Net ICONIC HOME Zero

America’s first sustainable showhouse.

By ICONIC LIFE

Photography by Paul Moore

To truly live a beautiful life, making the world a beautiful place means cherishing the planet and our environment every step of the way. ICONIC LIFE is passionate about sustainability and the importance of shaping design efforts in ways that respect the environment.

Sustainable design is more important than ever as new homes continue to pop up everywhere you look. It’s essential to adopt a multi-phase philosophy with processes that reduce negative impacts on the environment and health of the occupants, without compromising the bottom line.

In the U.S. alone, buildings account for 39 percent of total energy use, 68 percent of total electricity consumption, 30 percent of landfill waste, 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and 12 percent of total water consumption. Now, do we have your attention?

The good news is that sustainable design is a conversation that’s gaining steam and entering the mainstream, as seen with ENERGY STAR certified appliances, recycled materials, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, solar panels and many other environmentally conscious tactics.

Sustainable design is here, and it’s here to stay. And that’s why this first-ever sustainability showhouse is a project near to our hearts.

The Start Of The Net Zero Iconic Home

As the presenter of this incredible environmentally responsible project, we took you on a month-by-month journey on iconiclife.com, guiding you through the construction, sustainable measures and designs that went into the Net Zero ICONIC Home.

The Net Zero ICONIC Home is a sustainable, net-zero energy building design that produces at least as much renewable energy as it consumes on an annual basis. In other words, it must produce one unit of energy for each unit of energy it consumes over the course of a year. It is a building that is designed to reduce the required energy with the balance of the energy needs supplied by on-site renewable energy technologies.

We worked alongside Mark LaLiberte, co-founder and president of Construction Instruction, who has dedicated more than 30 years to building and providing builders, architects and manufacturers with an in-depth look at the current and future state of housing. His work has earned him a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA), where he developed the highly acclaimed Houses that Work lecture series.

With time, he realized that there’s a lot of planning and work that goes into creating a sustainable and high-performance home design. When you find a home that is volatile, energy efficient and durable, you’ve met your perfect match. LaLiberte believes that a high-performance home is one with great indoor air quality, remarkable energy performance, beautiful aesthetics and no durability issues.

“It’s like thinking about cars. If I tell you to picture a high-performance car, your mind immediately goes to something faster, quicker, all of those great things that make it sleek,” he said.

He was very selective about the builder he chose and named AFT Construction and its leader Brad Leavitt to build this most-important home.

“We were honored to be selected to build the home since our company is moving towards more sustainable building, and we want to create leadership in that area,” Leavitt says. “They wanted someone who had the marketing muscle to really get this message out and promote building science and construction instruction as leaders in sustainable practices.”

To achieve net zero status, it starts early in the planning and design stages with an understanding of sustainable design decisions that will further achieve the eco-friendly goals.

“We’re trying to use local and national resources to stay with our umbrella of companies and really support the local economy. That’s one of the sustainability issues. Does it have to come from somewhere else? And we’re also trying to look at the carbon impacts, right?” LaLiberte says. “Energy is a huge carbon impact. In my world of sustainability, I want my sustainable building design to make it through its lifespan of more than a hundred years, while, at the same time, minimizing its impact and maintaining the health of the occupants.”

LaLiberte explains that everyone is concerned with the cost, stating they cannot spend the extra money to save energy, which he feels ignores the underlying solution.

“I have an energy bill every month for SRP and APS. What if I didn’t have one? Would that have a value to it? And people will go, well, of course,” he says. “It’s not about economics and costs—it’s about making choices for the greater good.”

In Arizona specifically, where the temperatures are exceptionally hot, one of the first steps in sustainable building design, or an energy efficient home, is to properly orient the building on the site, maximizing north and south exposures while minimizing east and west exposures. To reduce electrical lighting, the concept of daylighting revolves around the controlled admission of natural light and direct sunlight into the home.

LaLiberte designed the home with Peterssen Keller Architecture a collaborative studio of exceptional architects and designers founded in 2009 with decades of diverse experience on award-winning residences around the country. Scott Carson, founder of Cosan Studio, joined the team to serve as consulting architect on the project and bring this home to completion with his knowledge of building in a desert locale.

Using light, space, line and form, they respond to the site to create an environment for living for the next 100 years. From small-scale renovations to luxurious, LEED-certified new homes, they integrate sustainable design practices into every project, finding solutions that merge environmental thinking with exceptional design.

If you’re thinking that this sounds like a big deal, you’re right. But it’s absolutely worth it. The team worked with K & Q Interiors to create the interiors fitting for an environmentally friendly home like this, designing sustainable interiors to further reduce any negative impact to the environment.

