Announcing VISION House Las Vegas: Crossing the Rubicon
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There is a tipping point in every revolution. We’re in one now.
Each revolution—whether social, political, or economic—hits a point of no return, a moment when forces shift, and there is no going back to the dynamics that existed before the transition started.
Take, for example, Julius Caesar, who was Governor of Southern Gaul in 49 BC. Unhappy with the existing Roman Republic leadership, Caesar engaged in civil defiance by bringing a legion of his army across the Rubicon River, a move that precipitated a civil war and ultimately resulted in him ascending to the position of Emperor for life.
As his platoon crossed the river, Caesar uttered ālea iacta est, "the die has been cast."
We are, without hyperbole, in a similarly fateful moment in the building industry. The transition to a decarbonized, all-electric, resilient, healthy, connected, solar + storage powered built environment has crossed the threshold of no return. The die has, indeed, been cast.
As climate-responsive design strategies, building science best practices, net zero carbon construction approaches, and advanced products evolve, sustainable homes will exist at attainable price points at every level of the market.
Codes, regulations, climate-risk disclosure, and market demand propel radical change. In the near future, we will look back at this moment and recognize it as the tipping point for massive systems change.
There will be forces that will fashion attacks against progress—namely, those organizations clinging to antiquated business models, obsolete energy sources, and outdated technologies. But, in the end, their efforts will be futile, and change will occur. Trying to hinder that change is like asking the wind not to blow or a river not to flow.
VISION House Las Vegas: A Sustainable Model
To illustrate the gravitas of the moment, Green Builder Media is proud to join forces with Beazer Homes, the 11th largest builder in the United States, to bring to life the VISION House Las Vegas, a project composed of three demonstration homes—one baseline model, one upgrade, and one “deconstructed” home. These homes will be within a 61-home development in the master-planned community of Cadence.
Through this ground-breaking project, we will spotlight Beazer’s commitment to achieving DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certification across its entire portfolio of homes throughout the country by the end of 2025.
The VISION House Las Vegas demo homes will showcase net zero, electrification, energy and water efficiency, healthy home, solar + storage, resiliency, and cost-effectiveness. Construction will begin by early fall this year, with the reveal planned for Design & Construction Week in February 2025.
The theme for the VISION House Las Vegas is “Crossing the Rubicon,” to illustrate how Beazer is raising the bar for all builders—particularly large production builders—with its national commitment to ZERH certification. This project will demonstrate how new homes can be both sustainable and affordable.
Zero From the Start
The ZERH program requires homes to be ENERGY STAR certified and Indoor airPLUS qualified, ensuring energy efficiency and healthy indoor air quality. ZERH certified homes must also have water efficiency features and a renewable energy-ready design.
To meet the ZERH requirements, the VISION House Las Vegas homes will feature:
Westlake Royal Building Solutions resilient and energy-efficient concrete tile roofing.
Greenfiber blown-in cellulose insulation.
DuPont housewrap and weather barriers.
2-by-6 exterior walls instead of 2-by-4 walls to allow for additional insulation.
Heat pump HVAC systems.
Rheem electric hybrid water heaters.
Whirlpool ENERGY STAR appliances, including induction cooktops and heat pump dryers.
Residio smart thermostat and controls.
Broan ERVs.
Mechanical units inside conditioned space.
Slab insulation.
Other measures to dramatically reduce air infiltration.
Additionally, all of the Beazer-built homes in the Cadence community will include a 3 kW solar array, and the upgraded VISION House model will also have battery storage and an EV charger, all provided by Sunnova.
SPAN smart electrical panels will help optimize demand-side energy management, enabling the home to shift and shed energy loads during peak use, saving homeowners money and reducing grid stress.
Beautiful Design, Sustainable Function
The VISION House Las Vegas demonstration homes have been designed to be simultaneously sustainable and beautiful. They’ll feature PureTech, a new category of super-durable, non-PVC, recyclable flooring launched by Mohawk, as well as DalTile tile and anti-microbial quartz countertops.
On the exterior, the homes will boast manufactured stone by Cultured Stone to elevate aesthetics while increasing resiliency and durability.
Beazer will offer upgrades to suit a variety of homeowner lifestyles, like ample closet space and thoughtful kitchen layouts. Storage solution upgrade options from Organized Living will ensure that every square foot of the homes are utilized effectively.
Even the garages will get consideration with connected garage opening systems by LiftMaster with MyQ intelligence and Windsor garage doors made from 75% recycled sheet steel.
Fresh Indoor Air for Healthy Living
Because the building envelopes of the VISION House Las Vegas model homes are so tight,
regulating indoor air quality (IAQ) is of paramount importance. The homes will feature Broan indoor air quality systems with ERVs that continually replace stale indoor air with fresh air from the outside and moderate the air temperature.
Low VOC and non-toxic paints, stains, flooring, surfaces, and other interior finishes will be specified to minimize off-assing and indoor pollutants.
Practical Solutions for Water Conservation
The VISION House Las Vegas projects will also address water quality and conservation with low-flow plumbing fixtures, leak detection and water monitoring systems, and water filtration systems.
While pricing has yet to be determined for the Zero Energy Ready homes at Cadence, the expectation is that they will be priced competitively to target first-time move-up buyers in the Las Vegas market.
We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Beazer Homes as we cross the Rubicon toward a decarbonized built environment. We invite you to follow our progress: subscribe to our weekly Vantage enewsletter, and keep an eye open for ongoing posts about the project as it evolves.
