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Upscale 'Tree House' uses green building technologies

16.01.2009
Using environmentally friendly products from 67 different companies, Vision Development has built an exceptionally green home in Studio City, California. Both a demonstration house and the actual residence of Vision owner Marty Meisler, was built "in partnership with a regional utility company through their Advanced Home Case Study Program." The California-based Vision Development should not be confused with the Colorado-based company of the same name.

The Project will have its invitation-only grand opening this Saturday.

The sponsoring companies providing products and services range from (whose products meet the Energy Star performance requirements typically found in computers and home appliances) to .

Among the more interesting technologies is the Power-Pipe Drain Water Heat Recovery (DWHR) system from . Extremely simple in concept, DWHR uses the heat from sink and shower drainage to warm up the incoming liquid headed for the water heater (and no, the clean and dirty water don't mix). According to RenewABILITY, this reduces the cost of heating water by 25 to 40 percent:

Neat technologies aside, green homes and building techniques are often expensive. And, as long as they remain expensive, they will only have a limited impact. Meisler estimates that the 2,400-square-foot, two-story, four-bedroom Tree House would sell for about US$1.8 million in today's market.