The seven acre Barr Mansion was built in 1898 for cotton merchant William Braxton Barr (1864-1902) and his wife Matilda (Tillie) Birdwell (1868-1951),  and was designed by Austin architect Charles Page. The home remained in the Barr family until 1980, when Mark and Melanie McAfee fell in love with the mansion and purchased it. Young and full of energy, but cash poor and With three children, they borrowed money from family to buy the old home— which was in need of repairs.

After much love and hard work were put into the rehabilitation of the house, it became the perfect setting for a wedding.  Mark’s sister, Nancy, was the first bride to celebrate her wedding there, and a business was born. Since that time, there have been over two thousand events at the seven-acre setting, from intimate garden parties to elaborate galas for as many as 800. In addition to being a stunning place to hold events, the Barr Mansion boasts an impressive array of sustainable practices.

The Garden

The Garden of Eden, as it is now called, has a tropical feel with bamboos, gingers, and hostas. Apple trees also addorn the property and all gardening is done organically. A life-sized Zen garden greets guests as they approach the entrance to the Artisan Ballroom on a path of massive flagstones.

The Artisan Ballroom

The front facade, which soars over 40 feet, is composed entirely of glass. Rough-hewn timbers from an ancient barn built in the 1770’s, comprise the building’s massive framework.  Two master craftsmen from the Cotswolds of England thatched the roof a full 12 inches thick. The ballroom is organic, sustainable, and nourishing and to praise the earth, the creation story is depicted in vibrant colors on a 250 square foot movable mural painted by Austin artist Doug Jaques. An indoor waterfall and grotto accent an all glass wing of the ballroom, creating a stunning location for an indoor ceremony.

Organic and Sustainable

The Barr Mansion is USDA certified organic! At the Barr Mansion, they garden organically, serve all organic cuisine, recycle, compost, and use 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper for brochures/menus. The Mansion has a 75-year concrete roof and the ballroom has a 75-year thatched roof. Other organic and sustainable features include:

-Glasses and plates washed without bleach using very hot water from a tankless water heater
-Organic cotton fabric tablecloths and hemp napkins
-Candles locally made with non-petroleum, soy wax
-Rastra walls made recycled Styrofoam
-Locally made stucco
-Geothermal heating and cooling system

The McAfee family actively supports the community, from purchasing buffet platters made by local glass makers to purchasing produce from local farms. They will also donate the use of the facilities to local groups who are committed to making the world a sustainable place.

For more information or to book and event, visit: www.barrmansion.com

Mueller’s Green Building Standards

Sustainable development is one of the six guiding tenets of Mueller. All projects at Mueller are required to follow either the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED-NC (New Construction) green building standard or Austin Energy’s Green Building Program (Commercial, Multi-Family Residential, or Single-Family Residential).

Mueller Parks and Community Spaces

With a vast 140 acres of open space, the Mueller community offers 4 large parks in addition to neighborhood and pocket parks, a 6.5 acre lake, the William Morris Golf Course, playfields, urban plazas and pedestrian and bicycle paths. There will also be an elementary school on site along with a joint-use recreation center. Other amenities include retail such as restaurants and cafes and a Town Center.

Mueller Benefits

-Quick drive to downtown
-Miles of hike and bike trails
-Urban living at its best
-Environmentally friendly
-Home to Dell Children’s Hospital
-Major employers and retailers nearby

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The Mueller Project Builders

David Weekley
David Weekley Homes presents Yard Houses within the urban villages of Mueller.
Five floor plans available, 1437-2221 square feet.
Priced $280s-$340s.

Meritage Homes
Meritage Homes brings together innovative design with environmental sensibility for living environments that are both elegant and easy to maintain.
Three plans still available, 1924, 2014, & 2217 square feet.
Priced $295-$345,990.

Muskin Company
Their honors include three Community Revitalization Awards from the Austin Board of Realtors as well as a Custom Builder of the Year Award.
Five Garden Court homes available (July 08), 1876-1943 square feet.
Priced $339,500-$369,500.
Three custom build lots available facing Lake Park ($875,00+).

Saldaña Homes LLC
Saldaña Homes LLC is a local, family home building business, located in the heart of East Austin. Founders, Manuel and Marie are second generation homebuilders and have more than 37 years of experience in building finely crafted homes in Austin, Texas.
Garden Court Homes, 1830-1890 square feet, 5 homes left (July 08).
Priced $345,500-$369,500.
5 Star Green Homes.

Standard Pacific
Standard Pacific proudly offers 8 plans within the Yard House sections, 2600-3100 square feet.
Prices starting from the $370s.
Ten inventory homes currently available (July 08) priced $435-$500s.
3 Star Green Homes.

