Feature Builder at 2008 Denver Parade of Homes Teams Up with Johns Manville to Highlight the Importance of Energy Efficiency; Home Earns “5-Star ENERGY STAR” Rating DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With 2008/2009 winter home heating oil prices expected to cost nearly twice as much as last year in some areas of the country, home energy efficiency is a major theme of this year’s Denver Parade of Homes. And while all the homes in this year’s Parade feature sophisticated architecture and the latest interior amenities, perhaps no builder in the 2008 show has taken a more active role in energy efficiency than Waterstone Homes. The builder’s “La Maison des Vues” home features a full-suite of Johns Manville energy efficiency building products, which have helped the home earn a “5-Star Plus ENERGY STAR” rating and “Built Green” certification by Built Green Colorado. La Maison des Vues is a single-family house with approximately 5,500 square feet of living space, located in the Solterra neighborhood near Morrison, Colo. In order to reach their energy efficiency and sustainability goals for the home, Waterston Homes Co-owner Jim McNulty looked to Denver-based building products company Johns Manville (JM). JM is a recognized global leader in energy efficient building products that work synergistically as a “system” to deliver performance and value. “La Maison des Vues is an exhibit of our best work, and as such, we wanted to ensure that the home performs as great as it looks,” said McNulty. “To reach this goal, we chose Johns Manville’s energy efficiency suite of products and couldn’t be more impressed with the results. JM’s fiber glass insulation and housewrap are some of the most technically advanced building envelope products on the market and helped La Maison des Vues qualify for a 5-Star Plus ENERGY STAR rating." The Waterstone home features a complete selection of JM’s building “envelope” products, or products that are used to separate a home’s interior from the exterior environment. The building envelope serves as a home’s outer shell to protect indoor spaces and facilitate a home’s climate control. La Maison des Vues’ 5-Star Plus ENERGY STAR rating represents the highest home energy efficiency recognition available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. La Maison des Vues features French Provencal-style luxury and is designed with livability and state-of-the-art technologies. The home includes features such as a front courtyard complete with water feature, a grand room with dramatic floor-to-ceiling custom windows, hardwood floors and an oversized hearth. In addition to four outdoor living areas, the home’s outdoor room provides a fully equipped and covered kitchen. La Maison des Vues has five bedrooms; six baths; and an oversized, split three-car garage with workshop area. “The JM products used in La Maison des Vues help make the house energy efficient and sustainable,” said Stephen Crouch, residential market manager for Johns Manville. “Although the homes in the Parade are all luxury custom homes, these same products are available, affordable and are used every day in homes of all sizes and value ranges, delivering the same performance.” The 2008 Parade of Homes at Solterra in Lakewood, Colo., features eight custom homes inspired by the hilltowns of Europe and crafted by some of the region's finest custom homecrafters, architects, landscape architects and interior designers. La Maison des Vues will be open to the public for the entire duration of the Denver Parade, which began July 26 and runs through Labor Day. With home heating and cooling costs continuing to rise precipitously, more focus than ever is being placed on the role of residential energy efficiency. According to a May 2007 report from the McKinsey Global Institute, the U.S. residential sector ranks as the single largest energy consumer in the world, and homes worldwide account for 25 percent of total energy use. One reason why the U.S. residential sector is the single largest energy consumer in the world is because 46 million, or 65 percent of U.S. homes, are currently under-insulated, according to the Harvard University School of Public Health. “Energy efficiency is a topic on every homeowner’s mind, and rightfully so,” added Crouch. “As homeowners tighten up their homes and add insulation to improve energy efficiency, they should also be conscious of the chemicals they are introducing into their more tightly sealed homes. Formaldehyde and other indoor air pollutants can lead to poor indoor air quality.” A benefit often related to energy efficiency is acoustical comfort. In addition to helping the Waterstone home conserve valuable energy, the JM building envelope materials help keep unwanted noise out of La Maison des Vues, and they help prevent the transmission of noise through the home’s internal walls. Acoustical performance for La Maison des Vues is a key home comfort consideration as the home is located directly across from Bandimere Speedway, an NHRA drag racing facility also located in Morrison, Colo.
