Alan Barley and Peter Pfeiffer, co-owners of Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture in Austin, Texas, are big believers in layering. They start with a deep study of the site they’re working with and design a home that complements the location and their client’s preferences. Next, they layer in sustainable products and systems that will enhance the performance of a well-designed and carefully built home.
Exterior products such as James Hardie fiber cement siding, a metal roof from Fabral, decking from Timbertech, a building envelope system from Henry, a Carlisle company, windows from Andersen, and cutting-edge GE appliances take the VISION House Austin to a new level of performance that will stand up to the intense Texas climate.
Barley and Pfeiffer start with design based on natural principles and time-tested building techniques such as overhangs to create shade and positioning each house appropriately on its site. They also focus on innovations that have made it easier to build a resilient, sustainable, high-performance house.
“We have a number of products that we have experience with that we start with for any project,” says Joel Effland, project manager for the VISION House Austin with Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture. “Then we work with the clients and the builder to make decisions that will keep the budget in check.”
At VISION House Austin, designed by Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture and built in partnership with Green Builder Media for homeowners Robert and Judi George, the architects are working with Justin Moore, owner of White Elephant General Contractors in Austin. Their close collaboration on product choices, starting at the earliest design phase, strengthens each step of construction.
“Technology and new innovative products are great, but everything has to be installed correctly from the beginning with attention to detail or it doesn’t matter,” Moore says. “For example, if you buy the best new HVAC system but you don’t install it right, it can still sweat and cause mold.”
Moore and the architects are dedicated to combining new innovations with their decades of experience to create a home that embraces the natural world and contributes to sustainability.
While the exterior architecture of the VISION House Austin takes into consideration the breezes and weather patterns of the site, Barley and Pfeiffer choose products that complement the design and add resilience, durability and comfort to the home. The building envelope from Henry includes Blueskin weather barrier insulation and a spray foam insulation to improve performance.
“The weather barrier insulation is easy to install,” Moore says. “So is the flashing from Henry that will seal the house.”
Metal roofs, when installed properly, are by far the most logical roofing system for central Texas, Effland says. They chose Fabral Roofing for the VISION House Austin metal roof.
Barley, Pfeiffer and Moore specified a concealed fastener, “snap-lock” style roofing panel which prevents the typical long-term failure of exposed fastener metal roof, and the need to install mechanical seams.
In addition, they specified a panel with additional ripples running between the ridges, called striations, which make the panels much stronger, reduces the risk of heat-related “oil canning,” and qualifies for a hail resistance discount on homeowners’ insurance.
They chose a thicker, 24-gauge steel to increase strength and longevity, which also allows solar panels to be mounted directly onto the metal roof with an S51 clamp without any additional structural members.
Another important aspect of this metal roof is the finish. “We specified a mixture of aluminum and zinc alloys called Galvalume,” Effland says. “This finish is more durable and corrosion resistant than galvanized metal roofs and does not fade nearly as much as painted finishes.”
However, the most important part of the roofing system is the installation, Effland emphasizes. “We design our metal roofs to be lifted up off the roof deck with 1-by-4 lath, and we ventilate that air cavity from a space between the drip edge and fascia boards,” he says. “This air space, combined with the Galvalume finish, acts as a solar heat radiant barrier and effectively places the entire home under a shading umbrella.”
These combined features form a roof system that will last 50 years or more, compared to the approximately 15 years that a typical composition shingle roof will last, Effland says. The Fabral metal roof is hail resistant, fire resistant, fade resistant, corrosion resistant and energy efficient.
Another resilient product that Barley and Pfeiffer frequently choose is cementitious trim and siding. For the VISION House Austin, they chose James Hardie siding, trim and soffits.
“It’s our go-to for exterior applications in most of our home designs,” Effland says. “It’s more durable and requires less maintenance than traditional wood siding, which will fade and rot over time no matter how well it is installed, finished or maintained.”
In addition, James Hardie siding is much more dimensionally and thermally stable than PVC or vinyl sidings, he says. It’s classified as a non-combustible material, which drastically increases a home’s ability to defend against wildfires—which is important in Texas and other locales.
“James Hardie’s thicker Artisan siding is certainly a luxury finish, offering deeper shadow lines in the lap siding, and a cleaner, more-contemporary finish in shiplap,” Effland says. “Additionally, pre-primed Hardie siding products, once painted with a topcoat, shed water away from a home, instead of absorbing water like most stone, brick or stucco veneers do. This reduces the vapor drive into the home, keeping the home dryer and improving indoor air-quality.”
Moore, Barley and Pfeiffer chose Andersen windows for the VISION House Austin.
“The Andersen 100 series windows and doors are a phenomenal value to our clients,” Effland says. “The composite/fiberglass construction offers supreme strength and durability. It is much more thermally stable and UV resistant than vinyl, is immune to potential insect- or moisture-related rot associated with wood windows, and is more energy efficient than a lot of aluminum or steel framed window systems.”
From the beginning, Judi and Robert George were interested in managing the electrical loads in their home, Effland says.
“They wanted a large solar array, battery backup power, electric vehicle charging, and the ability to control and monitor where their electricity would and would not be used in their home during a power outage,” he says. “This is exactly the functionality that the Savant power systems were designed to offer. We are very happy to have them on board as a sponsor for this project.”
GE Appliances and Savant are partnering to create a smart home management system for the VISION House Austin that will track energy use for each appliance and throughout the home, Effland says.
