Mission Accomplished: A Superefficient Texas Home

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The bathrooms have Delta Brizo low-flow fixtures and dual-flush Toto toilets.
The bathrooms have Delta Brizo low-flow fixtures and dual-flush Toto toilets.
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Heather's bedroom is filled with natural light.
Heather's bedroom is filled with natural light.
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Leaves incorporated into the concrete floor connect it to the outdoors.
Leaves incorporated into the concrete floor connect it to the outdoors.
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A double-sided fireplace and bookshelves under the stairs save space.
A double-sided fireplace and bookshelves under the stairs save space.
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Heather controls sunlight in her bedroom with off-the-shelf multicolored Ikea fabric panels. The master shower features recycled glass tiles.
Heather controls sunlight in her bedroom with off-the-shelf multicolored Ikea fabric panels. The master shower features recycled glass tiles.
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Heather's home is sited to catch maximum sun from the south and east. A metal Galvalume roof reflects back 75 percent of the sun's heat.
Heather's home is sited to catch maximum sun from the south and east. A metal Galvalume roof reflects back 75 percent of the sun's heat.
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The home was built using structural insulated panels. Glass block windows on the north wall bring in diffused light but don't let heat out.
The home was built using structural insulated panels. Glass block windows on the north wall bring in diffused light but don't let heat out.
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Architect Gary Olp (far right) and contractor Don Ferrier (left) helped Heather Ferrier (center) build a green home.
Architect Gary Olp (far right) and contractor Don Ferrier (left) helped Heather Ferrier (center) build a green home.
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Cooling breezes pass through carefully placed windows and up through tall spaces, creating a chimney effect. Stained concrete floors collect the sun's heat by day and release it when it cools down at night.
Cooling breezes pass through carefully placed windows and up through tall spaces, creating a chimney effect. Stained concrete floors collect the sun's heat by day and release it when it cools down at night.
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Floor plans for the loft in Heather's home.
Floor plans for the loft in Heather's home.
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Floor plans for the first floor of Heather's home.
Floor plans for the first floor of Heather's home.
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Floor plans for the second floor of Heather's home.
Floor plans for the second floor of Heather's home.
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Heather gave her home character with thoughtful details such as this powder room nook.
Heather gave her home character with thoughtful details such as this powder room nook.
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Heather's kitchen features regionally produced cabinetry made of sustainably harvested white ash and GreenGuard-certified countertops.
Heather's kitchen features regionally produced cabinetry made of sustainably harvested white ash and GreenGuard-certified countertops.
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Porches and overhangs provide shade in summer, and canvas awnings retract for natural daylighting.
Porches and overhangs provide shade in summer, and canvas awnings retract for natural daylighting.

Heather Ferrier grew up around green building. Her father, Don Ferrier, was crafting earth-sheltered homes in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 1982. Heather began helping out around the construction company’s offices at age 9. When she graduated from college and later became general manager of Ferrier Construction, Heather wanted to build a deep green house. Not only did she crave a sunny, healthy place to live, but she was determined to show the world it could be done on a budget.

Because of mortgage stipulations and real estate minimum size requirements, Heather found she would have to build a roughly 2,000-square-foot house. That left her with a modest budget of $115 per square foot–and she wanted a house with some flair. “Most clients have much larger budgets, needless to say,” she says.

Her accomplishment is astounding. Her 2,028-square-foot passive solar home, built for $235,000, is the first home in Texas (the third in the United States) to get the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest Platinum ranking. It’s a prototype for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America program; was named the 2007 Dallas Builders’ Best Green Home; and won the Gold Energy Value Housing Award, which honors the nation’s energy-efficient elite. Nearly 4,000 people have toured the home.

“Heather wanted to dispel people’s grumblings that only the elite can afford a green home,” Don Ferrier says. Her goal of using the home as an educational tool has worked. “This house has really hit a nerve locally and nationally,” Heather says. “It’s caught the attention of a lot of people.”

Of no less importance, Heather has a bright, natural home to share with her sister, Lacey. She’s created a nontoxic, light-filled environment that doesn’t trigger her asthma or allergies, and she’s spending about $200 less per month on utilities than her neighbors.

  • Published on Dec 14, 2009
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