A collaborative effort of Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture and Ray Tonjes Builder, this end-to-end makeover of a 1970s ranch home earned an Austin Energy Green Building Program 5-Star rating. This high-performance home, located in the Balcones neighborhood of Austin, Texas, will be a featured stop on the self-guided 2016 Cool House Tour on June 12.
Among the characteristics and features of this highly-sustainable home:
- Passive solar design approach to maximize energy cost savings
- Deep overhangs and a screened porch to protect the home from the intense Central Texas summer sun
- Natural daylighting facilitated through the installation of large window units
- Relocation of the fireplace from the interior to the porch to enhance air quality
- Passive fresh-air intake system
- High-efficiency variable refrigerant flow heat pump HVAC system
- LED lighting fixtures
- Kitchen equipped with an energy-saving Induction cooktop
- Redesigned master bath with a barrier-free shower
- Tough standing-seam Galvalume metal roofing
- Exterior finished in varying widths of HardiePlank siding and masonry
- Rooftop solar photovoltaic system
More about this home
Austin Energy Green Building Program Rating: 5 Stars
Architect: Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture (Alan Barley, Peter Pfeiffer, and Matt Hart)
Builder: Ray Tonjes Builder, Inc. (Ray Tonjes)
About the 2016 Cool House Tour
Featuring venues around Austin, Texas, the annual Cool House Tour is a can’t miss happening for anyone interested in high-performance, sustainable, and eminently cool residential architecture. Now in its 20th edition, the tour runs on June 12 for 2016 and offers a diversity of sustainable designs, including a variety of single-family homes, a pair of family compounds, and two multi-family developments. The event is a collaboration between the Austin Energy Green Building Program and the Texas Solar Energy Society. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 the day of the event.
Purchase tickets in-person at Austin retail partners: TreeHouse and Zinger Hardware
