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GREEN BUILDING FOR A HEALTHY HOME

The term “healthy home” has a dual meaning. It refers both to the health of
those living inside the home as well as the health of the environment and
community at large. Both are admirable and important and should be addressed
systematically. 


HEALTHY HOME LIVING

Designing and building a healthy home for the family living inside the home is
not a simple process. It would seem that a brand new home should be the picture
of a clean and healthy environment. However, studies have shown that even though
the air appears clean, it can be full of toxins. In fact, in some brand new
homes, the level of toxins inside the home were found to exceed the average
level of pollution in a major city. This occurs due to the many treated products
which are used to build the home and the building process itself, which was
never designed to focus on the health of the family. That is, until now. The
Jenkins Healthy Home Standard© addresses clean air (almost hospital-quality air)
inside our homes, clean & toxin-free water, special lighting, noise control,
components for cleanliness, and other health-promoting attributes in the home to
bring the ultimate in healthy living to the family.  No matter what your age,
there are issues in your home that can and should be addressed to ensure your
home is a healthy home. Many of them must be addressed very early in the process
when the home is being designed.

In 2012, the Jenkins team began to actively study the issues involved and how to
make our homes healthier. After working with several different doctors, the
components for a healthy home emerged as:

 * The air we breathe is probably the most important and high-impact component
   of a healthy home followed closely by the water we drink. We termed these
   Healthy Delivery Systems. Healthy Delivery Systems for the air versus water
   and even food inside our homes is vastly different. So these are addressed
   separately by the systems which affect them. 
 * Safe Surroundings – minimizing the elements in our home that can inflict
   unintended harm to us or our guests, especially as we age.
 * Stress Management – called the “silent killer”, reducing stress has been
   scientifically shown to reduce disease and increase life expectancy.

In developing the Healthy Home Standard©, we studied elements of Universal
Design and Aging in Place, studies which have shown how architectural design can
influence stress levels, and the air, water, and food preservation and delivery
systems within the home. We collaborated with doctors on our findings and
compared this to the latest technology in residential health products. That led
us to the following approach.

 * Healthy Delivery Systems must start with the initial design and carry through
   construction.
 * Design details must facilitate cleanliness, good health, and essential
   lighting at all times.
 * Procedures during construction will promote a clean & healthy home from the
   inside out.
 * Employing toxin-free chemicals on surfaces and minimizing or eliminating
   building materials that might retain and release those toxins on the family
   later can significantly reduce internal air pollution which adversely affects
   the body.
 * Advanced technology will control and enhance the quality of the home’s air &
   water, ensuring good health is always facilitated. These include the home’s
   air filtration system and our own internally-developed system for advanced
   water filtration and delivery.
 * Design will minimize hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or
   unintended actions. This is a very detailed checklist we employ during our
   design process.
 * There will be an emphasis on stress-reduction within the home. Stress
   reduction will be unique to each individual and part of the discovery
   process.

It all starts with our Lifestyle Analysis, where we learn your health needs,
allergies, and interests and then design your home to be healthy for you.


BUILDING RESPONSIBLY




Just as important as Healthy Living, Jenkins Custom Homes is actively committed
to designing and building homes which promote the health and well-being of our
natural environment. As a result, environmental, economic and social benefits
are obtained. Sustainability is important because all the choices we pursue and
actions we take today will affect generations in the future.


WHAT IS GREEN BUILDING?

The buildings in which we live, work, and play protect us from nature’s
extremes, yet they also affect our health and environment in countless ways. As
the benefits of green building become more apparent, many green building
practices are gaining momentum.

Green, or sustainable, building is the practice of creating and using healthier
and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation,
maintenance and demolition.


WHY CHOOSE A GREEN BUILDER?

In the United States, buildings account for:

 * 39 percent of total energy use
 * 12 percent of the total water consumption
 * 68 percent of total electricity consumption
 * 38 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2012, December 19). Why Build Green?


The built environment has a vast impact on the natural environment, human
health, and the economy. By adopting green building strategies, we can maximize
both economic and environmental performance. Green construction methods can be
integrated into buildings at any stage, from design and construction, to
renovation and deconstruction. However, the most significant benefits can be
obtained if the design and construction team takes an integrated approach from
the earliest stages of designing and building project.

Learn about our true Design Build process.


ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

 * Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems
 * Improve air and water quality
 * Reduce waste streams
 * Conserve and restore natural resources


ECONOMIC BENEFITS

 * Reduce operating costs
 * Create, expand, and shape markets for green product and services
 * Improve occupant productivity
 * Optimize life-cycle economic performance


SOCIAL BENEFITS

 * Enhance occupant comfort and health
 * Heighten aesthetic qualities
 * Minimize strain on local infrastructure
 * Improve overall quality of life


WHAT MAKES A HOME GREEN?

The City of Austin created the nation’s first green builder program in 1990.
Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB) is now the nation’s most successful
sustainable building program.

