Tucson Innovative Home Tour 2009

Review of Homes:  What You Can See on the Tour This Year
Practical Sustainability in Action™

This year’s tour has a wonderful variety of great homes and new innovations, most of which have never been open to the public before. There are many highly acclaimed and award-winning homes and many waiting to be discovered, with the emphasis, as ever, on the practical and cost-effective. As usual, there are more homes new on the tour than homes reappearing from last year. There are 20 homes and 2 retail developments at 20 locations this year, 9 are open Saturday, 17 on Sunday, 6 are open both days.

On this year's tour, visitors will be able to be among the first to see many of the top-rated homes in the region. On Sunday you will have a very special opportunity to see three homes that are among the most advanced homes in the Southwest, two of them under construction, so you can see how they are being built!

But this is just a start. Every home on the tour this year is among the most remarkable homes in the state. No matter what your interests or the size of your pocketbook, there are lots of great new ideas waiting for you, with opportunities to speak with the people who put them to good use. You'll get to meet some very interesting, knowledgeable, accomplished, and nice people. The Tucson Innovative Home Tour has one of the largest selections of houses of this kind that you can find on such a public tour anywhere.

You can use this page to plan your day. Numbers below correspond to the numbers on the tour guide, so you can select the homes here you would like to visit and easily find them when you get the guide. The tour this year is on Saturday and Sunday, October 31 and November 1, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

For those of you who have been on the tour before, homes that were on the tour previously are indicated with the most recent year they were, e.g. "HT06." The following locations are accessible for wheelchairs: 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 18.

Remember, there are more houses on the tour than can be meaningfully seen in one day. Choose the ones that most interest you. Take your time and talk with the owners, designers, builders and others. Enjoy your day and help others enjoy it too.

Please be good guests and be very nice to the homeowners. Visit only during tour hours 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. They volunteer their time to share their knowledge and experience with you.

Update Friday morning, October 30. This page takes a lot of time and effort to assemble and is still in the process of being compiled. Please return later to see more information, photos and any updates.

Saturday, October 31: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Nine homes and a major retail center are open Saturday at 9 locations.

(1) First LEED Platinum house in Tucson
This is a special treat because you can see more of the details as construction nears completion on the first house built in Tucson that is heading for a LEED Platinum rating, the highest awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is also U.S. Energy Star Certified.
  This a modern 2,000 square foot two story building with three bedrooms and 2 ½ baths in a central Tucson location. It uses Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction, high insulation, high thermal mass and many energy and water efficiency measures, plus a solar photovoltaic power system, rainwater harvesting, graywater, daylighting and easy to maintain polished concrete floors. Other features include a new spray foam insulation, a 3.2Kw PV system with Tucson-made solar panels, solar tube skylight daylighting, an operable skylight, reclaimed wood porch, high performance windows, high efficiency heating and cooling, a tankless water heater, on-demand hot water recirculation and more. Caution: construction site.

(2) Award-winning residential water management
At this location, you can learn how to optimize water resources for your yard. Winner of the 2008 Tucson Xeriscape Award for Leadership. The yard is a model project by Watershed Management Group, a non-profit organization, which just recently won the "Making Arizona Competitive: 21st Century Infrastructure" (MAC21) award for their fine work. Wheelchair accessible. HT08
  Sponsored by the Arizona Department of Water Resources and Tucson Botanical Gardens, the annual Xeriscape Awards recognize the exceptional work of professionals and home owners who have made innovative and appropriate use of native and low-water-use plants, water harvesting, graywater and efficient irrigation systems. Experts and leaders in such work, the owners of this modest brick 1950s-era midtown home are converting their yard to a model of sustainable landscaping, with water harvesting, graywater and permaculture measures applied to creating a nice outdoor living environment for the owners and wildlife habitat for the local flora and fauna.
  These measures have enabled them to shade their home, grow food, attract wildlife, conserve water, and reduce flooding. The runoff from an outdoor shower feeds mesquite and desert willow trees. There are fruit trees and a vegetable garden. A recently installed 800 gallon ferrocement cistern stores rainwater runoff from the roof. The owners are also leaders of a nonprofit collaborative community organization (a good trend that we enthusiastically support!) that promotes such valuable water management measures and you will be able to obtain informative brochures and learn about their new Water Harvesting Co-op program.