“One of the coolest new products is the GE combined heat pump washer and dryer,” Moore says. “Instead of pumping the moist air outside and then bringing in fresh air, the heat pump dryer converts the moisture back to water and drains it. It’s energy efficient but it also saves space because you can fit an extra cabinet in the laundry room with only one machine.”
In addition to managing their energy use, the homeowners’ lifelong commitment to sustainability means they want the latest technology for energy efficiency.
Trane’s variable speed heat pump, which uses only the electricity needed for a comfortable house based on the weather, will be connected with the Trane ComfortLink II thermostat to automatically calibrate for optimal performance. Automating features simplifies life for the homeowners of the VISION House Austin, who share the goal of enjoying a low-maintenance lifestyle.
Another automated system improves the indoor air quality for the home. The Fresh Air Ventilation Control (FAVC) system from Field Controls pairs a motorized damper in a home’s fresh air intake duct with the fan in the HVAC air handler, opening the damper and turning on the fan for the required number of minutes per hour to meet current ventilation requirements. The system also monitors up to four different exhaust fans in the home, crediting their run times toward the required ventilation.
“We typically monitor the kitchen ventilation hood and the dryer, as well as the exhaust fan in primary and secondary bathrooms,” Effland says. “Additionally, the FAVC is capable of monitoring the outside air, automatically shutting off the ventilation if it is too hot or too humid. These features greatly reduce the risks associated with over ventilating a home in a hot and humid climate such as ours, lowering the amount of work a home’s HVAC system must do, and it does so without introducing any additional ductwork, fans, compressors or filters.”
When selecting products for the VISION House Austin or any other home, the team focuses on quality, how well systems and products work together and in a specific location, and finances.
“We work with the clients and the builder to keep the budget in check throughout the process and do check-ins at two or three points to make sure we’re on track,” Effland says.
“If we’re over budget, we re-evaluate and determine the best way to bring the project back in line,” Effland says. “If we’re under budget, we can consider upgrading certain features.”
Tracking costs consistently from the beginning and at several points along the way before construction begins provides an opportunity to avoid “value engineering” a home later in the process or finding that it can’t be built as planned, Barley says.
“We can find quality products at multiple price points,” Effland says. “For example, we can choose all fiberglass windows, wood and fiberglass, or aluminum windows.”
At the VISION House Austin, Andersen 100 Series windows and doors, made with Fibrex material, were chosen for their longevity and ability to stand up to the Texas heat.
Matching preferences with practicality is another important element of product selection.
“Many homeowners prefer wood floors, but we try to steer them toward engineered hardwood floors because they’re extremely durable and more sustainable than traditional hardwood,” Barley says. “They can be glued directly to the foundation or to the concrete floor, or you can put in some more layers of substrates under them to make them a little softer on the feet. But of course, with more material comes more expense, so this has to be matched to the budget.”
Engineered floors can also be easier to install and waste less wood, Moore says. This also keeps the price down. At the VISION House Austin, AHF’s engineered wood flooring products will be installed, along with Crossville Tile’s ceramic and porcelain tile.
“Engineered floors are also healthier because you’re not putting chemicals down on the floor finishes right before clients move in,” Pfeiffer says. “Even if water-based polyurethane is used on hardwood floors that are finished in place, it still stinks. Ideally, you should let it dry and harden for two weeks, but no one ever has time to do that. They move in three days later and they’re basically living in a chemical bath.”
Sometimes, aesthetics can clash with building science. For example, Effland says ultra-modern style doesn’t typically lend itself to being very efficient.
“Floor-to-ceiling glass and zero overhangs are things that immediately take a hit on efficiency and the overall durability of a house,” he says.
Even so, architects can improve a home’s performance with design elements matched with the right technology.
“Sometimes a house needs to be sited with windows facing west because there are good views in that direction,” Barley says. “Or your client loves contemporary houses that are boxy, but we can find ways to reconcile those things.”
For example, a home can be designed with a roof overhang that shades the window in the summertime and lets sunlight in in the wintertime, Pfeiffer says, or with carefully positioned windows for natural ventilation. Choosing the right Andersen windows for the climate is important, too.
“One of the most important things to do is to design with a detached garage, which avoids contributing to heat gain in a house and is better for indoor air quality,” Pfeiffer says. “That keeps all the chemicals from the garage out of the house.”
“We seal the attic and use spray foam insulation to keep out the heat and humidity, along with dust and pollen that can filter down from the ceiling,” Pfeiffer says. “We elevated the house higher off the ground than usual to prevent dust and bugs from getting in more easily, too.”
Getting the most from the chosen products for any house starts with paying attention to construction details in the design phase.
“Sometimes builders put the air handler in the garage and then send conditioned air all the way across the house to the primary bedroom,” Pfeiffer says. “We put the air handler towards the center of the house so there’s less resistance to the air flow. That’s why we’re such big believers in doing a comprehensive design from the beginning, including where we want ducts installed in the trusses instead of it being an afterthought.”
The combination of smart design and smart products can make sustainability more accessible to more homeowners.
“An important word that doesn’t get emphasized enough in green building is passive,” Pfeiffer says. “For the past 15 years or so, the emphasis in the green building movement has been too much about expensive technology that limits green homes to wealthy people and that require homeowners to do maintenance they may not be willing to do.”
As new innovations and automation become commonly applied and more homes are designed thoughtfully to take advantage of nature, sustainability can become more attainable for every homeowner.