Streetman Homes
Streetman Homes’ ‘Artisan Collection’ features all the novelties that define the vision of the diverse Mueller neighborhood.
Yard Homes from $525-$700s.
Town Homes from $250-$350s – available at the end of 2008.
Three custom build lots available facing Lake Park.
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To schedule an appointment to visit the Mueller community, please contact Angela at 512-762-0923.

On this self-guided tour, you can visit open houses featuring energy efficient and environmentally sound construction and design homes. You will see that energy efficient houses can be very cool!

Talk to the owners, builders, architects, and installers and preview homes ranging from the affordable to high-end luxury.

Some of the green features of these homes include:
-Solar electricity (PV)
-Climate responsive design, for comfort and energy efficiency
-Green building materials and concepts
-Pleasing conservational landscapes
-Rainwater collection systems

A $15 Guidebook, available at Austin Central Markets locations, serves as your ticket and provides directions.

Plot your personal tour from the map and directions in the Guidebook and go at your own pace.

Produced by: Texas Solar Energy www.txses.org/solar/content/the-cool-house-tour

Learn more about the Austin Green Building Program: http://www.austinenergy.com

Georgetown Village

Own a Green Builders home at Georgetown Village and save up to 50% on your energy bills. With homes from the $190’s, this master planned community offers a selection of home styles and prices that will appeal to growing families and active empty nesters alike.

Georgetown Village has 6 great parks and a centrally located village green directly adjacent to a huge, sparkling community pool, complete with swimming lanes and recreation area. There’s also a deluxe playscape for the little ones right on the green. There are miles of hiking and biking trails and Village Elementary, an exemplary rated school, is located at the heart of Georgetown Village, within walking distance of any home.

Green Builders also has green home communities in Buda and Driftwood.

To schedule a time to visit or learn more about these green communities, call Angela Sparks at 512.762.0923.

Own a Green Builders home at Elm Grove in Buda and save up to 50% on your energy bills. With homes from the $180’s, this will afford not only energy savings, but water conservation and healthier living.

The 90 acre Elm Grove neighborhood is situated next to Elm Grove Elementary School and the Garlic Creek Greenbelt. Enjoy the numerous pedestrian walkways and more than 15 acres of open space.

Green Builders also has green home communities in Driftwood and Georgetown.

To schedule a time to visit or learn more about these green communities, call Angela Sparks at 512.762.0923.

Own a Green Builders home at Rutherford West in Driftwood and save up to 50% on your energy bills. With homes from the upper $300’s and homesites from the $50s, this community has a unique balance of style, progress, and preservation.

Features include:
-Eco friendly furnishings
-40 Year roof shingles
-Rainwater collection and purification systems
-Solar panels and smart sprinkler system
-State of the art insulation

Green Builders also has green home communities in Buda and Georgetown.

To schedule a time to visit or learn more about these green communities, call Angela Sparks at 512.762.0923.

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One in every four plastic bottles recycled in North America become luxuriously soft Mohawk carpet.

Mohawk continuously seeks ways to recycle, reduce, reuse and renew. As a leader in flooring innovation, Mohawk recycles nearly three billion plastic bottles each year. And since 1999, more than 17 billion bottles have been recycled, keeping more than one billion pounds of plastic out of landfills.

Mohawk’s everSTRAND™ carpet fiber, made using PET (polyethylene terephthalate) that is extruded from recycled plastic bottles, contain 100 percent post-consumer recycled content. Because plastic beverage bottles are made with top quality PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resins as required by the US Food & Drug Administration, the recycled product is superior to lower grades of synthetic fibers used in making other brands of carpet yarns.

PET bottles are sorted, ground into fine chips, and then cleaned. These chips are then melted and extruded into fiber and spun into carpet yarn. Every aspect of the process is controlled by Mohawk resulting in the finest quality meeting the highest standards of performance.

And it doesn’t end with the carpet – every part of the plastic bottle is recycled, including the cap, the label, and the bottle. The cap and the label are used to make carpet cores around which the carpet is wrapped. These are reused over and over again, unlike cardboard cores that would typically be discarded. The actual bottle is then used to make the PET carpet fiber.

Fun Fact: On average, 30 plastic bottles are recycled to make one square yard of Mohawk everSTRAND™ carpet. (This number accounts for an average-sized bottle of water and average carpet weight; varies based on bottle size and carpet weight.)

The Sanctuary: Green Urban Austin Living

3601 Manchaca Road
One & Two Bedroom Townhomes from $175k

South Austin’s Newest Green Project

The Sanctuary is a private community of 29 modern townhomes that redefine urban living. These one and two bedroom condos have been meticulously designed with contemporary styling that matches Austin’s hip atmosphere with environmentally friendly aesthetics and features. Bamboo flooring, synthetic exterior materials, and all green wood keep your energy bill in check while lending mother nature a helping hand.

