The Impact of Outdoor Spaces on Well being and Sustainable Living

00:00:00:26 - 00:00:25:06
Sara Gutterman: I'm Sarah Gutman, I am the CEO of Green Builder Media, and I'm happy to be your moderator for today's webinar entitled The Impact of Outdoor Spaces on Wellbeing and Sustainable Living. I am coming to you live from our Mariposa meadows project, which is one of our crown jewels of our vision House Demonstration Home series. You can read all about it on Green Builder.

00:00:25:08 - 00:00:51:24
Sara Gutterman: But you're going to hear a lot about it today from our presenters, which I'll introduce in just a minute. So you'll see some dappled sunlight coming down between the trees, and you'll see sunlight kind of coming in and out of the cloud. So we'll have some fun lighting on our end. I'd like to introduce our presenters. I'm going to actually start today with Ron Jones, who is my co-founder of Green Builder Media.

00:00:51:24 - 00:01:20:11
Sara Gutterman: And our president. Ron is really considered to be one of the odd or original gangsters of the green building movement, one of the fathers of the green building movement here in the US. He's been a green builder for about 40 years. So way before market cash or easy to do like it is today. He's been very instrumental within and beyond the building industry in the development of green building programs, codes, policy ideas and innovation.

00:01:20:17 - 00:01:44:28
Sara Gutterman: He is the only person ever to have been on to have served on the National Board of Directors for the National Association of Home Builders, as well as the U.S. Green Building Council. And he also has done things, incredible things like chair, the committee that the NIH and the International Code Council created to create the first international Green construction code.

00:01:45:00 - 00:02:13:00
Sara Gutterman: He has many more criteria, but I think I'll stop there and move on to our main presenter, the star of the show today, Leslie Adkins. Leslie is vice president of marketing and ESG development at Trex Company, the world's largest manufacturer of high performance, low maintenance decking, railing and outdoor living products. Check out that picture. That's the deck that I am standing on right now and you can see there decking there outdoor furniture.

00:02:13:00 - 00:02:38:08
Sara Gutterman: They're railing their lighting systems. So we showcase those products and more at Mariposa Meadows. For the past 14 years, Leslie has not only been a driving force behind one of the industry's leading brands, Trex, but a champion for empowerment, equity and positive change within the tracks organization and the industry at large, which is one of the reasons why we care about and respect her so much.

00:02:38:09 - 00:02:46:24
Sara Gutterman: So with with no further ado, I'm going to pass it over to Ron for him to give some additional remarks.

00:02:46:27 - 00:02:57:07
Ron Jones: Well, really, I think we need to just move right on. And, Leslie, take the the reins and welcome everybody to Mariposa meadows. And Leslie, take it away.

00:02:57:10 - 00:03:22:27
Leslie Adkins: Oh, well, thank you so much. It is really an honor to be a part of this. I have to tell you that this this webinar started with a conversation I had with Ron Jones at the International Builders Show. Gosh, we think it was 2019. And it has. It's so delightful to see you all sitting on it with these beautiful images that I have in this presentation.

00:03:22:29 - 00:03:39:23
Leslie Adkins: And then for me to be sitting in this office that is totally gray and with a sniffling nose, and we'll talk about the importance of nature on well-being and take it away from there. So really.

00:03:39:25 - 00:04:24:28
Leslie Adkins: The overview is at tracks. We're an outdoor living company. And so we've always been so focused on how we can connect homeowners with their outdoor environments and what that does for people. The stronger connection with nature, you know, really is such a beneficial impact on overall health and well-being. And so in throughout the course of this presentation, we'll address the benefits of nature on human beings, on highlight the important role that outdoor settings play in connecting us to nature, and offer some tips for how you can create an eco friendly outdoor environment in your own space that brings your home in harmony with nature.

00:04:25:00 - 00:04:54:16
Leslie Adkins: So the importance of nature think if you asked anyone and it goes back that, you know, millennia, for centuries, their cultures around the world have really recognized the vital role that nature plays in creating a sense of overall well-being. It's inspired artists, composers, philosophers. I mean, think about For the Four Seasons by Vivaldi or Ansel Adams, extraordinary imagery from the West, or Monet's impressionistic garden.

00:04:54:18 - 00:05:17:16
Leslie Adkins: You know, that is all a direct impact of nature on someone, and the positive impacts on our mental and physical health are a constant source of fascination and study, and we're living in a time where that matters more than ever. Despite this background that I have of Justin Cray office environment, it's becoming much more important everywhere, including in building design.

00:05:17:16 - 00:05:44:22
Leslie Adkins: And that's where we will ultimately end up talking about. But engaging with nature is beneficial on so many fronts. There was a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology that suggested the averaging American now spends up to 90% of their life indoors. So now, more than ever, we have lower levels of daily contact with nature than any previous generation.

00:05:44:22 - 00:06:05:28
Leslie Adkins: And I think there are a lot of sort of industries that are trying to shift that dynamic, because it does create a sort of disconnect with nature, and it impacts us in a negative way. Our physical sense and our emotional health as well. So.

00:06:06:01 - 00:06:32:24
Leslie Adkins: We humans that are exposed to nature tend to exhibit a greater awareness and compassion for the natural environment, the interaction that happens between humans, animals and nature. Stronger cognitive performance like dealing with stress. If you pay any attention to the the leaders and the doctors, one of the best ways to relieve stress is to get out and exercise in nature.

00:06:32:26 - 00:07:05:13
Leslie Adkins: And that is just overall contributes to our better overall mental health and physical well-being. Nature as an immersive experience creates feelings of harmony. Wholeness eases the mind, and being in or viewing nature provokes emotional responses, lowers the blood pressure, increases heart rate, and it replenishes our attention and the ability to focus, which is in such short supply these days with all of the screens that we are facing.

00:07:05:16 - 00:07:28:29
Leslie Adkins: It also has a very positive impact on health. It's been shown to aid in the recovery of hospitalized patients. A doctor in the 80s did studies in people who had. If you were in the hospital in your room, overlooked trees, you got better, faster. You had a stronger recovery than persons who had windows that opened on looking into sort of other buildings or a brick wall.

