PHOENIX — Tucked away down a quiet Phoenix street, a new community is being built. The structures look like any other desert house but these ones create an atmosphere that is not only healthy for your family but the environment too.
“There is a lot of science applied in laboratories but not a whole lot applied in house construction, especially in our climate,” said Austin Trautman, founder of Vali Homes, as he gave us a tour of one of the homes.
There is a science that goes into building a green living environment. Number one is biophilia design, meaning people feel better in nature.
“There are fourteen principles that scientifically test and measure the key factors and create a map on how we improve how we design things,” said Trautman.
The second biomimicry design is the engineering approach.
“How do I take something that functions well and copy it,” said Trautman.
Mimicking the toughest, coolest plant in the desert, a saguaro cactus.
“This is where the horticulturalists came into play helping us look at the cactus and saying so ok can we do that in a house,” said Trautman.
Taking the science and fitting it into elegant designs while focusing on key factors.
“One thing being carbon impact this house gives back within two years instead of 30 years in a standard efficient house,” said Trautman.
It has an air system that adjusts to unhealthy air quality by giving your house a set of lungs.
“It’s pulling air out of the bathrooms, bringing in the fresh air, filtering it and pre-conditioning it and bringing that into the living spaces and bedrooms,” said Trautman.
Homes are built with materials like wood fiber and sheep wool to create energy-efficient walls.
“It’s buffering heat flow while preventing it from coming through,” said Trautman.
They also have water-saving bathrooms, motion sensor lights, and sound-deflecting windows.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling until you stand in it," said Trautman.
Everything works together to create a system, where the house controls itself and creates an eco-friendly space.
