VISION House® Tucson — Net-Zero Energy Home
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Imagine a world in which the average American family can affordably and comfortably live in an energy saving green home. This home is optimized for performance, it includes the most efficient features, materials, and technologies available on the market, without sacrificing style or increasing the cost of ownership. The homeowner can rest assured that the home is safe, healthy, and durable, and that energy and maintenance costs will be much lower than a conventional home. The home is a part of Armory Park del Sol, a sustainable community that carefully addresses the specific ecological concerns of the surrounding natural environment and appropriately mirrors adjacent historical buildings.
John Wesley Miller, in collaboration with Ron Jones of Green Builder Media, introduce to you The VISION House Tucson, located in the nationally acclaimed neighborhood of Armory Park del Sol in Tucson, AZ. The Vision House Tucson is one in the series of Vision Houses by Green Builder Media. Room by Room FeaturesON ARRIVAL: When you first arrive at VISION House Tucson you notice the wide streets and spacious sidewalks that allow for all ages to feel welcome in the Armory Park del Sol community. You won't find any steps to impede a wheelchair, motorized scooter, or walker, in the accessible communty. Instead of stairs leading up to the front entrances, there are attractive ramps, built with pavers in patterns unique to each home.
WELCOME: MI EnergyCore windows from MI Windows and Doors assist in the -17 HERS rating of VISION House Tucson. The windows are made from material that blocks thermal conductivity 6x better than fiberglass, 4x better than rigid PVC, and 3x better than wood. PATIO: To the left of the front door is a private patio area, or courtyard, with fruit trees and a sitting area - designed for Arizona outdoor living. LIVING ROOM: Interior designer, Robin Motzer, took care in creating an inviting, open living room space that is visually appealing with universal design in mind. The tile flooring throughout VISION House Tucson is Virtue porcelain by Crossville. Made of recycled porcelain, including 20% recycled porcelain toilets, with the HydroTect™ by Crossville® to resist stains. This flooring looks like marble, but is much more durable. CENTRAL VAC: A BEAM Alliance Central Vacuum System is installed in the VISION House Tucson to help maximize indoor air quality. The system includes a Vac pan in the kitchen, a feature more often used in hair salons or art studios, not commonly seen in residential homes. If you choose to sweep the floor, the Vac pan will vacuum the debris swept near it into the main central vacuum unit, just as the vacuum would. BATHROOM 2: Vetrazzo recycled glass countertops, Crossville tile and Kohler sink, faucet, toilet and shower are featured in this full 2nd bathroom. The Moxie™ Showerhead + Wireless Speaker from Kohler keeps you entertained. BEDROOM 2: MI EnergyCore windows give a clear view to the street in this second bedroom with a walk-in closet. BEDROOM 3/OFFICE: The third bedroom complete with a closet, opens to the kitchen and the guest suite hallway. KITCHEN: The kitchen at VISION House Tucson is striking with the white cabinetry, Vetrazzo recycled glass countertops, and Ice White appliances by Whirlpool. The wall oven and microwave are stainless steel, conveniently installed at a comfortable height. The Kohler Sensate™ Touchless kitchen faucet provides a more sanitary way of cooking, and is a water saving feature. Soft close self closing cabinets by Medallion are a must, solidly constructed and quiet. The farmhouse sink by Kohler, white porcelain over cast iron, has an extra deep divided basin. The kitchen features a breakfast nook by the side door, and also a desk height peninsula at an accessible level, for quick lunches or food preparation. The beautiful Emerald Coast countertops from Vetrazzo are recycled glass, featuring green float glass, oyster shells from the South Carolina Coast and bits of marble from the historic Georgia Marble Quarry. These are combined into a durable concrete composite. DINING AREA: As part of the open design of VISION House Tucson this dining area will allow guests and hosts to interact easily during get-togethers, with a view of the courtyard right outside the french doors. LAUNDRY ROOM: The Rheem Hydronic Air Handler (part of Rheem's Net-Zero Air and Water System) sits next to the Whirlpool Smart Front Load Washer and Electric Dryer with 6th Sense Live technology. Also note the clever shared closet space, or Pass-Through closet, between the laundry room and the Master Bathroom. MASTER BEDROOM: The en suite master bedroom has a lovely sitting area that leads to the courtyard through french doors. FIRE SPRINKLERS: Where sustainability is concerned, fire sprinklers may not be the first thing that come to mind, however, fire sprinklers reduce the average property loss by about 71% per fire while studies show that greenhouse gases released by burning buildings can be reduced by 98% when automatic fire sprinklers are installed. MASTER CLOSET: This spacious master closet is located in the en suite master bathroom. 10' high ceilings provide ample storage, with shelving installed to make use of all the available space. MASTER BATHROOM: The Master Bathroom has Crossville tile on the floors and in the roll-in ADA friendly shower. Dual Kohler sinks, fixtures, and toilet, are a must as well as a Moxie™ Showerhead + Wireless Speaker. Countertops are Vetrazzo's recycled glass in Emerald Coast. GARAGE: This multi-car garage includes Schneider Electric's EVlink indoor EV charging station as well as Gladiator storage solutions including an adjustable work bench, a space-saving bike claw, and rolling storage units. The wall mounted track system enables reconfiguration of the upper cabinets if desired. GARAGE STUDIO: The third bay in the garage can be used another bay for a vehicle, or as a work shop, art studio, home gym, or home office. It is complete with half bath and a mini-split system by LG for ductless heating and cooling. GARAGE STUDIO BATHROOM: Equipped with a Kohler sink, toilet, and faucet, and Vetrazzo countertops. VENTILATION FANS: Whether you're in the garage painting or reading a book in the living room of VISION House Tucson you can rest assured that the EnergyStar rated Panasonic WhisperGreen ventilation fans are doing their job. When you have a home as energy efficient as this one Panasonic fans quietly exhaust unhealthy, unpleasant or moist air. SOLAR INVERTERS: These grid-tie Conext™ TX inverters from Schneider Electric convert the variable DC (direct current) output of the PV solar panels from OneRoof Energy and Hanwha Solar, into AC (alternating current) and feeds electricity into the VISION House Tucson. SOLAR HOT WATER: Rheem Solpak™ Solar Collectors (not shown) help heat hot water that is stored in the Rheem Solaraide™ Storage Tank. [Part of the Rheem Net-Zero Air and Water System] ROOF AND SOLAR: Boral offers a variety of environmentally friendly roofing projects. VISION House Tucson is crowned with Madera 900 - an affordable concrete roofing tile that is a replica of hand-split cear shakes. The solar panels from OneRoof Energy in partnership with Hanwha Solar, offers solar leasing and loan options available with zero-out-of-pocket expense. THERMAL MASS STORAGE: Builder John Wesley Miller incorporated thermal mass storage into the VISION House Tucson project. A thermal mass storage system utilizes the second law of thermodynamics where heat from one region flows to a colder region. An example of this is concrete pavement absorbing the heat from the sun during the day and, at night, radiating the heat into the cooler night air until temperature equilibrium is reached. In a home the system consists of concrete walls and floors which are insulated on the exterior to prevent the transfer of heat with the outdoor air. The interior surfaces of the floor and walls are exposed as much as possible so that they are in contact with the conditioned air inside of the home. Here's how it works:
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Take a Walk Through Video TourView The Construction SiteWhat Is Thermal Mass Storage Construction? 
SOLAR POWER SAVINGS! Tucson Electric Power-October 2017 CREDIT
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"We must elevate the term "green builder" and give it new meaning. Doing so will be a major step toward the recognition of our role as environmentalists.— John Wesley Miller |
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John Wesley Miller Companies
A national leader in energy conservation and green building practices. Roc License #138185 
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520-325-3313
Tucson, Arizona |