00:07:29:04 - 00:07:59:25
Leslie Adkins: That's pretty impressive. I think there are also the soothing sights, sense and sounds of nature. I'm saying a lot of these things that probably everyone in participating in this webinar knows. Studies have shown that exposure to natural surroundings can decrease stress, anxiety, improve your sleep patterns, and improve your mood. And one of the most interesting things is that the three most soothing sounds to humans are wind, water, and the chirping of birds.

00:07:59:26 - 00:08:24:19
Leslie Adkins: And I suspect that Ron, in his setting right now, is surrounded by all three of those, unlike me in an office environment. So, also the exposure to sunlight, that dappled sunlight that's coming in you that has such an important thing. And in fact, the lack of that sunlight can actually have a detrimental effect in the sad disorder that can happen in the winter time in the Northern hemisphere.

00:08:24:19 - 00:08:48:20
Leslie Adkins: So it really stimulates the production of vitamin D, contributes to our health overall and definitely our moods. So that's the sort of setup of why nature is so important for human beings. And we can segue then to what is the role that outdoor spaces play in connecting us to nature. And that's really of the utmost importance to treks.

00:08:48:20 - 00:09:21:23
Leslie Adkins: Because we are an outdoor living company, we create products that are not there just to be products in and of themselves there to serve. The purpose of helping homeowners connect with the nature that is outside their back doors. Or and really, that connection is sort of why we exist as tracks. So, there is a whole movement called biophilia, which is the evolutionary theory that humans are hardwired to love nature, and they want to interact with it because that connection is so crucial to the survival.

00:09:21:26 - 00:09:46:01
Leslie Adkins: This was popularized by an American biologist in the 80s, E.O. Wilson, and it's led scientists across numerous disciplines to recognize that important connection between nature and humans and and really are trying to elevate it to be as important as exercise in diet. And in the simplest terms, it's really about human nature. Humans enjoy nature and want it to be a part of their daily lives.

00:09:46:02 - 00:10:09:09
Leslie Adkins: Now we are on this. I'm sitting on this panel presenting this information with Ron, who has understood this innately in his bones for his entire life and has devoted his whole life to it. So I'm not going to belabor too much on it. Other just hit a few more high points, and then we're going to cut to an example of this with the Mariposa meadows project.

00:10:09:11 - 00:10:34:04
Leslie Adkins: Urban parks. If you think about where nature and humans interact in urban environments, how important it is, can you imagine New York City without Central Park? It is such an important component for the city and for the inhabitants of that city. It really creates a habitat that they can interact in that they would not otherwise have. Same thing with Hyde Park in London.

00:10:34:08 - 00:10:58:04
Leslie Adkins: You see this in the best cities and it has such a beneficial impact. Boardwalks. When you go to experience the coast, oftentimes the boardwalks are there to help you sort of be the platform or a stage in which you can interact with the water areas, coastal areas, and it also helps protect the environment from the human intrusion. So site preservation and that sort of thing.

00:10:58:05 - 00:11:20:21
Leslie Adkins: We're very fortunate to have had quite a few boardwalk projects throughout the country and throughout the world. In fact, a huge one mile long in Dubai and also many of the boardwalks that are happening on the East Coast and the new Jersey shore and so forth. And we've had those for decades. And when Superstorm Sandy came, we rebuilt many of those as well.

00:11:20:21 - 00:11:49:17
Leslie Adkins: So it's a really important way that humans can help or that people can help interact with nature. Also healing gardens. This is an interesting thing. I spoke earlier about the impact of nature on health, and gardens and plants have been linked to healing more than 2500 years of that, and offering rest and distraction for the sick. And they remain a key element in hospitals throughout Europe and North America.

00:11:49:17 - 00:12:15:11
Leslie Adkins: And the photo here is actually an extraordinary Trek stick that happens to be in our hometown here in Winchester, Virginia. And it is a beautiful deck where we have built it outside the cancer center at the local hospital here for the patients to and families to use and enjoy when they're going through that difficult time in the health journey.

00:12:15:13 - 00:12:47:11
Leslie Adkins: Also, that sort of leads us to biophilic design. It's applied to both commercial and residential spaces, medical facilities, office spaces, home offices. Anywhere you can integrate nature into your space is really helpful and beneficial to the the people who are using those spaces. And one of the best ways of how this can be brought to light is really where biophilia meets sustainability.

00:12:47:11 - 00:13:16:09
Leslie Adkins: And that is the Mariposa meadows project. That Green Builder and their vision House project did. It is extraordinary. And I'm going to ask this is a gorgeous photo of it. It gives you a sense of how enveloped in nature this project is. And Ron, I'm going to turn it over to you because you are sitting amidst that aspen forest right now, and you can share all about what really drove you.

00:13:16:12 - 00:13:30:18
Leslie Adkins: You had this vision. You shared it with me for years and for four plus years ago. And I'm I so much want to hear, like how it came to be in your head to begin with and then how you actually executed it.

00:13:30:21 - 00:14:01:26
Ron Jones: Well, thank you. And thank you for all that really interesting information. I think that these are important facts that people sometimes overlook or maybe just forget about, but we're seeing more of a toward reconnecting with with the natural world. And I think that's a very good thing for all of us. Mariposa meadows is a really special place to me, as you know, and I'd like to just start by telling you a little bit about the location.

00:14:01:27 - 00:14:30:26
Ron Jones: We're in the San Juan Mountains in southwestern New Mexico. I am sorry, Colorado. We had we had originally worked in the New Mexico market for many years, but we were looking for a place that was extremely remote and had all of the attributes that we were looking for. We're in Dale County, Colorado, and it is known as the most remote county in the lower 48.

00:14:31:02 - 00:15:24:10
Ron Jones: It's 95.5% public land. So the private holdings here are very precious. And we stumbled on this property in 2013 and were able to acquire the property. And it dates back to the Homestead Act back in the 1800s. And so it was secured and improved for human habitation so that it qualified for private ownership through the Homestead Act and then through several decades, the original homesteader raised some livestock and and meadow hay and other things here, and eventually the surrounding area became designated as a national forest.

