Cooling - Energy Effeiciency

So here we are in the very early Spring and it is still about heating. In fact, most of the solar application discussions seem to revolve around heating the home and the domestic hot water. However, come Summer, a poorly designed and oriented house will require air conditioning to cool the interior raising annual energy costs. In addition solar collector installation needs to be designed and be ready to handle potential overheating in the warm months. I know of one installation that heats the home nicely in the Winter, but during the Summer months the homeowner has to run their radiant floor to keep the collectors from overheating. System design is critical when the weather turns nice. The orientation of the structure on the lot needs to be examined with an annual energy load in mind. Here in Santa Fe properly designed portals will shade in Summer and gain in the Winter. With sufficient ventilation, air circulation, and positioning of glazing and skylights, the need for conventional air conditioning can be either minimized or eliminated entirely. On lots like those in Tessera, the rolling topography and layout of the lots offers the best opportunity for maximization of views and year round energy efficiency.

What is Your Lot’s Solar Rating?

Just like dwellings or appliances, lots can be rated for their energy efficiency. The lots are rated on their ability to accommodate a home with good solar access. Lots over .25 acres have a better chance of achieving good solar access. The slope of the lot and the topography may also improve the solar access. Tessera lots are carefully platted on gently rolling topography with roads placed below the ridge lines thus offering the optimal solar exposure. In addition, the siting of houses on each lot is controlled by building envelopes that maximize views, but also offer the best layout for solar exposure. Lot size is kept at approximately .4 acre surrounded by 30% dedicated open space.

Winter is still here as you can clearly see. However, it is of little consequence if we are working inside a closed house, i.e. roofed, windows in place, etc. This usually requires breaking ground in the early Spring. We have poured slabs in February and it can be done, but it is tricky. However, I’m looking forward to being warm again I must admit.

How Healthy is your Neighborhood?

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, architects and urban reformers helped to defeat infectious diseases, such as cholera and tuberculosis, by improving design of buildings, streets, neighborhoods, clean water systems and parks. In the 21st century, designers can again play a crucial role in combating the most rapidly growing public health epidemics of our time: obesity and its impact on related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Today, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet are second only to tobacco use as the main causes of premature death in the United States. A growing body of research suggests that evidence-based architectural and urban design strategies can increase regular physical activity and healthy eating. Santa Fe is one of the healthiest cities in the country with an endless array outdoor activities and a penchant for healthy eating. Hurlocker subdivisions always include walking/running trails and the communities are bicycle friendly.

Contemporary architecture is defined by some as that which is being designed and built now. However, not everything being built now qualifies. Some houses are simply repetitions ad nauseam of a style that has long since become stale. Often it represents a “safe” style that, hopefully, has broad market appeal. In the case of Santa Fe’s “Pueblo Revival” style which emerged around the beginning of the 20th century, the style has been replicated over and over with little creativity. Hurlocker Homes has created contemporary versions of this style by cleaning up the lines, removing dis-ingenuous ornamentation, and focusing on the spaces and views rather than the masses. We believe that our homes are true to the tenants of Santa Fe style but are “contemporary” in their execution.

Green Myths - How Long Will it Take?

I just returned from lunch to find an article in my email about green myths. The article appeared in “Eco Home Magazine” and summarizes results from a national study of green consumers by the Shelton Group. As I have long suspected, those people who actively engage in eco-friendly activities tend to do things like drive an energy efficient/hybrid vehicle, or to reduce energy consumption and lower costs in their homes. According to the study, they are not necessarily out to save the planet. This mindset was reinforced in a recent custom home when the owner chose not to include a thermal solar system, even for domestic hot water, which is generally considered to have the best payback. His math could not support a reasonable payback in spite of 40% tax credits. He chose to stub out his home for a future installation in hopes of improved technology and cost. I recently had to replace my wife’s car. We replaced it with a Honda Insight and are pleased with the 43 mpg, plus the car was no more expensive than 25 mpg Subaru we had before. However, are we willing to spend $10,000 on a solar domestic hot water system right now? I’ll have to get back to you on that.

