It’s easy to talk about sustainable talk in real estate, but how many homes will save you money each month, or fulfill the promise of cleaner air indoors?
The answer isn’t much, particularly here in Houston, where homes are built to standards that don’t reflect the fluctuating demands of our subtropical climate and the occasional explosion of the Arctic.
But a property just hit the market in Braeswood that finally meets the sustainability brief, from energy efficiency and quality of living to functionality and luxury design.
1% club
4023 Lanark Lane It is one of the few homes in Houston that has a HERS (Household Energy Rating System) score of 1, meaning that it uses only 1 percent of the energy consumed by the exact same home designed to code. Other certifications will include the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Home Ready Status and the Enhanced Home Business and Home Safety Institute for Severe Weather Protection.
It’s easy to hide all these hard-earned certifications that guarantee this home’s diverse efficiencies, but in real terms, this means real savings.
Electricity bills are expected to be just $12 a month before taxes and fees for this three-story, 3,750-square-foot luxury home. The regional average for the same square footage is about $300 per month per ERCOT.
Explains Dr. Hugh Kerr Thompson, MD, founder and president Custom Nautilus Homes. “In 2010 we built what we believe to be the first ‘Triple-certified’ home in the country (LEED Platinum, FORTIFIED, Zero Energy Ready). But with Lanark, we wanted to make a statement.”
The concept was simple: How much better could you build by investing a little more? This practice was of course more complex, and it all started with Thompson’s mission to build a “truly eco-friendly” home for him and his family.
It’s personal
Thompson, a man who claims to be “form follows function,” set out around this task with forensic attention to detail. In collaboration with the Energy Systems Laboratory of Texas A&M University, he created a sustainable “building system” designed for the Texas Gulf Coast environment: our climate, our pollutants, and our local expertise in structural engineering and architecture.
Every aspect of a home that most buyers don’t usually consider – from foundations to roofs and basements to ceilings – are evaluated against more than 300 available products and technologies designed to deliver “sustainable” specifications. He made his choices but he painted a void when it came to finding a builder in Texas with the current knowledge or willingness to learn how to implement his system.
Thus he founded his first construction company, Durable Residential Builders, partnering with creative and highly connected veteran builder Jim Kuchenbrod to revive his “future home”.
The result was the outwardly unassuming but downright revolutionary Drummond Home, the first sustainably built, energy-efficient residence of its kind in Houston that became the subject of a front page story in Houston Chroniclearticle in Green Building MagazineA case study for the Ministry of Energy.
Design from outside to inside
But why all the fuss? Because what Thompson set out to achieve was not easy.
Houston has a harsh climate for homes and humanity alike. As we all discovered during last year’s winter storm, this is neither the time nor the place for “bricks, sticks, and fiberglass,” as Thompson put it frankly.
Extended power outages and freezing conditions are one thing, but we also have dramatic, sometimes daily, fluctuations in temperature and humidity, high winds and occasional hurricanes, gaseous insects and detritus, record molds and pollen, petrochemical pollutants, and 500-recurring rain events. Much more per year than every half a thousand years.
However, building regulations require more than just a nod to insulate against these various assaults on our homes, meaning that even high-end luxury residences are built to minimum code standards from widely insufficient materials.
Designed from the outside in, the Nautilus building system offers a convincing defense against these various attackers. The tech is as tech as you’d imagine, but the gist of it is: Energy is conserved and created in-house, resulting in some of the greatest efficiencies ever seen in a Houston residential property.
Moreover, the air quality – with all permeable surfaces comprehensively isolated from the outside, including the attic – is second to none. A home that provides a respite from the rigors of oak pollen season like the one we just witnessed is a salvation for the growing number of Houstonians receiving allergy diagnoses each year.
Sustainability within reach
It is one thing to offer all these great functions. But what about finances?
True, there are additional costs associated with the construction of an energy-efficient home. But the paramedic at the helm of the Nautilus is driven by a Hippocratic oath to look after humans, as well as the planet they live on. Green (money) and green (environment) must work together to produce the best possible home for the price.
Profits are important, says Thompson, but when it’s not your motivating factor, you do more and don’t cut the turns. Our homes cost about 20 percent more to build than traditional stick-built homes, but for that you get a massive upgrade to the wall system, air conditioning Better than construction, an impressive array of solar panels, and so much more.”
And these are the very technical elements that work together to make this larger initial investment over time, but also from day one. Nautilus Home will save money across the full spectrum of home ownership: mortgage, billing, insurance, and maintenance. It will last longer and outstrip its traditional neighbours. Meanwhile, it is much healthier for those who live in it.