00:15:24:10 - 00:15:42:28
Ron Jones: And that was like four for decades later. And so amazingly, we have 122 acre holding that is surrounded completely by 1.7 million acres of national forest and three federal wilderness areas. It's pretty mind boggling.

00:15:43:05 - 00:15:44:11
Leslie Adkins: It is.

00:15:44:13 - 00:16:14:24
Ron Jones: We're completely off grid. I like to say we're 13 miles from the nearest light bulb, and so it's wonderful. It checked all the boxes for us. Leslie, we we wanted a high elevation and we're at 10,400ft, which, incidentally, is the average elevation in the San Juan Mountains. The San Juans are the average highest elevation of any mountain range in the United States, which is quite a statement.

00:16:14:27 - 00:16:35:12
Ron Jones: We also wanted mountains and meadows. We wanted a lot of forests, which you can see in the image. We wanted surface water. We have a beautiful stream that is a perennial stream that flows through the property. We have water rights on that. We also have two live springs that you can actually drink from that are on the property, and they're beautiful as well.

00:16:35:15 - 00:17:01:00
Ron Jones: And then in addition to that, we have extraordinary groundwater. We were able to drill our first well and provide the water for the compound with amazing quality and quantity. So those were some of the criteria. We also wanted to be as as quiet and far away from the hustle and bustle as we possibly could, but still be accessible.

00:17:01:00 - 00:17:28:26
Ron Jones: So we're 60 miles from a regional airport, which makes us not too hard to visit. And then by road, we come in on a forest road about the last three and a half miles. And that gets to the property here. It's that road is closed in the wintertime because of the snow load, but it's groomed and we can come in on our snowcat or snowmobiles, or you could snowshoe in or cross-country ski.

00:17:28:26 - 00:17:53:24
Ron Jones: And no matter what the season is, it's spectacular. The other thing is we have an embarrassment of wildlife and and just the entire spectrum of flora and fauna. In fact, I have to tell you, two days ago, we saw our first moose of the season as we were driving out, and it was a medium sized young bull just starting to sprout his antlers.

00:17:53:24 - 00:18:18:13
Ron Jones: And then yesterday afternoon, as I was driving out, I saw a very large cal moose and she was a little cranky. She was giving me the the I, if you know what I mean. And I thought that perhaps she might have a calf stashed nearby when we drove in this morning. Sure enough, she was across the stream and had her calf with her, and it was just days old.

00:18:18:13 - 00:18:50:10
Ron Jones: So what a wonderful treat that was. We also have Rocky Mountain elk. We have mule deer. All of the large mammals bear mountain lion, smaller mammals and lots of birds. Beautiful beautiful birds, raptors, songbirds, bluebirds that just sparkle in your eyes. And and then you can see the columbine in that landscape shot. We have some of the most beautiful flowers that are imaginable in about another 3 or 4 weeks.

00:18:50:10 - 00:19:18:24
Ron Jones: The grasses in the meadows will be up to your hip pockets, and there will just be a swarm of butterflies and other insects that are that are making a living on that beautiful flower crop out there. If there are possibilities that we can actually mow some of the some of the high quality meadow hay. And if we do, we'll provide that to a horse rescue operation that that can make good use of it.

00:19:18:25 - 00:19:50:26
Ron Jones: So that's a little bit of background on the location and the property itself. It's extremely special. It's extremely rare. And in holding like this is really hard to come by. And we were so lucky to just happen upon it. And the timing was right and we made it all work. Our commitment here is to make sure that we keep everything that we do on the highest level possible, because it was already perfect before we got here.

00:19:50:26 - 00:20:25:02
Ron Jones: And what we're trying to do is create an opportunity for a variety of people to be able to enjoy this natural surrounding. And all of the beauty here and all the wildlife and just the wonderful solitude and quiet of the place. But to do it with, if I may say so, with a touch of luxury and that doesn't, you know, it's not just the built environment of the buildings, which are extraordinary, but also this wonderful hospitality deck, which is simply the crown jewel of the project.

00:20:25:10 - 00:20:38:03
Ron Jones: It's the place where everybody will gather. It's the place where people will break bread, where they will share meals and share ideas and share thoughts and hopefully share joy.

00:20:38:06 - 00:20:59:06
Leslie Adkins: So, Ron, I'm going to share through some of the photos. So I showed some of the flora and fauna. I mean, this is just an exquisite example of biophilia brought to life, right? The way you've integrated nature. Can you talk a little bit about I mean, obviously you said the site was perfect, so it was really important to you and your team how you approach building.

00:20:59:09 - 00:21:12:00
Leslie Adkins: I'm showing one of the buildings now. I'll show some of the interiors. Could you kind of just talk to us about how you approached it, how important? How did you make sure you weren't doing harm to this environment?

00:21:12:02 - 00:21:52:12
Ron Jones: Well, you know, we operate in the most destructive sort of operation known to man and a construction industry. But the fact is that we can do it carefully and with thought and with intention. And so every single detail, every single selection of product or system, was carefully chosen so that it addresses not only the esthetic quality and the beauty that we want to reveal, but it also serves to be an example in the very best way of premium product and high performance.

00:21:52:12 - 00:22:19:02
Ron Jones: And so, as you know, we're completely off grid here. We have to generate all of our own power. We have a wonderful solar system that cranks out 12 kW and provides the power that we need. The building envelopes are so extraordinary. We're here at 10,400ft. Sometimes in the wintertime the temperature will be below, say 20 below for for a couple of days.

00:22:19:03 - 00:22:48:21
Ron Jones: I've never seen the thermometer even without any heat introduced, go below 40 degrees in any of the buildings. And that's because of the orientation and the solar gain and the building envelope and the fenestration package and all the other things that we so carefully selected, specified and installed here. So it's it spills on to every part of it, including this outdoor area that we're featuring here today.