(3) First LEED Platinum house in Pima County
"The Less Impact House." Open both days
  This is a special opportunity to see one of the most advanced homes in southern Arizona in the last stages of construction.
  This remarkable 3,000 square foot home is loaded with the latest high performance features, including many energy and water efficiency and conservation measures, passive solar design, solar power, solar water and pool heating, other resource efficiency, indoor health and environmental quality and much more. It is the first in Tucson to use a new aerated concrete block construction and a sophisticated new rainwater harvesting, graywater and treatment system that also will supply clean, potable fro all the house's needs, including the swimming pool. Pima County Green Building officials report that this is on its way to becoming Pima County's first top-rated Emerald as well as LEED Platinum rated house, the highest rating awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. It may also set a new LEED score record.
  The home shows very thoughtful and well-considered design and construction. There is something new and interesting everywhere you turn. Other features include energy efficient insulated windows, super efficient 19 seer heat pumps, metal cool roof, soy based spray foam and denim insulation, smart house technology, renewable and green finishes, rainwater permeable pavers for patio, driveway and walkways, walk off grating at front door reduces dust tracked into home, and reuse and recycling of building materials. Caution: construction site.

(4) First LEED Silver retail project in Arizona
Oro Valley Marketplace. Open both days
The new Oro Valley Marketplace earned a Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, marking the first retail project in the state to earn the designation, and one of the first in the Southwest. It is also on its way to becoming one of the biggest malls in the Tucson region.
  The developer and manager, Vestar Development Co., also worked with the U.S. Green Building Council to extend the LEED rating system to large commercial developments for the first time - and this project, opened just last year, was one of the first in the region to be LEED certified. Vestar is also one of the first major corporations of its kind in the region to commit to sustainable development as the basis for its future development practices. www.vestar.com
  This means that the project includes energy, water and resource efficiency and conservation, indoor air quality and transportation measures. Features include a huge water harvesting system that will conserve an average of four million gallons of water per year, incorporation of regional transportation routes and preferred parking for hybrid vehicles. The project also involved restoration of an adjacent 70-acre riparian area into a publically accessible natural area, eight acres of open space within the project, and new pedestrian trails linking the open space and the riparian preserve to the existing Pima County trails system.
  Note: There is no host or exhibit at this location. The mall is open for business. Drop in and visit whenever you wish.

(5) Earth, water and sun sustenance
Special opportunity: Visitors will be able to witness a Rammit Yourself workshop and observe the process as rammed earth walls are formed on both days. The latest news is that this same site was the first tour sold out for the nation's biggest annual green building conference, coming up in November - many professionals from around the world will be paying over $1,000 in conference and tour fees to see this later in the month.
  This is a remarkable new super-sustaining home now well under construction by one of the pioneers and top builders in rammed earth. It brings together a long, thoughtful and practical list of sustainability features, including passive solar design, lots of energy and water efficiency features, and large scale rainwater harvesting with lots of storage capacity. The concept is taken even farther into the realm of food production, with an orchard, vegetable garden, chickens and turkey. He makes wonderfully innovative use of recycled materials too. You will find all kinds of interesting innovations and practical features. This is farther from Tucson, but well worth your time in getting there. You can meet a master at his craft and see how he does it. HT08   Caution: active construction site

(6) Major Tucson home builder goes certifiably green
Special preview of the first home development in the region to receive LEED Gold rating.
  On this year's tour, visitors will be among the first to be able to see two model homes in a progressive new home development that is the first in the region to receive a LEED Gold rating by the U.S. Green Building Council - before its grand opening. It also is U.S. EPA Energy Star compliant.
  Even more remarkable is that it was built largely with standard materials and processes and has surprisingly modest and competitive prices. Included are many measures for energy and water conservation and efficiency, indoor air quality and health, and solar hot water and power options. Wheelchair accessible.

(7) Artist's home nestles in the desert
Special bonus: art show. HT08
  Inspired by the Tucson Innovative Home Tour, this artist collaborated with a builder on a beautiful desert-adapted home that fits in well with its environment. Natural, non-toxic and recycled materials, healthy home, energy and water efficient, xeriscape and native landscaping, and solid geometry. In fact, the geometry is unique: imagine a triangular center with circles at each corner. This is a fascinating example of how to build using the dome principal and strong triangular structure in an unobtrusive and practical way. They authored a book about their experience, House as Teacher: Building the Future Now. This home is about heart and spirit, creativity and art. Featured in the Arizona Daily Star.
  Note: The final mile or so is over a dirt road.