The particularly volatile nature of energy prices – which are expected to rise to unprecedented levels before the end of the year – gives more credibility to investing up front in construction and mortgage costs (which are fixed and tax-deductible) versus spending them later on utilities and climate – related reforms (Which are variable and prone to geopolitical turmoil, as we’ve seen in recent weeks.)
“Most dealers and buyers focus on moldings, finishes, and the ‘flow’ of the home,” Thompson continues. “The cost of buying a home is taken into account, but not the cost of living for the home. Only later, when they get their utility bills or have to repair damage from tornadoes, burst pipes, or a termite infestation, do they feel the twinge of incompetence behind the sheetrock. “
Most agents. But Julia Wang, 4023 Lanark listing agent and Realtor/CEO NextGen Real Estatenot most agents.
The next generation of builders
Technology-focused brokerage Wang recently launched NextGen Luxe: a division dedicated to buying and selling homes in the million-dollar price category and up, so it’s well-informed about what money can buy. But what she wasn’t expecting is building one eye on the planet that her children will inherit, and the other on the beautiful living spaces she brings to market.
And for those who believe in the third eye, that will be Thompson’s business acumen: the urgent financial condition he’s making for sustainable living.
“We specialize in true sustainability,” Thompson reminds us. “How do you build an energy efficient home in Houston, and how do you make it work as an investment? In other words, what makes the home of the future?”
Wang could not agree more.
“Honestly, it is refreshing to work with a construction professional who takes an interest in building to the highest possible specifications at a reasonable price,” she says. “The idea of building it once and building it properly is the future. Honestly, it has to be the present, because it wouldn’t be cost-effective for the homeowner to modify energy efficiencies. But only Nautilus builds that way.”
The thriving partnership between NextGen Real Estate and Nautilus Custom Homes will come as no surprise to anyone who pursues their pioneering business paths.
As Nautilus challenges the status quo of building standards, NextGen breathes new life into the established practices of the old school industry. Neither of them cares about squeezing every last drop in profit margins; Instead, they are committed to doing things differently. And they mean differently better.
Essence and style
So the stuff is in spades. But what about the method? This, after all, is the part most buyers pay attention to — right or wrong. But the good news is that fashion seekers won’t be disappointed with the 4023 Lanark.
In fact, what started out as built-in efficiencies have become some of the most aesthetically pleasing features of a property. For example, all-LED lighting is complemented by more natural light than you think possible—save on electricity, sure, but who doesn’t love bright, airy rooms with 12-foot ceilings?
Likewise, the highly efficient appliances – from the elevator and a two-stage HVAC system to the white Thermador’s range of appliances – are perfect for the sleek, modern design of the open kitchen and living areas, complete with Avanti cabinetry and quartz countertops.
And the roof – designed to capture maximum radiation via a generous array of solar panels that power the house – becomes a feature in itself thanks to its eye-catching geometry.
The vaulted ceiling and huge picture windows give a very luxurious feel to the basic bedroom without registering kilowatt-hours. But sustainable living is about living your best life in the truest sense of the word, so these design elements go beyond just energy efficiencies.
Walk into the oversized basic closet and you’ll find a custom storage system. Retreat to any of the secondary suites and you’ll discover exquisite spa-like finishes. Hardwood floors throughout, custom double entry doors, and thoughtful little additions like a mudroom and back deck adjacent to the kitchen are installed and ready for outdoor cooking—every fixture and fittings possible have been raised to match the upgraded specifications below the deck.
It’s all there at 4023 Lanark, from the sunny treetop terrace, stocked with water/gas/electricity and 270-degree views, to the fully insulated six-car garage preconfigured for the latest wine field.
Like all the best design, Nautilus has found the most elegant solutions to the specific challenges that modern life presents. The result is an architectural upheaval of the kind you don’t encounter often. This is what Thompson and Wang would like to change.
Enter the house of the future
“Traditional builders will tell you that they build what the buying public is asking,” says Thompson. To some extent, this is true. But you could argue that the buying public does not demand better because they do not know there is better.”
Wang agrees, saying, “The exciting thing to me is how beautiful it looks and feels energy efficient. Now I’m about to ask: Is it luxurious if it isn’t green?”
Food for thought from this powerful estate, who is happy to show you about 4023 Lanark Lane if you wish to make this futuristic home your future home.
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To learn more about how to build (or buy) a truly green luxury home, contact the team at Julia Wang at NextGen Real Estate (832) 736-1673.