00:22:48:23 - 00:23:19:09
Leslie Adkins: So I've got the image up of this outdoor area, but again, I don't think it does justice to it's 1400 square feet and completely enveloped by nature. But you shared something with me yesterday when we were talking about this that I was not aware of. You didn't build living spaces per se in these. You had kitchens and other sorts of spaces, but you wanted this outdoor space to serve as that connection between the structures and the outdoors.

00:23:19:10 - 00:23:20:26
Leslie Adkins: Did I get that?

00:23:20:28 - 00:23:47:15
Ron Jones: Yes. When we started thinking about our our process here, there were a couple of criteria. First of all, we wanted to keep the smallest footprints possible. And we wanted to to maximize the experience of compact spaces and be as efficient as we possibly could. And so all of the three buildings here and one one contains two dwelling units, they're all two story, they're all small footprint.

00:23:47:15 - 00:24:18:12
Ron Jones: And they provide a tremendous luxury. Just the comfort is unbelievable in them, all of the finishings and those things. But the the point is we want people to interact with nature and we want them to interact with each other when they're here and enjoying Mariposa. So the Atrium Duet, which is the building that is in the background of this image, has two complete living units, but neither one of them features a living room.

00:24:18:12 - 00:24:44:22
Ron Jones: We see the deck and we see the atrium as the living room, and we want people to migrate into those spaces and to be drawn magnetically to those spaces, so that what happens is that they interact with each other, they interact with nature. We're here at a level on a on a hillside where if you walk up to the railing, you'll actually be at eye level with the birds in the, in the canopy of the trees.

00:24:44:22 - 00:25:08:07
Ron Jones: And so it's just such a, an amazing experience. You can literally hear the stream from here. We hear the wind in the trees even when there's a light breeze. And right now we're not getting too much bird activity. But many times it's just a cacophony.

00:25:08:09 - 00:25:13:21
Leslie Adkins: I might have lost you there, Ron.

00:25:13:24 - 00:25:15:04
Leslie Adkins: So I can't hear.

00:25:15:07 - 00:25:23:25
Ron Jones: The sound coming out of the forest. So just about everything. We checked all the boxes we have frozen up there for a second.

00:25:23:27 - 00:25:26:09
Leslie Adkins: Yeah, yeah, but that's that's fine.

00:25:26:16 - 00:25:29:04
Ron Jones: If you want to go ahead and advance to the next level.

00:25:29:06 - 00:25:33:00
Leslie Adkins: Okay?

00:25:33:03 - 00:25:34:19
Ron Jones: I think you're back.

00:25:34:22 - 00:25:37:19
Leslie Adkins: Okay. Am I here? You can hear me.

00:25:37:22 - 00:25:38:22
Ron Jones: Yes.

00:25:38:24 - 00:26:09:29
Leslie Adkins: Okay, so back to the I'm going to flip back and forth. But, you know, this beautiful deck is is built of so many components and you hearken to it earlier. Everything you did in this site was intentional, including the selection of these materials. So I would love to hear you again talk about how important it was in, you know, I was so delighted when we first brought it up to Trex, and we jumped on the opportunity because we believe in this.

00:26:09:29 - 00:26:31:00
Leslie Adkins: We wanted to be a part of it, and we honestly feel like this deck is a stage, a worthy stage for engaging with nature and the night skies that you raved about. So can we sort of just walk through some of that?

00:26:31:02 - 00:26:59:00
Ron Jones: Yes. Thank you so much. I mean, look, tracks was first and second. There was no other option. And I was so delighted when Mel Carlson toured me through all of the suite of products and the partners that were available, I had no idea, just the richness of the offerings. I knew the quality of the product from using certain components in in projects for clients, but I never knew half of what was available.

00:26:59:00 - 00:27:26:09
Ron Jones: And so, you know, we had some really strict criteria. I mentioned that we're 13 miles from the nearest light bulb. That means we're also 13 miles from the nearest fire hydrant, and we're in the midst of a western forest. Now, it's for us that we're in an aspen forest, because it's not nearly as combustible as an evergreen forest, like the spruce and the and the ponderosa pine and the Doug fir that, that dominate this part of the of the state.

00:27:26:14 - 00:28:01:21
Ron Jones: But nevertheless, wildfire is our number one concern. And we would be foolish not to think about that in every single selection that we made, also because of the environment, because of the remote location, and because I got better things to do, I wanted something that didn't require a lot of maintenance. We wanted resiliency throughout the suite of products that we selected, and we wanted to make sure that we wouldn't spend our time maintaining all of these surfaces and the different components, but rather enjoying them.

00:28:01:21 - 00:28:25:02
Ron Jones: And I think that translates into the reason why the treks products are an excellent choice for anybody, whether it's a professional or a homeowner who's trying to to decide on how they're going to complete their outdoor living arrangement and make it so that they can actually spend time enjoying it. The other thing was, we couldn't compromise at all on the esthetics.

00:28:25:04 - 00:28:37:13
Ron Jones: I mean, we have such a beautiful setting. We owe it to to the natural setting here to make sure that everything is as beautiful as we can possibly make it. And I think we've done a pretty good job of that.

00:28:37:15 - 00:29:03:16
Leslie Adkins: You definitely have. You know, it was a pleasure. We supplied the the steel framing that you use, which helps with that fire hazard. The transcend decking, the signature railing with the mesh panels, which really helps make sure that your eyes don't stop on the rails, that you can just see all through because the real splendor is in the background there.

00:29:03:18 - 00:29:18:14
Ron Jones: And and at the same time, they give us a needed separation from. Sometimes we get some large four legged visitors up here, and we want to make sure that everybody's comfortable on either side.

00:29:18:16 - 00:29:46:26
Leslie Adkins: That's something we often don't have to think about in backyard anyway. But we were also, you know, the tricks furniture. So I'm going to move on to the slide that just outlines a few of the products that were shared from Trex. And I think it's worth noting that because all of your choices were intentional, and we were delighted to be able to offer such a complete range, you know, what we really wanted to do was, as I mentioned earlier, build that worthy stage to engage with nature.

