October 30, 2008
The Home Is Going Up Fast!
Jack, Leon and I took a field trip out to the house. This place is just cool. I don't know the technical term for it, but it has this kind of bell tower that is simply striking. And because the house was sited south, it doesn't square off the lot like un-green (old-fashioned) houses. Behind the house is a field, and on this sunny, windy day it looked like a roil of seawater under the blue, blue sky. There were a lot of workers out drilling and pounding and listening to Bob Seger.
Jack explained that in the case of the HGTV Dream Homes, they don't work on a normal building schedule -- they work on a TV schedule. They have plans in place for shows, sweepstakes, you name it. Not to mention the unveiling next year. This house is going up fast.
There are challenges. The first 25 days of the build, it rained. Now the roof is on, so it's not a problem. But that lot must have been one big pile of sludge.
Because this is a dynamic process, Jack and company make decisions on a daily basis that can alter the form or function of parts of the house.
There were earthmovers out back grading the land. I started feeling house envy again. I wish I could build a green house.
But Jack said any step you take on your home toward going green is a good step. You know, if your washer conks out you can replace it with an energy-saving model. You don't just toss out what you already have. That would not be green.
Is it terrible that I am hoping something goes terribly wrong in my kitchen so I have to replace everything with state-of-the-art green technology?
Posted by Marilyn Bauer at 5:14 PM | Comments (25) | TrackBack
Sharing a Common Vision
At lunch with Jack Thomasson, HGTV house planner and Leon Camarda, the builder on the HGTV Green Home at Hurricane's on Tradition Square, I learned more about what goes into putting together one of these enormous Green Home or Dream Home promotions. In the case of Green, Jack brought together an architect, designer, landscaper and product providers (not to mention sponsors) who shared a common vision.
Going Green is not always simple and Leon mentioned that a lot of companies claim their products are green, but they aren't. The Green team tests the products to make sure they deliver what they are selling. Nothing gets past Jack and Leon.
Jack said the decision to go with Tradition as the site for the second ever HGTV Green Home was a no brainer. Especially after their experience in Hilton Head, S. C. with the first Green Home also in a Tradition community. The guys used words like integrity, experience, but then I wasn't expecting any negativity.
Jack and Leon spent the rest of the hour gabbing green, but ordered decidedly un-green lunches. Jack had a burger the size of a dinner plate and Leon dug into a Chicken Philly sandwich. Fries anyone?
"Hey, we ordered salads on the side," Jack said.
I stuck with the water.
Posted by Marilyn Bauer at 5:05 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
October 29, 2008
A Winning Team of Experts
I've got house envy. Grand, brooding, green for jealousy house envy.
After a spin through the HGTV Green Home going up in Port St. Lucie, Florida you would, too. This house is only weeks old and is already shaping up to be a Spanish Contemporary show stopper.
There's a winning team of experts headed up by House Planner, Jack Thommasson who you by now know and love after 12 Dream homes and the first Green Home in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This crew knows how to get things done, and done right.
From the start, green philosophy was at play. The house is sited south to make the most of the light while keeping the heat out. The sun rises and sets in different areas throughout the year. The Green House will have minimum sun exposure in the summer to keep the house cool and it is at an angle that in winter will provide lots of light without the heat.
Oh and speaking of envy, how do you think it was spending the afternoon on a construction sight with Rock Star Jack? Have you seen how handsome he is?
Posted by Marilyn Bauer at 1:24 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
