Ferrier Custom Homes Earns Gold Energy Award at IBS

Ferrier Custom Homes (Fort Worth, TX) took home the gold at the 2009 EnergyValue Housing Awards (EVHA), which was presented recently by the NAHB Research Center at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, NV. The EVHA is the nation’s preeminent energy efficiency award honoring builders who voluntarily incorporate energy efficiency into all aspects of new home construction.

EVHA winners were selected from builders’ projects in three climate regions (cold, moderate, hot) and five categories (affordable, custom/demonstration, factory-built, multifamily, production). Ferrier Custom Homes received a gold award in the hot climate, custom home categories.

Announcing the award, Tom Kenney, vice president of engineering and research for the NAHB Research Center, echoed the sentiments of the EVHA judges, saying, “Ferrier Custom Homes produces a complete package, demonstrating a clear understanding of the concepts, value, and systems that create an energy-efficient home.”

The home’s owners originally approached the builder with a desire to build a home honoring the philosophy of their parents and Depression-era grandparents — waste not, want not. Ferrier Custom Homes was more than happy to comply, carefully leaving not only the property’s mature trees but also a windmill that long-time residents say once was used by the Bonnie and Clyde gang as a hiding place for loot. But even the homeowners will admit that not everyone looking for an energy-efficient home will have a windmill in their backyard!

Ferrier Custom Homes used a structural insulated panel building system on this home, as well as a host of other efficient materials, fixtures and strategies. Among them:
* Passive Solar Design

* Daikin HVAC Unit

* Energy Star Windows & Doors

* PEX Plumbing

* Programmable Thermostats

* James Hardie Siding

* Reflective Exterior Paint Colors

* Dual-Flush Toilets

* Sealed Concrete Flooring

* CFL Lighting

* Native Landscaping

* Construction Waste Recycling

* Infill Lot

* Tankless Water Heaters

* PET Carpet (Recycled Plastic Bottles)

* Tree Preservation Plan Implemented During Construction

* Cabinets from Regionally Harvested Wood

* Energy Star Certified (HERS 47)

Now in its 14th year, the EVHA is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America program, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in addition to the NAHB Research Center. The EVHA challenges builders to elevate standards for energy-efficient construction, provides educational opportunities for home builders, and fosters the adoption of energy efficiency principles.

The panel of judges for the 2009 EnergyValue Housing Award included: Michael DeWein, technical director, Building Codes Assistance Project of the Alliance to Save Energy; Joe Gregory, Bob Ward Companies; David Hales, building systems specialist for the Washington State University Extension Energy Program; Lee Magnusson, research engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); Richard Morgan, green building manager for Austin Energy; and Barb Yankie, president of Homes +, Inc.

This is not the first award for Ferrier Custom Homes. Other honors include:

Energy Value Housing Award in ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08 & ‘09

§ BSC’s ’09 “Best Builder Website” in Excellence in Marketing and Home Design Awards

§ SIPA ’07 Best Overall & Best Home Under 3,000sf (Heather’s Home)

§ Dallas HBA’s Vesta Award in ’07 & ’08 for “Best Green Built Home”

§ ’07 NAHB Green Builder Advocate of the Year

§ ’08 NAHB Green Building Awards Finalist

§ D Home Magazine’s ’08 “Best Dallas Builders”

§ For Worth Weekly ’07 “Best Example of New Architecture” (Heather’s Home)

§ American Lung Association’s 1st home rated under new, more stringent guidelines (Heather’s Home)

§ 1st LEED-H Platinum project in Texas (Heather’s Home)

§ Heather Ferrier named as one of BSC’s ‘08 “30 Under Forty”