid and walls, the room has a steel door with a locking fingerprint ID. Inside the space, which is approximately 60 square feet, is another touch-screen panel from which residents can arm the security system. They can also use the dedicated phone line to call for emergency assistance.

Automating the New Southern Home

One of the most innovative aspects of the New Southern Home is its use of home automation. Touch-screen panels located throughout the house enable easy control of lighting, security, music and the intercom, notes John Bernard, president of Orlando-based High Speed Solutions, which installed the system. The new homeowners can use thesystem in the following ways:

When they leave the home, the homeowners can just touch "Exit" on a screen to automatically turn off lights and electronics, arm the security system and set the air conditioning system to a higher temperature to conserve energy.

Anyone in the home's four zones can access music from iPods, CDs, a stereo and/or the television. The kids can each listen to their choice of music in their bedrooms, while Dad listens to his favorites in the home office and Mom listens to yetdifferent music in her studio.

"The intercom system allows you to call only one room, so that you don't bother everyone else in the house," Bernard says.

Family members can control cameras mounted outside the house and speak with visitors at the front gate or the front door. GE SmartCom's standard four-zone kit can be installed in a 2,000-square-foot house for between $2,500 and $3,000, according to Bernard. A system for a house as large as the New Southern Home would cost some $12,000. Although the systems are generally installed during construction, they can be retrofitted into existing homes.

Fine Appointments
Beyond going green and revving up the house with automation options, the builder and the New Southern Home's sponsors loaded the show house with fine appointments.

Amenities in the New Southern Home include Energy Star-rated kitchen appliances and low-flow plumbing fixtures. 
 
Images Courtesy Delve Productions

For instance, several washer/dryer pairs dot the house. They're located in the hobby room, the master suite's walk-in closet (which is about the size of a small store) and the laundry room itself.

Most of the showers, in addition to their no-barrier entrances, are equipped with benches, removable spouts, multiple showerheads and enough room for two people - all part of the home's universal design.

Throughout the home, operable windows light wide corridors. And one corridor, which leads into the house from the attached two-car garage, received a custom lighting configuration. "From a design standpoint, I always want to keep the garage in close proximity to the kitchen and family area, because most of my clients are moms bringing groceries into the house," says Gooden. Thanks to the custom lighting setup, the corridor automatically lights up when the family enters the house, providing easy access at night and enhancing safety.

Outside entertainment areas are common in Florida, and Gooden followed the trend by incorporating abundant veranda and deck space into the home. One veranda, which adjoins the game room on the second floor, is screened in. Ceiling fans and retractable shades help keep the space cool during the warmest months of the year.
Ample natural lighting reduces the time the homeowners must rely on artificial light.
 
Images Courtesy Delve Productions
And that's just the beginning. Many other features, including an acoustically sound home theater, ample built-in cabinetry, dramatically angled ceilings, fireplaces, granite countertops, floors like oceans of wood and tile, aesthetically appealing beadboard ceilings, and wet bars with dishwashers, microwaves and espresso machines all evoke luxury ad infinitum.

A home of more than 12,000 square feet may not be considered intrinsically green by some. But the New Southern Home, which is expected to sell for between $5 million and $6 million when it goes on the market next year, does incorporate many well-thought-out, conservation-oriented design components, including energy efficiency, innovative building techniques and products, and a floorplan that promotes more traditional family values.

For more information about the New Southern Home, visit
www.newsouthernhome.com or call
407-857-8669.

Nichole L. Reber writes about architecture, interior design, green building and land planning. She's based in Sarasota, Fla.