00:29:46:26 - 00:30:13:09
Leslie Adkins: And it's worth noting that our transcend decking all Trek stacking, in fact, is made from 95% recycled and reclaimed content, so we're diverting plastic waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill or a waterway, and putting it in this decking that's going to be there low maintenance for decades to come and and serve as that stage for your outdoor space.

00:30:13:11 - 00:30:26:13
Leslie Adkins: Our railing, which is made from 40% recycled aluminum, you know, our pergolas for that shade offering. And you also even integrated interior, the Trek spiral stairs.

00:30:26:16 - 00:30:58:23
Ron Jones: And it is magnificent. I have to tell you that the environmental piece, the sustainability piece, was a no brainer from day one. Everything that we had learned, in everything that we continued to find out about the suite of Trex products and the partners just reaffirmed for us that this was exactly the right choice. And it's proven, you know, through that throughout the entire project.

00:30:58:25 - 00:31:16:10
Ron Jones: It's it's I guess I would put it this way, if you look at all of these images and you look at all these features, imagine there wasn't one single tree that was taken down to perform all of this, not one. And so that's pretty special.

00:31:16:13 - 00:31:37:25
Leslie Adkins: Absolutely. I would say that's it's and those same principles, I think, you know, it's those same principles that you have illustrated here so exquisitely can really translate to any size outdoor space anywhere that you are building in. It could be in the US, in the West, the East, the south, the north. It could be in the UK or Australia.

00:31:37:25 - 00:32:08:18
Leslie Adkins: And those same principles of how to engage with nature, even though Ron is sitting upon, you know, what is truly extraordinary attainment of that. We can all do it in our own backyard. So I think how you connect with nature at home, and how to create an eco friendly outdoor space is is really important. And, you know, nearly 75% of the homeowners claim that their outdoor living areas playing really essential role in maintaining peace of mind in a sense of normalcy.

00:32:08:18 - 00:32:40:05
Leslie Adkins: And we have certainly seen that in the as we have endured the pandemic. So those many of the same ideas and principles that we you see at Mariposa meadows can be done in your own backyard. Outdoor spaces are all such an important part and are such a big seller in homes these days and in tops of the list and what people want, and you know how you go about doing it and just sort of thinking about it as a space that you're going to use.

00:32:40:07 - 00:33:01:26
Leslie Adkins: And I wondered if I could segue to you, Ron, on, you mentioned that the living space, the deck is sort of serving as the living room, and you have to think about the different functional areas, and you've got that there on that very day, you know, what's the layout, what's the flow? You've got eating areas, relaxing areas. Talk to me a little bit about how you all designed that.

00:33:01:29 - 00:33:20:14
Ron Jones: Yeah. We wanted to have a space that didn't feel like it had artificial boundaries. Want people to be able to move freely and to interact with each other and the surroundings, and to just be comfortable no matter where they find themselves in the center of the space or on one of the corners or whatever it happens to be.

00:33:20:15 - 00:33:44:24
Ron Jones: I think that, you know, that translates into something that's really important. We have this not everybody has 122 acres to work with. Right. But here's the thing. It translates so beautifully into those more intimate spaces that most people are developing. And so if you have a small patio or backyard, you have an area that's a deck off of an upstairs space.

00:33:44:26 - 00:33:59:19
Ron Jones: All of these things can translate in scale in such a way that it allows a total enjoyment and relaxation. And again, without all those maintenance issues and feeling good about the products that you're using as well.

00:33:59:21 - 00:34:20:08
Leslie Adkins: Yes. In fact, this image shown here is actually from a garden in the UK. They don't call them their backyards. It's a garden and I think it highlights this like really narrow, steep space and what they were able to accomplish in creating it into it's got gardening areas, it's got a contemplative little sort of zen garden and just different tiers, I think.

00:34:20:10 - 00:34:25:13
Leslie Adkins: And it's incorporated the lighting, which I think you also have on the deck at Mariposa meadows.

00:34:25:16 - 00:34:53:15
Ron Jones: Yes. You know, light is is sort of the the final element of architecture in my mind, architecture is the manipulation of space and light. And we have this glorious natural light that we're bathed in here. But it's also important for us to be able to provide not only the safe, the safety, but the ambiance that comes from the appropriate type of lighting.

00:34:53:15 - 00:35:08:08
Ron Jones: So we've integrated some beautiful elements from, from, from trucks. And, and we can't wait to, to have everybody enjoy those in, in underneath those beautiful starry dark skies.

00:35:08:15 - 00:35:34:15
Leslie Adkins: Yeah, I'm going to flip through here because I think we've covered a lot of this territory. But, you know, one of the most important things is choosing your material. And I think you spoke so eloquently about the durability. I mean, you are in an environment where snowfall is measured in feet, not inches. And, you know, when you come, you talked about when you came back after spring, can you just share, like how you found the deck this year?

00:35:34:17 - 00:35:40:08
Ron Jones: Yeah. It was it was interesting because anybody who gets large.

00:35:40:11 - 00:36:03:02
Ron Jones: Amounts of snow knows that a lot of times that'll contain dust that's in the atmosphere or that gets blown onto it and so forth. And when it settles on to a surface, whether it's a driveway or a sidewalk or in this case, our Trex deck, when the water evaporates away and finally dries away, you'll have that dust accumulated along where the drip edge is.

00:36:03:03 - 00:36:19:12
Ron Jones: And so when we first came back in, there was a pretty good accumulation of dust from over the winter. And, and I was like, oh yeah, we're going to have to sweep this up and hose it off and so forth. Well, we got it a couple of days of nice rain after that, and it simply washed it off for us.

00:36:19:12 - 00:36:25:11
Ron Jones: We didn't have to pick up a broom or a hose or anything else. So it sort of took care of itself.

00:36:25:18 - 00:36:28:11
Leslie Adkins: And it had survived the winter. Well, as.

00:36:28:13 - 00:37:00:01
Ron Jones: Beautifully without, without I mean, there's not a single splinter. There's, there's there's no imperfection. One of the things that I demand in all of the products that that we employ is there's got to be that quality engineering development and production so that we have the consistency and we have everything that we require that gives us the kind of finish and the kind of feel that we want, because I want it to actually disappear.