As cofounder and CEO of Green Builder Media, Sara is a visionary thought leader and passionate advocate for sustainability. A former venture capitalist, she has participated in the life cycle (from funding to exit) of over 20 companies, with an emphasis on combining sustainability and profitability. She lives in Lake City, Colo., with her husband, where she is an avid long-distance runner, snowboarder, and Crossfit trainer. She is also on the Board of Directors at Dvele, runs the Rural Segment for Energize Colorado, and is a former County Commissioner.
Announcing VISION House Las Vegas: Crossing the Rubicon
There is a tipping point in every revolution. We’re in one now.
Each revolution—whether social, political, or economic—hits a point of no return, a moment when forces shift, and there is no going back to the dynamics that existed before the transition started.
Take, for example, Julius Caesar, who was Governor of Southern Gaul in 49 BC. Unhappy with the existing Roman Republic leadership, Caesar engaged in civil defiance by bringing a legion of his army across the Rubicon River, a move that precipitated a civil war and ultimately resulted in him ascending to the position of Emperor for life.
As his platoon crossed the river, Caesar uttered ālea iacta est, "the die has been cast."
We are, without hyperbole, in a similarly fateful moment in the building industry. The transition to a decarbonized, all-electric, resilient, healthy, connected, solar + storage powered built environment has crossed the threshold of no return. The die has, indeed, been cast.
As climate-responsive design strategies, building science best practices, net zero carbon construction approaches, and advanced products evolve, sustainable homes will exist at attainable price points at every level of the market.
Codes, regulations, climate-risk disclosure, and market demand propel radical change. In the near future, we will look back at this moment and recognize it as the tipping point for massive systems change.
There will be forces that will fashion attacks against progress—namely, those organizations clinging to antiquated business models, obsolete energy sources, and outdated technologies. But, in the end, their efforts will be futile, and change will occur. Trying to hinder that change is like asking the wind not to blow or a river not to flow.
VISION House Las Vegas: A Sustainable Model
To illustrate the gravitas of the moment, Green Builder Media is proud to join forces with Beazer Homes, the 11th largest builder in the United States, to bring to life the VISION House Las Vegas, a project composed of three demonstration homes—one baseline model, one upgrade, and one “deconstructed” home. These homes will be within a 61-home development in the master-planned community of Cadence.
Through this ground-breaking project, we will spotlight Beazer’s commitment to achieving DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certification across its entire portfolio of homes throughout the country by the end of 2025.
The VISION House Las Vegas demo homes will showcase net zero, electrification, energy and water efficiency, healthy home, solar + storage, resiliency, and cost-effectiveness. Construction will begin by early fall this year, with the reveal planned for Design & Construction Week in February 2025.
The theme for the VISION House Las Vegas is “Crossing the Rubicon,” to illustrate how Beazer is raising the bar for all builders—particularly large production builders—with its national commitment to ZERH certification. This project will demonstrate how new homes can be both sustainable and affordable.
Zero From the Start
The ZERH program requires homes to be ENERGY STAR certified and Indoor airPLUS qualified, ensuring energy efficiency and healthy indoor air quality. ZERH certified homes must also have water efficiency features and a renewable energy-ready design.
To meet the ZERH requirements, the VISION House Las Vegas homes will feature:
Additionally, all of the Beazer-built homes in the Cadence community will include a 3 kW solar array, and the upgraded VISION House model will also have battery storage and an EV charger, all provided by Sunnova.
SPAN smart electrical panels will help optimize demand-side energy management, enabling the home to shift and shed energy loads during peak use, saving homeowners money and reducing grid stress.
Beautiful Design, Sustainable Function
The VISION House Las Vegas demonstration homes have been designed to be simultaneously sustainable and beautiful. They’ll feature PureTech, a new category of super-durable, non-PVC, recyclable flooring launched by Mohawk, as well as DalTile tile and anti-microbial quartz countertops.
On the exterior, the homes will boast manufactured stone by Cultured Stone to elevate aesthetics while increasing resiliency and durability.
Beazer will offer upgrades to suit a variety of homeowner lifestyles, like ample closet space and thoughtful kitchen layouts. Storage solution upgrade options from Organized Living will ensure that every square foot of the homes are utilized effectively.
Even the garages will get consideration with connected garage opening systems by LiftMaster with MyQ intelligence and Windsor garage doors made from 75% recycled sheet steel.
Fresh Indoor Air for Healthy Living
Because the building envelopes of the VISION House Las Vegas model homes are so tight,
regulating indoor air quality (IAQ) is of paramount importance. The homes will feature Broan indoor air quality systems with ERVs that continually replace stale indoor air with fresh air from the outside and moderate the air temperature.
Low VOC and non-toxic paints, stains, flooring, surfaces, and other interior finishes will be specified to minimize off-assing and indoor pollutants.
Practical Solutions for Water Conservation
The VISION House Las Vegas projects will also address water quality and conservation with low-flow plumbing fixtures, leak detection and water monitoring systems, and water filtration systems.
While pricing has yet to be determined for the Zero Energy Ready homes at Cadence, the expectation is that they will be priced competitively to target first-time move-up buyers in the Las Vegas market.
We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Beazer Homes as we cross the Rubicon toward a decarbonized built environment. We invite you to follow our progress: subscribe to our weekly Vantage enewsletter, and keep an eye open for ongoing posts about the project as it evolves.
By Sara Gutterman
As cofounder and CEO of Green Builder Media, Sara is a visionary thought leader and passionate advocate for sustainability. A former venture capitalist, she has participated in the life cycle (from funding to exit) of over 20 companies, with an emphasis on combining sustainability and profitability. She lives in Lake City, Colo., with her husband, where she is an avid long-distance runner, snowboarder, and Crossfit trainer. She is also on the Board of Directors at Dvele, runs the Rural Segment for Energize Colorado, and is a former County Commissioner.Also Read