The good news is that building a net zero energy home is becoming more and more cost effective. It’s important to go into the build with a solid plan from the very beginning, which requires making strategic, conscious decisions that further the sustainable, net zero design goal.

Sustainable Building With Brad Leavitt

Brad Leavitt, President of AFT Construction, was selected to build the Net Zero ICONIC Home, bringing with him an impressive background in exceptional construction and a desire to promote sustainable building practices.

“When we were starting to design, a big thing was understanding all the concepts of net zero,” Leavitt says.

A net zero home is a lot like any elegant custom home—only better—better for the residents, better for the environment and better for the planet. A net zero home is so airtight, well-insulated and energy efficient that it produces as much renewable energy as it consumes annually. Plus, design decisions made inside allow for temperature management with minimal energy, water conservation, air purification, healthy natural light exposure and sustainable, natural, healthy interiors and products in the home.

“We worked with K & Q Interiors on the interior design, our architect was Cosan Studio, Scott Carson, and so you can see that we tried to source locally, and that’s a big part to sustainability,” Leavitt says. “If you think about the carbon footprint when things ship across the world or country, trying to keep things local was really important.”

In addition to sourcing locally, Leavitt built the house to last using concrete exterior walls.

“This home will definitely last beyond one hundred years, much longer than a wood-framed house,” Leavitt says. “The reason being, with a wood-framed house you’re going to have deterioration, there could be challenges over time depending on the construction and type but when you’re building with concrete exterior walls, there’s a lot of sturdiness and strength to that.”

“This is something that it’s a lot more difficult to remodel, but for a home that’s going to be sustainable and last, this one will be here for a very long time, a lot longer than most of the neighbors will. Which is another good thing for the environment, because we have less weight building and ripping it back down and we all know in the U.S. we’re pretty wasteful with remodels and you have to account for that,” he added.

Meet The Sponsors

It’s no secret that ICONIC LIFE has partnered with the best of the best on this very special project. This showhouse is unlike any other we’ve done before. In lieu of several design teams completing different spaces like in our ICONIC Hauses, this home has one design team, but features a variety of incredible sustainable and innovative brands that are all working together to create a high efficiency, forward-thinking home that will stand the test of time (and energy).

Working on this home is a serious undertaking, and builder Brad Leavitt of AFT Construction, Scott Carson of Cosan Studio and Kacie Lilley and Stacy Scharf of K&Q Interiors have all stepped up to the plate.

These experts in their fields combined their knowledge to create a home for one of the nation’s foremost specialists on sustainable construction, Mark LaLiberte. As the founder of Construction Instruction, he spent years studying the building science that goes into constructing residences that are efficient, good for the environment and good for the inhabitants, too.

Here, we’ll dive into each of the players who are generously sponsoring this home, along with what makes each brand a perfect fit for the goals of this home: sustainability, innovation and wellness.

Avocado Green Brands

Beginning with their signature Avocado Mattresses, Avocado Green Brands has since expanded to include a variety of eco-friendly products for the home. Avocado partnered with the Net Zero ICONIC Home as a sponsor to support the sustainable message.

All Avocado mattresses are certified organic and non-toxic, and the company holds prestigious accolades like being a certified B Corporation, climate neutral and fair trade verified. Now, they continue to progress in sustainability by becoming the first mattress brand to be zero-waste.

Neighbor Outdoor

A new, sustainable modular outdoor lifestyle company, Neighbor is changing the way we think about outdoor furniture. Founded by Tuft & Needle alumni Nick Arambula, Mike Fretto and Chris Lee, Neighbor does things differently by using FSC certified teak, Sunbrella fabrics and other durable materials.

Their innovative seating design is modular, so your furnishings can grow with you–simply add or remove sections as needed. The brand has recently expanded its offerings to include dining sets, rugs, coffee tables, lounge chairs and more.

Solstice Stone

Solstice Stone is the trusted resource for natural stone, brick and pavers in the Southwest. Specializing in architectural stone designs, the Solstice Stone team works closely with the nation’s top architects, builders and designers to be the premiere supplier of sustainably-sourced stone.

The wall stone for the Net Zero ICONIC Home is a natural quartzitic sandstone, formed more than 300 million years ago in the deserts of New Mexico. This sustainably-quarried material is locally transported, saving on carbon emissions. Solstice Stone’s forward-thinking mentality has positioned them as a leader in the industry.

CRESTRON | MONARCH AV

Crestron Electronics carved the path for technological innovation through automation solutions that transform the way people live their lives. As one of the originators of the “smart home” concept, Crestron has continued to innovate and integrate home technology in a way that makes living simple, efficient and healthy. This is made possible with smart home technology that is intuitive, simple and responsive to touch or the sound of your voice.