00:37:00:01 - 00:37:11:01
Ron Jones: I want it to be just out of mind is something that's so natural, the way it feels that that sometimes people don't even notice it.

00:37:11:03 - 00:37:32:12
Leslie Adkins: Well, that speaks to so much because the durability, the low maintenance, the function, you know, they have to perform and hold up in a variety of environments. And at Trex, we focus on that. We want to make sure that we can perform wherever our materials are installed, and we want them to be harmonious with the architectural language of the rest of the design.

00:37:32:12 - 00:37:56:09
Leslie Adkins: And that's what I think you've showcased so nicely in your installation there. And then, you know, the sustainability of our products just, again, just adds that extra layer on to making sure you're, you know, in harmony with nature because you're not using materials that are going to harm it. And you're actually, you know, diverting waste from landfills is what our decking is made of.

00:37:56:10 - 00:38:13:00
Leslie Adkins: So that's a great way of looking at it. You know, a lot of people will use would you brought up splinters? I thought of wood because it's often like the epitome of a natural material. But would you have been able to build a wood deck there that would hold up to that environment?

00:38:13:03 - 00:38:41:29
Ron Jones: No, we wouldn't have. And in fact, the quality of lumber material has has deteriorated over the decades, and the treated lumber that we would need to use to build the substructure for, for a structure of this size would have been undependable, frankly, right now, this this deck, I like to say it's as flat as a billiard table there.

00:38:42:01 - 00:39:03:02
Ron Jones: There is no movement. There's no roll, there's no change. Everything is just like the day we installed it. And you know, that speaks to something else I want to mention. And that is I used to tell my customers that the best part of our work gets covered up. You don't see it. And that's true with this project as well.

00:39:03:02 - 00:39:47:29
Ron Jones: And in this case, the fasteners, the connectors, all of the engineering parts, all of the things that make it possible to seamlessly integrate all of these different products have been so well designed and thought out and produced that it makes an easy operation with just a little bit of of expertise to put together a very professional result. So we wanted to make sure that we had the elegance that we needed in order to match the natural beauty, and we were able to do that with these products because they are so functionally perfect for what we're trying to do.

00:39:48:00 - 00:40:01:26
Ron Jones: And again, I think sustainability is best defined as as the highest form of elegance. And I think that we're we're just having a great time with it.

00:40:01:28 - 00:40:30:03
Leslie Adkins: I'm glad to hear that. Still some of your lines, by the way, I will hear through some of the composite decking, the durability, the sustainability. Again, 95% recycled and reclaimed products that Trex is made from. And I'm so proud to say that trucks has been since now for three decades, and we have upcycled more than 5 billion pounds of plastic film waste in since inception.

00:40:30:05 - 00:40:51:17
Leslie Adkins: And you know what? It feels so good to work for a company that has done that, and it feels so good to sell a product that does that each and every in each and every board that we sell. So I just wanted to include that. And then, you know, some of the advantages of composite decking, which is what Trex is, is, you know, fade and stain resistant.

00:40:51:17 - 00:41:09:23
Leslie Adkins: I imagine you're subject to extreme UV rays where you are at that elevation. And you can be rest assured that your deck will not say it's not going to stain. It'll look as good next year and ten years from now as it does now, and in 25 years from now. In fact.

00:41:09:25 - 00:41:23:16
Ron Jones: We have complete faith in that. And and by the way, it's a it's a real privilege to work with a company that has the ethic and the performance standards that Trex has.

00:41:23:19 - 00:41:58:21
Leslie Adkins: We feel the same. And, you know, we walk through some of the products, our treks. Outdoor furniture is also made from recycled materials. We try because it is part of the ethos of the company. To begin with, our founders started the company that way. It's not something we came to recently, so it's in everything we do. So aside from actual products, you know, if you're thinking about how to translate into, you know, sustainable outdoor spaces that can help you connect with nature in your own backyard, there are other ways to do it as well.

00:41:58:26 - 00:42:20:04
Leslie Adkins: Things like, you know, drought resistant landscaping, water so critical where you are. And you have a great story about the waterway where you are that I would love for you to share because it really speaks to drought resistant landscaping. You're not taking a bunch of that water to to irrigate landscaping around your space.

00:42:20:06 - 00:42:53:10
Ron Jones: You know, we tried to stay as natural as we possibly could. We do have the Meadows, which have grandfathered hand dug irrigation systems in them, and the spring runoff provides the water that we need to assure each year's growth out there and the continued abundance that that provides for wildlife and for people who are visiting. I think maybe what you're referring to, the stream that flows through our property, which I mentioned before, we we enjoyed the senior water rights on that on that stream.

00:42:53:10 - 00:43:18:07
Ron Jones: And so it flows through our property and some of it is pulled out for irrigation. Then it soaks back in, finds its way back into the stream. It flows down a couple of miles from here and joins a larger stream that has a number of tributaries do. And then that flows on downstream about 40 miles and goes into what is the largest manmade reservoir in Colorado.

00:43:18:07 - 00:43:49:11
Ron Jones: And that's on the Gunnison River, and it's Blue Mesa Reservoir. Now, the Gunnison is a powerful river, and it's important, and it's a big tributary of the Colorado. And so automatically people know, okay, that that means it's something that's a big deal because the Colorado serves 40, 50 million people with their water needs across the West. And we all know the stories of how we're facing shortages due to the drought and growth and all of the other things that contribute to it.

00:43:49:12 - 00:44:14:15
Ron Jones: Well, it turns out that from our little stream that flows through here, that the moose drinks from the water that makes it to the Pacific from Mariposa meadows has been taken out and put back in 12 times by the time it reaches the Pacific, and then it evaporates and comes back to us in the form of those big snows and the summer rains.

00:44:14:15 - 00:44:31:18
Ron Jones: And we start all over again. We take that responsibility very, very much to heart, because we have to be stewards of that water at at its beginning. And we will always we will always do that.