(8) Earthship prepares for launch
The first Earthship home to be built in the Tucson region is now under construction.
  Visitors on this year's tour will also be among the first to be able to see the first Earthship home to be built in the Tucson region. Even better, you can see it while it is still under construction, so you can find out how it is built. Made famous as the kind of home chosen by environmentally conscious actor, Dennis Weaver, it makes extensive use of passive solar design, high insulation, high thermal mass and recycled materials.
  The basic Earthship concept is that the houses heat themselves, cool themselves, generate their own power, collect and store their own water and digest their own sewage. This is the first Earthship home to be built in compliance with local building codes in the state of Arizona - another big first for Pima County.
  Note: The final half mile or so is over a dirt road. Caution: construction site.

(9) Best Eco-Friendly Accommodation in Arizona
  A nationally top-rated bed and breakfast, this home has won considerable acclaim, including being honored as the "Best Eco-Friendly Accommodation" in Arizona in the August, 2009, issue of Arizona Highways in their feature article, "Best of Arizona - 100 Favorites." It was also included in the nationwide book featuring fine strawbale homes, The New Strawbale Home, by Catherine Wanek. The Washington Post recently (October 20, 2009) listed it as one of the seven best sites worldwide for star-gazing.
  Built using non-load-bearing straw bale construction, it is an excellent example of how green homes can be beautiful, more comfortable, cost less to own and fit in very nicely with their natural desert surroundings. The Santa Fe style home features passive solar orientation, radiant floor heat, a energy efficient Rumford fireplace, wildlife watering pools, a graywater system and a water harvesting system that collects rainwater for outdoor watering.
  The landscaped area around the home encourages native plants, uses local rock, and incorporates an innovative "plain dirt" landscape element - easier than grass or gravel - for the landscape substrate. Wildlife watering pools and pollinator gardens attract butterflies, birds, lizards, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, javelina, bobcats, and deer from the undisturbed native habitat that surrounds it. Wheelchair accessible. HT04 Note: Dirt roads.

Sunday, November 1: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Seventeen homes and two retail centers are open Sunday at 17 locations. Homes 3 - 8 from Saturday are open again today.

(10) Energy efficient central Tucson condo makeover
For the first time, the Tucson Innovative Home Tour has a condo which provides some good lessons in energy efficiency, conservation and production. The owner of this condo has been successfully engaged in do-it-yourself energy projects for some time now. He reports that his efforts have resulted in a 60% reduction in annual electricity consumption. Recently he has also started pursued his own generation of energy with a solar water heater which he installed himself and he is now planning to install his own solar photovoltaic power system next. Situated in a nice central location, this home is a great example of how significant a factor the interest of the homeowner can be in reducing utility bills. Come visit and see how he did it. Wheelchair accessible.

(11) Energy efficient foothills home makeover
Zero net energy house with photovoltaic power system.
  The owners of this 1960s 2,000 sq ft foothills home liked their location, so they decided to upgrade their home over time. They say that they found there are many ways to improve the comfort and efficiency of a home, as well as pleasure in doing so. First they reduced their demand for energy and water by efficiency and conservation measures like replacing the heat Pump and evaporative and shading the cooler, adding a clean burning modern wood stove for heating, insulating exterior doors, and installing energy efficient light bulbs and dimmer switches. Then they became interested in solar energy and installed their own solar water heater. Then they hired a local company to install a smaller solar photovoltaic system. They followed that later with another system that they installed themselves, sizing it to provide all the electricity they need on a "net" or average basis. They also added a screened patio enclosure to enhance outdoor living space, a water purifier, rainwater harvesting, raised vegetable gardens, composting, and native plants for landscaping.

(12) Highest LEED rated renovation in Pima County
This extensive expansion and renovation of a 1967 house is Pima County's highest rated home renovation (LEED Silver). The original home was basically stripped to its walls and completely rebuilt and expanded with much greater insulation. Its features include Insulated Concrete Form construction (Rastra), metal stud framing, a new spray foam insulation, well sealed and pressure tested duct work, solar water and pool heating, solar tube daylighting, LED lighting, no-VOC paint, Smart House wiring and control, water harvesting, and much more. Wheelchair accessible.

