texas lueders limestone
Keeping It Local
What is green design? LEED for Homes gives credit points for sourcing materials within 500 miles. Within 500 miles of Houston, Texas, however, there are no appliances made. Selecting domestic materials and equipment means reducing transport emissions from overseas imports and supporting not only our local economy, but that of our country.
A primary mission of the design was to use natural materials that are highly durable, easy to maintain, contain recycled content, and do not produce toxins that affect the indoor air quality. The construction components—stone, terrazzo, wood, and paint, for example—are VOC-free. The metal siding and roofing, aluminum windows, and interior trim all content recycled metal and are produced locally or domestically. Throughout construction, unused portions of the building materials were collected and recycled, resulting in 65% of the waste material being diverted from landfills.
Key accomplishments:
- Recognized the benefits of supporting local manufacturing for architecture and raised awareness of this practice with material suppliers, product manufacturers, and architects
- Launched the issue into the national spotlight with media coverage in print and digital outlets
- Contributed practical knowledge of building with American materials to the Material Resource Center’s Made in Houston catalogue and on-line database for local products
““One of her American-made discoveries came when she was looking for T-bar pultruded grating for some of her custom stairwells and walkways. After learning that the local manufacturer she initially selected began outsourcing production to Mexico, she searched for another supplier. In concert with Vince Pena of Diamond Services, Strongwell designed and created a slightly-modified version of its commercial T-bar grating for her custom residential needs. The final product met her design specifications while maintaining her conviction to support American manufacturing jobs.””
Materials (manufacturing location)
Sinker Cypress: Cedar Creek Wood Products (Louisiana, USA)
Aluminum windows: Ram Industries (Texas, USA)
Aluminum windows and doors: Fleetwood (California, USA)
Terrazzo flooring aggregate: Bilbrough Marble Company (Texas, USA)
Metal roof and siding: Berridge (Texas, USA)
Limestone: Aguado Stone Inc. (Texas, USA)
Glass: Cardinal (Texas, USA)
Gypsum board: Temple Inland (Texas, USA)
Air conditioning and heating: American Standard (Texas, USA)
Soy foam insulation: Demilec (Texas, USA)
Appliances: Wolf (Wisconsin, USA)
Ceramic tile: Clayhaus (Oregon, USA)
Ceramic Tile: Fireclay Tile (California, USA)
Corian countertops: Dupont (New York, USA)
Paint: Sherwin Williams (Georgia, USA)
Skylight: Velux (South Carolina, USA)
Hunley Faucets: Waterstone (California, USA)
Water collection system: Norwesco (Minnesota, USA)
Fiberglass grating: Strongwell (Virginia, USA)
Fencing: Torres Fence Company (California, USA)
Plant supplier: New Nurseries (Texas, USA)