00:44:31:20 - 00:44:57:03
Leslie Adkins: That is wonderful. I love that story. I want to make sure we got it in so I don't have a whole lot more other than, you know, choosing eco friendly furniture, things like low energy lighting and, you know, if you've got water features, energy efficient water pumps, that sort of thing. And then another thing that Ron can definitely speak to is sort of the electric and solar, how you, you know, can harvest that and for your own environments.

00:44:57:03 - 00:45:07:24
Leslie Adkins: He's done so magnificently there. But it's a critically important thing. Can you talk a little bit about how you are off the grid? Basically, yeah.

00:45:07:26 - 00:45:37:06
Ron Jones: You know, and we have 4000ft² of conditioned space with in three buildings. And so that speaks to the compact design and the very careful application of technologies that we that we put together. We're supplied off that ground mounted solar array that I mentioned. And we do have standby generation for emergencies and that sort of thing to protect our investment and make sure that people are safe.

00:45:37:09 - 00:46:11:03
Ron Jones: But additionally, we had to be very, very careful in our choice of products that are consumers of electricity. We're seeing an electric grill that's shown here, and that was a product that was recently recognized by Green Builder Magazine. And and we thought that it was a kind of a bellwether for things to come. Now, we don't have enough production of electricity to use an electric grill here, but we have a lot of appliances that depend on the electrical hookup.

00:46:11:03 - 00:46:36:06
Ron Jones: And without that, you know, we're not trying to be the Mecca for all of the seekers of the primitive campground. That's a wonderful experience, and we want to encourage that in people. But people who come to see us here, we want them to walk away with the feeling that they've been really treated and that that they've had luxury and comfort through the whole thing.

00:46:36:06 - 00:46:49:24
Ron Jones: So we're constantly working to refine the appliances and everything else that we use here, but we have to do it in a way that reflects the limitation of our own production here.

00:46:49:27 - 00:47:16:06
Leslie Adkins: Right, right. And then I would be remiss as, as the track's representative here, if I didn't get in a plug for how you how any user or any homeowner can apply these principles into your own backyard spaces. We offer a whole host of design tools. I encourage you, if you're in that, in that phase of looking for that, we can give you visualizer deck plans, a deck design tool.

00:47:16:06 - 00:47:36:04
Leslie Adkins: You can choose colors, all those sort of things if you are to do it yourself. Or we have a whole Trex Academy with videos that teach you in depth how to install our products. And of course, if you're not a DIY, we offer you chances to find the builder near you. So that's my marketing plug before we shift to Q&A.

00:47:36:06 - 00:47:36:27
Leslie Adkins: So.

00:47:36:29 - 00:48:01:23
Ron Jones: Well, let me add let me add to that, Leslie. Okay. The the design work that we received from the experts at tracks as we began this project were impeccable. They gave us all of the information that we needed for the concrete piers that support the steel in the substructure and all of the layout. Everything that we needed was prescribed.

00:48:01:23 - 00:48:22:02
Ron Jones: And this is not an easy setup. We we actually designed a pretty complex, complicated deck and walkways and those sorts of things. We have, you know, gated areas. And so it wasn't just a slam dunk, but everything that Trex provided us was spot on.

00:48:22:05 - 00:48:43:15
Leslie Adkins: Well, I appreciate hearing that. All of our team, I will share those kudos with them as well. But that same level of effort can be and you know, know how can be applied to everyone who's looking for a deck by track. So we are more than happy to serve that need regardless of the size of the project.

00:48:43:17 - 00:48:44:21
Ron Jones: Great.

00:48:44:23 - 00:48:53:02
Leslie Adkins: So I think it's where it's 250. Opening up to Q&A and is that being moderated?

00:48:53:04 - 00:48:55:09
Ron Jones: I think Sarah is going to help us with that.

00:48:55:15 - 00:48:56:19
Leslie Adkins: All right, Sarah.

00:48:56:24 - 00:49:17:26
Sara Gutterman: I'm going to be the off camera voice asking some questions. So the first question is for Ron. And then the second question Leslie will be for you. First, Ron, there are a few people that typed in questions about the solar system. They asked why you did a ground mount instead of a roof mount.

00:49:17:28 - 00:49:49:18
Ron Jones: Well, it wasn't because it's easier. If anything, it's a lot more difficult. I'll give you an example. We have 18 steel columns that support the solar system, and each one of those is in a concrete base. The total of those is almost 11 tons. It's 21,800 pounds, I think. And that secures and make sure that the, the big winds don't turn our solar system into a kite.

00:49:49:18 - 00:50:18:11
Ron Jones: But the reason that we ground mounted it was, was multifaceted. Number one, I'm very proud to tell you that the roofing system on these buildings, which is steel, metal, standing sea metal roof, does not have a single penetration of any kind for plumbing, vent or electricity or anything else. The roofs on these buildings should last close to a century.

00:50:18:12 - 00:50:45:11
Ron Jones: We didn't want to mount anything on the roof that would require traffic up there, or create a situation where we might have a failure or some leakage or something. The other reason that it was important to me to have it ground mounted is I want people to be able to get up close and personal. I want people to be in a position where any questions or issues that they have around renewable energy can be addressed.

00:50:45:12 - 00:51:02:24
Ron Jones: And finally, I also think personally that the system is is esthetically pleasing. It's very elegant and beautiful. So it really doesn't detract from the esthetics of the overall project.

00:51:02:26 - 00:51:15:20
Sara Gutterman: Thanks, Ron. The next question, Leslie, is for you as the head of ESG for Trex.

00:51:15:22 - 00:51:30:28
Sara Gutterman: We've had a couple of attendees ask if you could just point out a few of tracks, ESG related highlights, and any particular commitments that you're most proud of.

00:51:31:00 - 00:51:53:08
Leslie Adkins: You know, it's been an interesting journey because we track started as a company that was always using recycled materials. So some people might think that ESG then that's sort of a shoo in for ESG and ask is really so much bigger than that. You know, we came at it knowing that we were using recycled products or components to make our materials.