(13) Comfortable carefree country comfort
This beautiful home was designed and built for his family by a man who has spent many years involved in the design and construction of homes forthers. He successfully integrated a wide range of good, practical and cost-effective green building and sustainability measures into one of the most sophisticated high-performance homes anywhere, including superinsulation, high thermal mass, solar heating, geothermal cooling, and a long list of other exciting advances. It was built using steel framing and a new wall system than sandwiches insulation between two walls of concrete for a strong wall with high insulation and high thermal mass. Additional features in more passive and active solar, radiant floor heating and cooling, rainwater harvesting, graywater and lots more. HT08 Note: The final mile or so is over a dirt road in poor condition: drive carefully.

(14) Country garden tops "best" lists
The owners of this B&B not only restored a large area of bladed land around their home but turned it into a wonderful garden using mostly native plants. It is reputed by experts to be one of the finest of native species, wildlife habitat, butterflies, hummingbirds and other birds in the Tucson area.
  It was an enormous job that started from scratch: bladed ground formerly devoted to parking and driveways was terra formed for rainwater retention. Invasive grass species were dug out and replaced with native bunch grasses. A wide palette of native plants were installed to create a lush oasis in the desert. This is a great place to learn how to remake your yard into native habitat and attract birds, butterflies, bugs and wildlife to your own home. The owner is also a terrific photographer who photographs from his yard are just simply amazing. Note: The final mile or so is over a dirt road in poor condition: drive carefully.

(15) Solar Power
This is an opportunity to see a large ground-mounted residential photovoltaic system installed by one of Tucson's oldest solar companies. You can learn all about the latest in solar power systems here.

(16) Best Planned Community in Arizona Award
First Place Award for Best Planned Community in Arizona from Arizona Planners Association. It is the largest adobe construction project in the State of Arizona. There are a lot of interesting and unique things to see. Two homes will also be open. Grounds wheelchair accessible. HT08
  Co-Housing is an intentional community where people join together to buy land, plan the development, own their own house but share in the ownership of land, common buildings and equipment. It makes possible a community experience that has been lost over time in much of America. Also, through joint ownership and sharing, members can have much greater resources than they might by themselves. The members of this particular community share a strong environmental interest and commitment. They are seeking to create “a community in balance with nature.” They have built a residential development of 28 townhouses clustered on 8 acres in a parcel of 43 acres in the Tucson Mountain foothills. It has a pedestrian core with peripheral parking. Features include passive solar design with thermal mass construction using pressed adobe, plus solar water heating. A very special wetlands system treats and recycles all wastewater. Landscape design follows permaculture principles and practices, leaving most of the land in its natural state, roof rainwater catchment flowing into cisterns, vegetated basins and organic gardens, paving of all roads and parking with a permeable surface and many other environmentally sound practices. It also has a 3400 sq ft common house, pool, playgrounds, meditation area and nature trails.

(17-20) A preview of Rio Nuevo and Mercado San Agustin
Rio Nuevo is Tucson's big urban renewal program. You will have an opportunity to be among the first to see one of its first high-profile developments: a unique upscale residential community that draws from traditional southwest Sonoran and Spanish Colonial streetscapes and architecture - with beautiful pedestrian-friendly narrow bending streets, wide sidewalks, small plazas, masonry buildings and native landscaping- plus environmentally friendly sustainable design and new urbanist elements. You will be able to get a special look at three new homes from top innovative builders. Last year it was under construction: now you can see some results. HT08
You will also be able to see Mercado San Agustín, a 14,000 sq.ft. shopping center that combines the traditional concepts of public marketplace with one of the most advanced green buildings of its kind in Tucson. Even better, it is nearing the end of construction, so you will be able to get a tour and see how it was built. It uses Rastra, an insulated concrete form (ICF) building system that combines high insulation and high thermal mass for exterior walls. Features will include solar electric power, solar water heating, solar exterior lighting, solar tubes, other energy and water efficiency measures, zero VOC paint, rainwater harvesting, a passive subsurface irrigation system and much more. You won't want to miss this one. One house and the market is wheelchair accessible,

Please help pass the word ... and bring your family and friends. We look forward to seeing you.

Have fun! See you there!

Return

© Copyright 2009 Solar Institute, Inc. ® Solar Alliance, Tucson Solar Alliance, Solar Alliance of Greater Tucson, Tucson Innovative Home Tour, Next Generation Home, Next Generation Home Alliance, Next Generation Building Institute, Tucson Homeowners Alliance, Natural Living Alliance for Sustainability and Tucson Community Solar Program are registered trade names of the Solar Institute. All rights reserved.