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Casey Dunn Photography
The house is clad in Lueders limestone from west Texas. Garage a…
Residential
EHDA Merit Award: North Peak
CUSTOM, MORE THAN 4,000 SQUARE FEET
1 MIN READ
Itâs one thing to design a healthy house, another to have a client use it as a research project for a book. The team and the client, a professor of environmental health at the University of Texas at Austin, surveyed the ingredients of every material specified to make sure it was toxin-free. âSome of the chemicals on our ânoâ list arenât required to be published,â says architect Philip Keil. âWhen companies werenât forthcoming, we moved on to other products.â
Underpinning the projectâs healthy-home scheme are an optimal east-west axis, multiple patios and screened porches, and existing trees that shade the south-facing façade. And among the products that got the green light were Owens Corning EnergyComplete insulation and air sealing, formaldehyde-free Huber Blue sheathing, and CARB-compliant cabinets. Other savvy movesâa geothermal heat pump, energy recovery ventilator, and high-efficiency lightingâlifted the project to an Austin Energy Green Building 5-Star rating. The judges approved, too. âItâs a contemporary take on Texas and creates marvelous outdoor spaces,â one commented.
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