Located just minutes south of the SoCo District and downtown Austin, these intimate spaces feature private backyards & patios, brand new appliances, granite counters, access to a masterful community pool, and much more. Schedule your private property tour now.

To schedule a time to preview these hip, green Austin homes, or to learn more, call Angela at 512-762-0923 today!

Radiant barriers are materials that are installed in buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and hence to reduce building heating and cooling energy usage. The potential benefit of attic radiant barriers is primarily in reducing air-conditioning cooling loads in warm or hot climates. Radiant barriers usually consist of a thin sheet or coating of a highly reflective material, usually aluminum, applied to one or both sides of a number of substrate materials. These substrates include kraft paper, plastic films, cardboard, plywood sheathing, and air infiltration barrier material. Some products are fiber reinforced to increase the durability and ease of handling.

Radiant barriers can be used in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. However, this fact sheet was developed only for applications of radiant barriers in ventilated attics of residential buildings. For information on other applications, see the references at the end of the Fact Sheet.

How are radiant barriers installed in a residential attic?

Radiant barriers may be installed in attics in several configurations. The simplest is to lay the radiant barrier directly on top of existing attic insulation, with the reflective side up. This is often called the attic floor application. Another way to install a radiant barrier is to attach it near the roof. The roof application has several variations. One variation is to attach the radiant barrier to the bottom surfaces of the attic truss chords or rafter framing. Another is to drape the radiant barrier over the tops of the rafters before the roof deck is applied. Still another variation is to attach the radiant barrier directly to the underside of the roof deck.

How do radiant barriers work?

Radiant barriers work by reducing heat transfer by thermal radiation across the air space between the roof deck and the attic floor, where conventional insulation is usually placed. All materials give off, or emit, energy by thermal radiation as a result of their temperature. The amount of energy emitted depends on the surface temperature and a property called the “emissivity” (also called the “emittance”). The emissivity is a number between zero (0) and one (1). The higher the emissivity, the greater the emitted radiation.

A closely related material property is the “reflectivity” (also called the “reflectance”). This is a measure of how much radiant heat is reflected by a material. The reflectivity is also a number between 0 and 1 (sometimes, it is given as a percentage, and then it is between 0 and 100%). For a material that is opaque (that is, it does not allow radiation to pass directly through it), when the emissivity and reflectivity are added together, the sum is one (1). Hence, a material with a high reflectivity has a low emissivity, and vice versa. Radiant barrier materials must have high reflectivity (usually 0.9, or 90%, or more) and low emissivity (usually 0.1 or less), and must face an open air space to perform properly.

On a sunny summer day, solar energy is absorbed by the roof, heating the roof sheathing and causing the underside of the sheathing and the roof framing to radiate heat downward toward the attic floor. When a radiant barrier is placed on the attic floor, much of the heat radiated from the hot roof is reflected back toward the roof. This makes the top surface of the insulation cooler than it would have been without a radiant barrier and thus reduces the amount of heat that moves through the insulation into the rooms below the ceiling.

Under the same conditions, a roof mounted radiant barrier works by reducing the amount of radiation incident on the insulation. Since the amount of radiation striking the top of the insulation is less than it would have been without a radiant barrier, the insulation surface temperature is lower and the heat flow through the insulation is reduced.

Radiant barriers can also reduce indoor heat losses through the ceiling in the winter. Radiant barriers reduce the amount of energy radiated from the top surface of the insulation, but can also reduce beneficial heat gains due to solar heating of the roof. The net benefits of radiant barriers for reducing winter heat losses are still being studied.

How does a radiant barrier differ from conventional attic insulation?

Radiant barriers perform a function that is similar to that of conventional insulation, in that they reduce the amount of heat that is transferred from the attic into the house. They differ in the way they reduce the heat flow. A radiant barrier reduces the amount of heat radiated across an air space that is adjacent to the radiant barrier. The primary function of conventional insulation is to trap still air within the insulation, and hence reduce heat transfer by air movement (convection). The insulation fibers or particles also partially block radiation heat transfer through the space occupied by the insulation.

Conventional insulations are usually rated by their R-value. Since the performance of radiant barriers depends on many variables, simple R-value ratings have not been developed for them.

What are the characteristics of a radiant barrier?

All radiant barriers have at least one reflective (or low emissivity) surface, usually a sheet or coating of aluminum. Some radiant barriers have a reflective surface on both sides. Both types work about equally well, but if a one-sided radiant barrier is used, the reflective surface must face the open air space. For example, if a one-sided radiant barrier is laid on top of the insulation with the reflective side facing down and touching the insulation, the radiant barrier will lose most of its effectiveness in reducing heating and cooling loads.