In order for a home to be labeled “green”, Austin Energy Green Building mandates
that it must address several concerns related to the environmental impacts of
the building industry and of the residential sector of the U.S. economy. These
concerns can usually be divided into five environmental components:

 * ENERGY
 * WATER
 * MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS
 * HEALTH AND SAFETY
 * COMMUNITY

Austin Energy Green Building, June, 2016.


COMPONENT 1: ENERGY



Energy effects all facets of home design, construction, and operation, from
drawing the initial plans to installing light bulbs and operating appliances.
Energy use over the lifespan of a building may be the single most important
environmental and economic issue to address in a home. Excessive fossil-fuel
energy that is used to power our homes results in significant environmental
impacts on a local as well as global scale, and can unnecessarily increases the
home’s annual operating and maintenance costs.

Jenkins Custom Homes utilizes a number of methods to ensure energy efficiency
including:

 * Zipwall dust barrier system (pictured above)
 * Design techniques, such as placing the home on its site to best respond to
   climatic conditions, sun orientation and site characteristics
 * Deep overhangs on west facing windows
 * Proper sizing and placement of low E double pane glass windows
 * “Cool roof” radiant barrier decking
 * Second stage polyseal around wall switches, electrical outlets and light
   fixtures
 * Spray-foam or blown-in-blanket system insulation
 * LED lights, which use significantly less energy than a standard light bulb
   and last much longer
 * Advanced home automation systems that integrate with your lifestyle to help
   conserve energy


COMPONENT 2: WATER



Water use in Central Texas has dramatically increased with the rapid growth of
the area’s population. Water use has reached near capacity levels during several
summers over the past decade. In addition, water quality issues have entered the
limelight as development moves to the outskirts of towns into environmentally
sensitive areas. Competing uses for water – domestic, industrial, agricultural,
and recreational – will further aggravate the situation in the near future.

Jenkins Custom Homes promotes water conservation by using:

 * Climate-approach landscaping utilizing native species for more efficient
   irrigation (pictured above)
 * Water wells where available
 * High-performing, low-flow plumbing fixtures
 * Rainwater harvesting systems
 * Rainwater gardens


COMPONENT 3: MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS



In Central Texas, there is an abundant supply of locally produced building
materials and products. Stone such as granite and limestone are durable,
no-maintenance building materials. Local wood such as cedar/juniper, often
cleared from property prior to development, is a good choice for casing, trim
and cabinetry. Local hardwoods, locally milled, like pecan and mesquite, make
easily maintained, durable flooring materials. In addition, composite recycled
wood/plastic decking and trim products are manufactured in the region.

Jenkins Custom Homes uses green materials and products that have a high measure
of the following attributes:

 * Locally sourced and/or produced (locally sourced limestone pictured above)
 * Reused or salvaged (similar to the reclaimed 100-year-old wood used in the
   photo above)
 * Recycled-content and recyclable
 * Resource-efficient during production and/or installation
 * Rapidly renewable
 * Low-embodied-energy
 * Durable, low-maintenance
 * Low in toxins
 * Biodegradable


COMPONENT 4: HEALTH AND SAFETY



Health concerns have increased in prominence as homes have become tighter and
more energy-efficient. In addition, modern building materials and products are
typically highly processed and may contain chemical compounds that are irritants
to some people when used in indoor conditions. Eliminating or reducing the
source of indoor pollutants and contaminants is the best strategy to
successfully build a healthy home.

Jenkins Custom Homes is committed to building healthy homes. Use of the
following products and systems help to achieve that goal:

 * Zero VOC interior latex paint (pictured above)
 * Reverse osmosis provides toxin-free water
 * No-added-formaldehyde cabinets and insulation
 * Installation of exhaust fans and outside air intake
 * Mechanical ventilation and dehumidification
 * 4″ HEPA air filters
 * Ensure cleanliness during construction and promoting dust-free areas behind
   the walls
 * Toxin-free chemicals used on surfaces that might retain and release those
   toxins into the home later
 * Advanced technology used to monitor and control the quality of the home’s
   systems
 * Installation of physical termite barriers
 * Proper landscaping

Learn about the Healthy Homes Standard.


COMPONENT 5: COMMUNITY



Green building measures under this topic include location of the home and design
features. Universal design can potentially extend the useful life of a home for
its occupants as they grow older or become infirm, or simply make a home more
livable for anyone who may experience temporary mobility problems from a sports
injury or accident.

Jenkins Custom Homes promotes community by:

 * Creating both indoor and outdoor living spaces geared towards entertainment
   (pictured above)
 * Utilizing universal design
 * Building guest casitas, which promote extended family living and a communal
   lifestyle


GETTING STARTED



Our greatest accomplishment is building something beautiful, functional and
sustainable together with you. There are a vast number of choices, and each one
will be evaluated for the specific needs and goals of your project. 

 

> "We are absolutely thrilled with our purchase. Everyone who visits our home
> comments on the beauty and quality of our home."

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