Luxury Home Magazine

Pacific Luxury Living 32 | Featured Properties Re-use Hawaii start the eco-friendly trend before build- ing even begins by disassembling potentially demolished homes piece by piece and reusing the materials for new projects; thereby reducing the waste and energy to produce new materials. To encourage and enforce standards for new building, the U.S. Green Building Council developed LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. According to the USGBC web site, the program is aimed at providing standards and improving performance for “energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.” Although it’s still possible to create an efficient sustainable home without the LEED label, this program provides an excellent frame of reference, especially when individuals chose homes or builders. Another effective certification program that builders, like the team at Mokulua Woodworking, are working with is The National Association of Home Builders’ Certified Green Professional designation or CGP for short. While LEED recognizes building practices for both commercial and residential buildings, this program is geared specifically toward homes . And as Mokulua’s Doug Pierce describes, CGP “…was designed to educate members of the construction industry so they could incorporate sustainable products, designs and building practices into every project.” Although LEED certified homes are just starting to pop up around the islands, Hawaii’s industry is ahead of the curve when it comes to practic- ing energy efficient methods that take advantage of the land’s natural amenities. With energy costs soaring and more so in Hawaii, designers and builders are conscious to position homes away from the incubating sun and to utilize the natural trade winds, reducing the need for costly and noisy air conditioning. “Hawaii is somewhat unique in that we are a remote island with truly limited natural resources,” says Tim Anderson. “We can’t borrow power from the next state… sustainability is a more crucial concept here.” Doug Pierce is proud of the leaps Hawaii is making toward creating sound and eco-friendly structures but looks toward future developments. “Virtually all of the materials needed to build or remodel a home are not found locally so the opportunity to find sustainable materials is seemingly endless,” says Pierce. “This is essential in protecting our Aina!” Regardless of the need for conservation, the consumer industry is still driven by the bottom line. Most people are happy to contribute by purchasing eco-friendly products – as long as they are still affordable. In addition to sustainable products being of the utmost quality, they have an outstanding Return on Investment (ROI). What conscious companies like Details International, Mokulua Woodworking, and Long & Associates Architects among others attempt to communicate is that by using these V. Elise Lee ~ Although the plan for this stunning 5,000 square foot custom home began in 2003, sustainable and energy efficient design was included from the beginning. Substantially completed in 2008, the products and abilities of this home, built by Armstrong Consulting, may have changed a bit along the way, but only for the better insuring top of the line efficiency for this luxury home on the private peninsula on Wialupe Circle. Starting by observing the natural pathways of the trade winds, Dale Armstrong designed his house to take full advantage of Hawaii’s natural cooling system; however, some additional air systems and appliances needed to be installed, so Armstrong was sure to make choices that would not only reduce his energy consumption, but also his energy bills. By including the following, this 5 bedroom, 4 bath home now requires monthly utility bills comparable to a large 2-bedroom luxury condo. The top of line kitchen features a Subzero refrigerator, Wolf 6-gas burner, and an ASKO dishwasher from Sweden. A high-pressure ductless central a/c system was installed during construction to help cool the many rooms efficiently, and quietly. To avoid using a/c, the exterior skin of the walls are natural cementateous stucco and the interior walls are made of imperial plaster to help with insulation. A solar heated, salt-corination pool, and landscaping with native plants encourages the success of the natural environment. As a literal and figurative “topper” to the project, Armstrong used MonierLifetile, recycleable green roofing which is durable, and creation and disposal are aimed at preserving the environment. Simply Sustainable Cont.