Buy Real Estate in Your IRA

If the plunging stock market is costing you dearly in your retirement account, you might consider investing those funds in real estate. Real estate is considered a non-traditional investment and if your current custodian does not invest in real estate, you’ll need to re-locate your account to a custodian that allows real estate investments. Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code permits individuals to purchase various forms of real estate with funds held in many common forms of IRAs. Unfortunately, the IRS will not let you use the real estate owned by your IRA as a residence or a vacation home. The underlying premise for any real estate investment purchased with IRA funds is that you can’t have any personal use or benefit of the property. Therefore, a residential lot such as a Tessera lot might just be the ideal investment for your IRA. Even though you could purchase a house or commercial building, a piece of vacant land has the advantage of very little maintenance costs, since expenses must be paid from funds in your IRA. It’s also possible to sell properties while they are held by your IRA, so long as the purchaser is not a family member. Once a deal closes, the IRA account will hold the cash proceeds-ready for you to make your next investment. The above is a little known IRS provision that lets you extend you real estate purchasing with tax-deferred dollars. It also may just be the investment vehicle that allows you to avoid the ups and downs of the stock market.

How Tight is Your Envelope?

Energy Efficiency is a significant component of the emerging Green Building phenomenon. Many municipalities, including Santa Fe, are in the process of re-writing building codes to embrace the movement toward sustainable building practices. Santa Fe has required a HERS rating to be included in all applications for building permits since Jan 1, 2008. In addition, they require that the HERS rating be posted on the home until the ultimate buyer occupies the home. This practice is reminiscent of the Monroney stickers commonplace on new cars. The HERS rating is similar to the EPA mileage estimates that appear on those window stickers. The US DOE Energy Star site (www.energystar.gov) has an excellent definition and explanation of the HERS rating system. Basically, it compares the home to a standard 2006 code built house (100 HERS). If a home has a HERS rating of 85, it is 15% more efficient than the standard house. The Tessera 18 House pictured above has a HERS rating of 67. Therefore, it is 33% more efficient than a standard code built house. There are homes being built right now that have HERS ratings of 0 or a Net Zero Home. Many of the systems required to achieve exceptionally low ratings are quite expensive with very long paybacks. The Tessera 18 house was built using the best available building practices similar to those that exist in all of our houses. The addition of two solar systems discussed in an earlier post represent a conservative addition to the home which will, hopefully, provide a reasonable payback period. The other driving force towards Green is a social conscience. Those who can and care will integrate those Green elements into their design that they feel most strong about regardless of the cost. Photovoltaic, for example, will allow you to spin the meter backwards selling electricity back to the power company. However, the years it takes to offset the cost of electricity is very long. A homeowner might find that they feel better about using photovoltaic and saving some small portion of coal thus doing their part to reduce our energy consumption. Whatever the choice, it is clear that energy efficient buildings are going to be first choice among the buyers of the future. It has been said that a standard code built house of the past will be functionally obsolete within 5 years. At Hurlocker Homes we will begin the design process with your energy saving and green building goals in mind. We are prepared to meet the challenges of reducing our energy consumption with cutting edge techniques and products.

Many home owners have rejected solar panels because of their obtrusive and architecturally poor appearance.  In fact a significant number of high end subdivisions do not allow solar to be seen regardless of where their placed. The solar panels seen here have been integrated into the design. They are vertically mounted on a south facing wall with a sufficient overhang to keep them from overheating in the summer. In the winter they get full sun and add significantly to the heating needs of the dwelling. Hurlocker Homes is committed to building efficient dwellings within our contemporary design esthetic.

Sooner or Later?

