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Building America is a
private/public partnership that provides energy solutions
for production housing.
The Building America Program
combines the knowledge and resources of
industry leaders
with the U.S.
Department of Energy's technical capabilities to act as a
catalyst for change in
the home building
industry. Artistic Homes is the first New Mexico
builder to offer 100% of their homes under this program.
What Does Building
America Do?
Building America uses a systems
engineering approach to home building to:
-
Produce homes on a community scale that use 30% to 50% less
energy
- Help home builders reduce construction
time and waste by as much as 50%
- Improve builder
productivity
- Provide new product opportunities to
manufacturers and suppliers
- Implement innovative
energy-and material-saving
technologies
How do we do it?
By using a
systems engineering approach to home building Building
America unites segments of the building industry that
traditionally work independently of one another. It forms
teams of architects, engineers, builders, equipment
manufacturers, material suppliers, community planners,
mortgage lenders, and contractor trades. Currently, there
are five teams comprised of a total of more than 50
different companies.
What is a System
Engineering Approach?
Throughout the design and
construction process, the systems engineering approach
considers the interaction between the building site,
envelope, and mechanical systems, as well as other factors.
It recognizes that features of one component in the house
can greatly affect others and it enables the teams to
incorporate energy-saving strategies at no extra cost. Using
the systems engineering approach, Building America team
partners like Artistic Homes, Inc. agree to:
-
Evaluate their design, business, and construction
practices
- Identify cost savings
-
Re-invest cost savings in improved energy performance and
product quality
- Extend their efforts from
discussion of possibilities to development of
solutions
- Use a design, test, redesign, and
retest process to resolve technical barriers
 The research conducted by
Building America teams increases the quality and performance
of today's homes and provides valuable information for homes
of the future. By supporting industry-driven systems
engineering research, the Building America Program provides
the feedback required to develop critical "next generation"
building systems.
Visit the
Building
America Website for further
information.
DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL!
Why you should leave your air
conditioner ON.
At Artistic Homes, we install refrigerated air conditioning
in all our new homes. Why? Well, for one thing refrigerated
air is healthier than swamp cooling. You’ll never worry
about stale water or humidity buildup. And pollen, dust,
dirt and smoke are virtually eliminated through the
filtering.
Needless to say, it also keeps your home a lot more
comfortable, too!
IT REALLY WORKS
Your new refrigerated air conditioner operates on what’s
called a “closed system.” This means your summer cooling
works just like your winter heating, utilizing re-circulated
air, plus a little fresh air, to make—and keep—your home
comfortable no matter what it’s like outside.
So, you should set your thermostat at a comfortable level
and LEAVE IT THERE. If you keep your doors and windows
closed whenever you’re not using them, your Artistic home
will stay comfortable all year long!
HEATING & COOLING COST AND COMFORT
GUARANTEED!
You have our word on it…in
writing!
At Artistic Homes, we believe heating and cooling costs
should be the least of your worries. That’s why we analyze
every new home floor plan for the average amount you can
expect to pay in heating and cooling bills, calculated on an
annual basis as an average portion of your total home energy
usage. If your actual heating and cooling costs are less
than guaranteed, you pay less.
But if they’re more,
Artistic Homes will refund you the difference after 12
months…no questions asked!* Can any other home builder make
this guarantee? Compare and see for yourself!
THE COMFORT GUARANTEE
We’re so confident that you’ll be comfortable in your new
Artistic home, that we make this guarantee…
If you follow our recommendations (like keeping windows
closed, leaving your heating and cooling system on
throughout the year, etc.), temperatures from room to room
will vary no more than 3 degrees!
IT’S ALIVE!
Why better homes breathe.
Have you ever considered how important adequate ventilation
is? Usually, we tend to think about it when it’s muggy
outside…or when somebody’s cooking onions!
But the truth is, ventilation plays a vital role in helping
your home “breathe.” And this breathing process has a lot to
do with how comfortable the folks inside your home are.
At
Artistic Homes, we make certain your home is adequately
ventilated with features such as…
- Kitchen cooking surface venting
- Bathroom ventilation
- Fresh air ducting
- Laundry ventilation
VENTILATION MEANS FRESH AIR IN, STALE AIR OUT
When you couple adequate ventilation with airtight
construction and energy-efficient refrigerated air
conditioning, the result is a comfortable, well-balanced
home without unwanted odors, moisture and stale air buildup.
NOOKS AND CRANNIES AND CRACKS, OH MY!
Why air leaks are bad.
Did you know that most traditionally built homes leak
through hundreds of unseen locations throughout the house?
Not good. Because air leaks can mean…
- High heating and cooling bills
- Dust and dirt
- Pollution
At Artistic Homes, we’re making air leaks a thing of the
past, by building better, right from the start. We begin by
sealing the “sill plate,” where the foundation meets the
wood framing. Then we seal all the places—big and
small—where leakage could occur, like…
- Electrical wiring holes
- Exhaust & fresh air ducts
- Plumbing holes
- Heating, cooling & jumper ducts
AIRTIGHT CONSTRUCTION MEANS BETTER AIR QUALITY.
Because we build our homes airtight, heating and cooling are
more efficient and easier to control…so costs of operation
are reduced! We even test our heating and cooling ductwork
to ensure there are virtually NO leaks.
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