NowHouse Gives Public, Builders Look at Available Technologies
SAN FRANCISCO, CA-The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) celebrated the Oct. 29 dedication and opening of the NowHouse, a fully functional demonstration home erected in the parking lot of SBC Park. Built by CleverHomes and cosponsored by PATH, the NowHouse is one of the most environmentally friendly and technologically advanced homes ever constructed and available for purchase by the public. Furthermore, the NowHouse has the capability to grow and develop with its residents by easily accommodating the addition of rooms and even a second floor to the building. The NowHouse is on display at SBC Park and will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
[IMAGE: The NowHouse opened at SBC Park in San Francisco on Oct. 29.] At the NowHouse ribbon-cutting ceremony, Department of Housing and Urban Development regional director Richard Rainey emphasized the importance of showing PATH technologies in action. “The innovations you’ll see in this house are proven technologies that are available today. They include home run plumbing, a tankless water heater, greywater reuse, photovoltaic roofing, a solar water heater, and radiant barriers, to name a few,” Rainey said.
Other PATH technologies in the NowHouse are optimized HVAC, air admittance vents, bamboo flooring, high-efficiency air conditioners, low-flow plumbing fixtures, low-VOC paints, a mini-duct air distribution system, and ENERGY STAR® windows, doors, insulation and appliances. Six of the innovations are among PATH’s Top 10 technologies for 2004.
At the ceremony, officials from the City and County of San Francisco declared Oct. 29 “NowHouse Project Awareness Day.” “The NowHouse presents a unique opportunity to educate the general public, as well as builders, about the environmental benefits and advantages about building homes made from safe advanced green and sustainable materials,” the proclamation stated.
Along with PATH, lead sponsors of the NowHouse include: Clever Homes LLC, CNET, Della Robbia, Ecotimber, Kitchenaid, Mscape, Premier Building Systems and Whirlpool.