Current economic conditions seem to have everyone in a holding pattern. Projects are on hold until better times. Therefore, are you better off to wait or should you begin your project now? We know that economics are cyclical. Times will be good again. In the meantime, material prices continue to escalate. I just received a bulletin apprising us of a 12% increase in gypsum board products effective June 23rd. Steel prices are likely to be double by this time next year according to suppliers. Rebar has already tripled! In addition, a relatively new house will appreciate and adjust to the market regardless of it’s completion date. Simply put, if you wait a year and the house costs 25% more to build, will it be worth 25% more than a similar house completed a year earlier. Probably not. This brings me back to something I’ve always believed, sooner is better than later. So, if you’re considering when to get going on that dream home of yours, there’s no time like the present. Take advantage of the low rates.

How Long Does it Take?

I’m regularly asked just how long it takes to build a Hurlocker Home. As always, that depends. I usually try to work backwards from a desired move in date. Lets say that you wanted to move in in early September 2010. If your house is a fairly typical 3000+- heated square foot Hurlocker house, it will take about 12 months to build. The design process is a big variable. Some clients are “quick studies” and others take more time. I think a good rule of thumb is to allow 6 months for the design to permit process. In the above example, we should begin design in early March of ‘09. There are some additional issues that can delay the process. Some subdivisions have more time consuming architectural review and approval processes. Some sites require additional time because of excavation of rock, expansive soils, long driveways, or well drilling to name a few. There is also a different permit process for the City and the County. I generally recommend a Spring start for a new house because it will allow us to pour slabs, frame, roof, and stucco before the snow flies. Therefore, I might suggest to the owner in the above example that we begin the design work around the 1st of the year. One thing we’re convinced of, however, is that an integrated design/build process with single point project management from the beginning to the end is the most efficient delivery system available. It allows to complete a home on time and on budget most of the time.

Site Acquisition

I have recently acquired building sites for some clients who wanted larger lots than we currently have available in our subdivisions. During this search, I have become aware of a number of key points. First, not everyone knows that Hurlocker Properties is a full service Real Estate brokerage. As such, we are able to access MLS and find the perfect site for our clients and handle the entire transaction to closing. Secondly, a great house starts with a great site. Many factors are involved in defining a great site. However, there are some basic issues such as infrastructure that add significant value to a site. Infrastructure includes roads, utilities, sewer, tv and high speed internet access, landscape, and dedicated open space. I found lots with great views that were accessed by terrible roads and required wells, propane, etc. In addition, many of these lots will require extensive site work. While none of these items by themselves are necessarily bad, they can add significant costs to the overall project budget. Size by itself does not guaranty privacy. A series of flat 1 acre lots don’t offer as much privacy as a well laid out 1/2 acre lot with some rolling topography. When you think about, a 1 acre square lot is 208 feet on a side and a square 1/2 acre lot is 148 feet on a side. That is only 60 feet less separation in the 1/2 acre lot. Siting and topography, therefore are huge factors in determining the feeling of privacy. Finally, there are a lot of 2 acre sites that have very small developable areas, sometimes as little as 1/4 of an acre (10,890 sq. ft.). A 3500 square foot house with portals may have an actual footprint of 5,ooo square feet and by the time you factor in the motorcourt, guest parking, and driveways, your choices become very limited. The team at Hurlocker Properties is always happy to meet with you regarding the selection and acquisition of a site for your Santa Fe dream home.

First Post

This is the first post of our new blog. Hurlocker Homes, owned and operated by Michael Hurlocker in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Michael brings an uncommon level of personal attention, construction experience, and impeccable craftsmanship to every project. Hurlocker’s clean-lined, contemporary Southwest homes follow his own modern esthetic and reflect his association with a select group of architects.

Modern designs, defined masses, fine detailing, and precision execution are recognizable elements in every Hurlocker home.

Hurlocker’s prize-winning homes garnered four awards in the 2007 Parade of Homes, one of which was for excellence in green building. In 2006 his entry was named the Parade of Homes Grand Hacienda. He has also won Santa Fean Magazine Home of the Year in 2006 and 2007.