Green Building
Rainwater Ranch: Self-Sufficient Living
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101775″ media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”173340″][vc_column_text] Nestled on 100 acres in Texas Hill Country, this artist’s compound is a colorful gem of self-sufficient living and connection with nature. It is an energy efficient and creative nod to quintessential, self-reliant, Texas ranch living. A heavily integrated design process included builder, client and architect and after a careful one…
Read MoreGreen Energy Money – Teresa Lopez
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101779″ media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”155250″][vc_column_text] Green Energy Money Founder & CEO Teresa Lopez 1. Tell us about yourself (hobbies, education, family, pets etc.) My hobbies include tai chi (I’m a Red Belt), yoga and all alternative healing modalities. I’m a geek by nature, I study alternative everything-right now I’m studying the carbon and digital currency emerging…
Read MoreBest Energy Smart Home of the Year 2015
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101802″ media_width_percent=”100″ shape=”img-round” uncode_shortcode_id=”500899″][vc_column_text] NATiVE-built home wins Fine Homebuilding Magazine’s 2015 Award Best Energy Smart Home Honoring the best in meaningful architecture and leading-edge design, Fine Homebuilding magazine’s annual HOUSES Awards are among the most coveted in the housing industry. For this prestigious awards program, Fine Homebuilding’s editors evaluate literally hundreds of residential architecture…
Read MoreBuilding a Net Zero House…Part Two
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101826″ media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”202640″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”193767″] “It is amazing to see the lot without the house, quite weird, really. Are we brave or crazy? People are asking. We say brave.” – Liz We say brave too. Not everyone would decide to build a net zero house, sign off on the plans, and then leave to London…
Read MoreBuild Your Home With Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF)
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101836″ media_width_percent=”100″ shape=”img-round” uncode_shortcode_id=”212028″][vc_column_text] Light frame construction using standardized dimensional lumber has been a ubiquitous feature of the American landscape for nearly two centuries, primarily for its economy. “Stick” construction, as it is called in the trade, is fast to construct and relatively inexpensive. However, increasingly demanding owner requirements and building codes are causing…
Read MoreGoing Net Zero
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101890″ media_width_percent=”100″ shape=”img-round” uncode_shortcode_id=”413862″][vc_column_text] August 27, 2014 We arrived at Liz and Alan’s Tarrytown (a small Austin community located west of downtown) home early in the morning. The air was humid and the sun was already beginning to peek through the trees. The house was set back from the street surrounded by a wooden…
Read MoreGreen Jobs for Innovative People
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101893″ media_width_percent=”100″ shape=”img-round” uncode_shortcode_id=”365805″][vc_column_text] At NATiVE, we are very proud of our employees, a group of the smartest, most innovative people in the solar and green building industries. We have the most experienced NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certified solar installers in Texas, and also have a LEED certified building team.…
Read MoreElements of a Net Zero Home in Texas
There are six key ingredients to a net zero energy home. Learn more about how to achieve net zero energy usage with proper orientation, responsive envelope design, rainwater collection, solar power, and more.
Read MoreThe High Cost of Low Efficiency
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101905″ media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”831806″][vc_column_text]Comprised of semi-arid and subtropical regions, Texas is home to more weather extremes than any other state. In fact, it’s a downright point of pride for many residents, especially during this time of the year when few will argue that there is anything more intense than a summer in Texas. We know…
Read MoreUp Close with Miki Cook
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image media=”101908″ media_width_percent=”100″ shape=”img-round” uncode_shortcode_id=”603865″][vc_column_text] “But, really, the security against rising energy costs should be something that everyone is concerned with. Housing affordability has as much to do with operational and maintenance costs as it does with your mortgage payment. Have an energy model or audit performed on your home and invest in improving its…
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