Emissivity is the property that determines how well a radiant barrier will perform. This property is a number between 0 and 1, with lower numbers indicating better potential for performance. The emissivity of typical, clean, unperforated radiant barriers is about 0.03 to 0.05. Hence they will have a reflectivity of 95 to 97 percent. Some materials may have higher emissivities. It is not always possible to judge the emissivity just by visual appearance. Measured emissivity values should be part of the information provided by the manufacturer.

A radiant barrier used in the attic floor application must allow water vapor to pass through it. This is necessary because, during the winter, if there is no effective vapor retarder at the ceiling, water vapor from the living space may condense and even freeze on the underside of a radiant barrier lying on the attic floor. In extremely cold climates or during prolonged periods of cold weather, a layer of condensed water could build up. In more moderate climates, the condensed water could evaporate and pass through the radiant barrier into the attic space. While most uniform aluminum coatings do not allow water vapor to pass through them, many radiant barrier materials do allow passage of water vapor. Some allow water vapor passage through holes or perforations, while others have substrates that naturally allow water vapor passage without requiring holes. However, excessively large holes will increase the emissivity and cause a reduction in the radiant barrier performance. The ability to allow water vapor to pass through radiant barrier materials is not needed for the roof applications.

What should a radiant barrier installation cost?

Costs for an attic radiant barrier will depend on several factors, including the following:

• Whether the radiant barrier is installed by the homeowner or by a contractor.
• Whether the radiant barrier will be installed in a new home (low cost) or in an existing home (possibly higher cost if done by a contractor).
• What extra “features” are desired; e.g., a radiant barrier with perforations and reinforcements may be more expensive than a “basic” radiant barrier.
• Any necessary retrofit measures such as adding venting (soffit, ridge, etc.)
• Whether the radiant barrier is installed on the attic floor or on the rafters.

Department of Energy Radiant Barrier Fact Sheet

Several cities across the US are noted for their progressive city governments and citizenry in regards to environmental issues. Known as ‘green cities’, they not only initiate and practice policies that promote clean air and water, but often promote other programs and practices such as alternative energy systems and construction methods.

Austin, Texas consistently places among the various lists of the greenest cities in the US and the world. The Green Guide, affiliated with National Geographic, chose Austin as number 2 on its list on Top Green Cities in 2006. Criteria for its choices included air quality, electricity use and production, environmental perspective, environmental policy, green space, transportation and water quality.

A commitment to solar energy and green building is what won Austin its place on the Green Guide list. The city offers some of the most generous rebates in the country for customers who use solar energy. It also buys significant amounts of wind energy from wind farms in West Texas and plans to meet 20 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources by 2020. Austin has established high standards for energy efficiency for its central business district and has initiated progressive policies to preserve water quality, ensure proximity to mass transit, and maintain a pedestrian-friendly urban design.

It’s not just the city government that promotes green urban living. Many of Austin’s citizens are garnering attention around the country and the world for their initiative and success in creating local, community based projects that promote green lifestyles and a more healthy, cleaner urban environment.

The Rhizome Collective was founded in 2000 as a center for community organizing and urban sustainability education. The collective took an old warehouse with an asphalt parking lot and have turned it into gardens, ponds and greenhouses that support tilapia, catfish, turkey, ducks and chickens. They host weekend workshops and seminars to teach people from around the world that they don’t have to wait on governments and corporations to go green, but they can start implementing their own projects with little background in engineering or the sciences.

Austin has permitted a number of private individuals to employ alternative construction methods to build homes inside the city limits, notably straw bale construction. In 2001, there were about a dozen homes in the Austin area that were built from straw, including at least three inside the city limits. In addition to such progressive construction methods, the city has also permitted some people to recycle old buildings, such as warehouses into condos and upscale or innovative commercial properties.

Another citizen-initiated project that has contributed to the eco-quality of the area is the Carshare initiative. This company allows members to pick up a car for a day at various locations around town. In this way, members can save money by not having to pay for their own private car (and consequently not having to pay for insurance, gas, maintenance and parking!). It also helps reduce the amount of air pollution in the city by reducing the amount of automobile traffic in the city.

Finally, there is Good Common Sense, an online store founded by well-known and highly respected Austin musician Chris Searles. Formerly a drummer for such notable artists as Alejandro Escovedo and Shawn Colvin, Searles founded Good Common Sense in an effort to help consumers make the kinds of choices that will help make the world a greener, safer place to live and work. His store offers products that are environmentally friendlier than many products consumers might find in regular stores and shops. Consumers can find home weatherizing products, compostable dinnerware, fuel enhancer devices, and all kinds of recycled products.