Crestron provides a complete smart home system engineered to be invisible, so all that remains is the experience with its Crestron Home and the new home office solution, Crestron Home Time. The Net Zero ICONIC Home will showcase the latest in smart home technology thanks to Monarch AV, who professionally installed the Crestron system.

Benefitting A Great Cause

Arizona Service Project strives to eradicate substandard housing in the Avondale school district, and to positively affect the community and all those whom the organization engages with.

Arizona Service Project is a compassionate, all-volunteer service organization, open to all people, striving to facilitate a healthy and stable learning atmosphere for the Avondale/ Goodyear community through major, essential and effective home repair. Our team is pleased to volunteer with this group for its annual work week.

If you’d like to support the work of the Arizona Service Project, please visit https://arizonaserviceproject.com/donate/

SUB-ZERO, WOLF AND COVE | EXPRESSIONS HOME GALLERY

Icons of design and paragons of performance, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove are refrigeration, cooking and dishwashing specialists found in the world’s most luxurious homes. The company has placed a strong emphasis on sustainability, leading the way in both food preservation and the preservation of our planet.

By using 75 percent recycled stainless steel and 50 percent recycled plastic in their manufacturing, along with eliminating wastewater, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove are making strides in eco-friendly manufacturing. The company’s beautiful and top-of-the-line appliances will be featured throughout the Net Zero ICONIC Home, provided by Expressions Home Gallery.

VISUAL COMFORT & CO

Recognizing how overwhelming the lighting selection process could be, Visual Comfort & Co founder Gale Singer had a vision to disrupt the way lighting was sold. Visual Comfort & Co came to be the trusted one-stop shop for designers, builders, and consumers alike for shopping the very best in lighting.

It’s no secret that the right light fixture can make or break any space, and more information is coming to light about the importance of a lighting system that aligns with our circadian rhythms. A variety of beautiful chandeliers, ceiling fixtures, lamps and decorative lighting illuminate the Net Zero ICONIC Home.

HEAT & GLO FIREPLACES | ARIZONA FIREPLACES

Heat & Glo fireplaces are paving the way for the future of sustainable fireplaces that prioritize a healthy home. A ton of research and development went into creating innovative systems like direct-vent technology, which is more efficient and allows the user to direct the heat in their home.

Additionally, their line of eco-friendly electric fireplaces create beautiful flames without gas lines, venting or screens, keeping the air inside the home clean and pure. Heat & Glo offers a variety of styles, from traditional to modern, and some of their contemporary styles went into the design for the Net Zero ICONIC Home. Presented by Arizona Fireplaces and Hearth & Home Technologies, the Net Zero ICONIC Home will be aglow thanks to Heat & Glo fireplaces.

Arizona Hardwood

With more than 30 years of experience in custom wood flooring installation and refinishing, Arizona Hardwood Floor Supply has built a reputation for excellence. A top resource amongst the best home builders and designers in the Valley, Arizona Hardwood Floor Supply offers hundreds of species and styles of custom wood flooring.

Wood is one of the best earth-friendly and renewable materials for flooring, and reclaimed wood or bamboo flooring is even kinder to the environment. Arizona Hardwood Floor Supply’s sustainably-harvested products offer the perfect foundation for the Net Zero ICONIC Home, ensured to last for years to come.

MIELE | EXPRESSIONS HOME GALLERY

Miele, a German manufacturer of high-end appliances available at Expressions Home Gallery, is all about innovation and timeless elegance, with a focus on sustainability. The brand operates with a goal of energy efficiency and resource conservation with its products and production processes.

Miele earned the German Sustainability Award, is a member of the UN Global Compact sustainability initiative and is a signatory of the “Diversity Charter,” making the brand the ideal supplier for the washer and dryer in the Net Zero ICONIC Home.

Kohler

The team at Kohler have taken on the responsibility to help protect the planet by tracking their environmental footprint since 2008. With their commitment to become net zero by 2035, the brand was an ideal partner for our Net Zero ICONIC Home.

Kohler supplied a free-standing Abrazo bath with an organic oval shape inspired by pottery, creating a striking focal point for the master bathroom.

Sustainability Sponsors

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Sustainability Sponsors who are participating in the Net Zero ICONIC Home, including: Elkay, Broan-NuTone, Interior Essentials, Renovation Angel, Southwestern Mechanical Sales, Pella Windows and Doors and Cambria.

Learn More About The Net Zero Iconic Home

We’ve been on this journey for nearly two years, and have shared so much incredible, sustainability-focused content along the way. Head to iconiclife.com for more information and to take a virtual tour of the Net Zero ICONIC Home.

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