00:51:53:08 - 00:52:17:25
Leslie Adkins: But what it has opened up is a much broader view into the overall company and to all the ways that we can sort of address and improve our performances. I'm very proud that some of the water recycling we didn't early like lifecycle analysis and LCA years ago, we found that we were using a lot of water. And then a couple years later, we we brought this to the attention of the engineers.

00:52:17:25 - 00:52:45:11
Leslie Adkins: We came back and they fixed that, and we recycled 99% of the water that we're using. That's a big, important move we've made. We've built we've been in a capacity expansion mode for the past several years, and they've integrated some of that energy efficiency into that approach as well. And we've been able to show that our use, our energy efficiency and our missions efficiency has improved.

00:52:45:13 - 00:53:09:05
Leslie Adkins: We haven't yet been able to tackle the actual reduction of energy and reduction of admissions, but that emissions. But that is what we are focused on in the next phase. We're still fairly early in the ESG journey. Another area that I wanted to point out that we have made some headway is just on that sort of diversity and equity and inclusion.

00:53:09:06 - 00:53:44:01
Leslie Adkins: It it wasn't a real sort of it happened naturally, but until it became a focus and we were measuring against it. Nobody was really, you know, geared towards improving that. And over the past years we have had such a consistent and positive improvement along those lines that I'm particularly proud of. We have a long way to go in our ESG journey, but I'm very, very confident that the teams here attracts and the energy and passion that people have around it will get us to making much better improvements as we go forward.

00:53:44:04 - 00:53:51:21
Leslie Adkins: We have an established targets and so forth yet, but that's that is on our list to do in the very near future.

00:53:51:24 - 00:54:12:06
Sara Gutterman: Thanks, Leslie. Another question for you, Leslie. One reader or audience member has asked, can Trex materials be in direct contact with the ground, possibly for going directly from a hillside path onto a Trex deck or walkway?

00:54:12:09 - 00:54:27:05
Leslie Adkins: We don't recommend direct contact with the ground. We always recommend some sort of substructure in between for the stability as well. So that would be no, not direct ground contact.

00:54:27:07 - 00:54:38:03
Sara Gutterman: Thank you. Ron, I've got a couple quick questions for you. One one audience member asked how are you connected to the internet?

00:54:38:06 - 00:54:39:00
Sara Gutterman: Starlink.

00:54:39:01 - 00:54:40:00
Ron Jones: Its magic.

00:54:40:04 - 00:54:42:02
Sara Gutterman: Magic?

00:54:42:04 - 00:54:59:15
Ron Jones: I pretty much just go where I'm told. And I was told to set this this receiver up and and it works. We have we have a Starlink connection and that, you know, it kind of connects us with the rest of the universe I guess.

00:54:59:17 - 00:55:08:17
Sara Gutterman: All right. And here's another trick question. Oh, how many lots for sale and how much? Zero zero.

00:55:08:19 - 00:55:38:00
Ron Jones: Yeah, yeah. We we just want to have the the property stay intact. We do have some future plans, maybe for some additional hospitality, but we'll just tease you with that. Yeah. We don't have any intentions of, of of selling the property. But if whoever's asking the question be sure and contact us, and, and maybe we can make a connection with you so that you can come and visit.

00:55:38:03 - 00:55:45:10
Sara Gutterman: Speaking of which, that's the next question from a few readers. Okay. When can we come visit?

00:55:45:12 - 00:56:12:27
Ron Jones: We should be ready for prime time. Meaning the the beer should be cold and the and the grill should be hot by the end of the summer. And I will tell you that the prime season here is actually the fall from about the beginning of September through mid to late October is probably the most spectacular time of year to be here.

00:56:12:28 - 00:56:24:04
Ron Jones: Of course, it's really tough right now in the spring as well, but I would say that we'll be ready to to host small groups of people by the end of the summer.

00:56:24:06 - 00:56:34:18
Sara Gutterman: Super. So Leslie and Ron, it's about that time to start wrapping things up. Do you have any last final comments that you would like to make?

00:56:34:20 - 00:56:35:28
Ron Jones: Ladies first.

00:56:36:03 - 00:56:52:25
Leslie Adkins: Oh thank you. Ron, I just want to say thank you for the opportunity to talk about this incredible project, to share how Trex was able to contribute to it, and we're just delighted with the outcome. And, Ron, I hope to visit and I want to come during prime time.

00:56:52:27 - 00:57:17:02
Ron Jones: Okay. Well, my final comment would be that working with everyone that we've interacted with that tracks has been spectacular. And I want to really give a shout out to Mel Carlson and Doug Lind, who came here and spent more than a week and got us started right and made it possible for us to look really good with the outcome.

00:57:17:04 - 00:57:20:11
Ron Jones: And that extends to everyone else too.

00:57:20:14 - 00:57:31:27
Leslie Adkins: Yeah, absolutely. They, they, they so enjoyed their time there and they got us all looking, chomping at the bit. People are raising their hands. When can I go on that trip.

00:57:31:29 - 00:57:33:10
Ron Jones: We look forward to it.

00:57:33:12 - 00:57:36:09
Leslie Adkins: Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate it.

00:57:36:11 - 00:57:37:06
Ron Jones: Thank you.

00:57:37:11 - 00:58:05:03
Sara Gutterman: Leslie and Ron, thank you so much for sharing your time and your knowledge with us today. Also, thank you so much to our audience for attending and asking some great questions. Sorry we weren't able to get to all of them. Please join us for our next webinar, which will be on Wednesday, June 28th at 2 p.m. eastern with Josh Christianson, the CEO of Home Technology Association, on how builders can meet their clients technology expectations.

00:58:05:05 - 00:58:16:04
Sara Gutterman: Thanks so much, everyone, and thank you also to Mary Kestner, our production manager, for being the wizard behind the curtain and making this webinar and all others happen and hope everyone has a great day.

00:58:16:05 - 00:58:17:21
Ron Jones: Thanks, everybody.

00:58:17:23 - 00:58:18:09
Leslie Adkins: Bye.