BY DAVID M. BROWN

The multi-phase development at Silverleaf, one of the Southwest’s premier luxury home golf communities, recently won Gold level certification by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) through the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard – the benchmark for sustainable single-family and multifamily homes, site development, and residential remodeling projects.

The 12-acre north Scottsdale community will eventually comprise 16 villas, 12 estates, and 180 condos. Under construction as phase one, the approximately 2,700–3,400-square-foot Villas include five three- or four-bedroom Mediterranean-style models, with Renaissance and Spanish Revival influences, designed by celebrated architect Bing Hu. Phases two and three will be sustainably built estates and luxury condominiums.

The 2,000 home sites in the master-planned Silverleaf community are highly sought after for their views of the mountains and city lights, Tom Weiskopf-designed championship golf course, 50,000-square-foot clubhouse with dining, health club and other lifestyle amenities, and sensitively planned tree-lined neighborhoods with surrounding parks. Hiking, biking and jogging trails access the McDowell Mountain Preserve, and the community is within minutes of some of Scottsdale’s finest entertainment, shopping and dining opportunities.

“Many people thought we were crazy to launch a luxury home development during one of the worst recessions ever, especially for Arizona real estate, but we’re selling Villas to local and out-of-town buyers looking for incredible value, unmatched natural beauty, and environmental sensitivity,” says Tanner Luster, president of Scottsdale-based Luster Custom.

In 2008, Sterling Silverleaf LLC acquired the project from the pre-recession developer and began building two models in June 2011. Within a few months, the community accepted the NAHB award, making it the first and only single-family new construction project in Arizona to be awarded Gold level certification by National Green Building Program (NAHBGreen). Fewer than 400 like projects in the nation have earned this distinction, Luster notes.

“Being the first homebuilder in Arizona to successfully earn a Gold rating with NAHBGreen for an entire community of new residences is the proudest accomplishment of my professional career,” says Luster, who was selected for the National Association of Home Builders 20 Club in 2011 and whose company also received 2010 and 2011 Angie’s List Top Service awards.

Approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard features a four-level certification system for rating green single- and multifamily homes as well as residential remodeling projects and site development projects. Created in 2007 by the NAHB and the International Code Council (ICC), the program awards projects Bronze, Silver, Gold or Emerald ratings based on their efficiency levels.

Sterling at Silverleaf met the Standard’s categories of green practice such as lot and site development, origin of building materials, indoor environmental quality, use of advanced building methods, homeowner education, and overall resource efficiency. When compared to a LEED-certified new construction project, NAHBGreen builds are actually more prescriptive to environmental health, Luster notes.

The Villas at Sterling at Silverleaf scored a rating of 56, exceeding the goal set forth by the Standard for all new construction homes by 14 points, explains Nathan Day, an Arizona native and president of Sterling Collection Development Group, who handles the day-to-day operations on the project.

He estimates that the Villas are 74 percent more efficient than most existing homes today, representing an approximate $1,347 in annual energy savings in contrast to the typical existing home, and $808 in annual energy savings over a typical new home.

“People ask about energy efficiency all of the time, even if they are not intensely green-conscious,” Luster says. “Everyone is concerned about costs.” He and Day estimate that the average electric bill at Silverleaf will be about $131 a month – impressive for a two-level 3,000+-square-foot home with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling view windows.

To attain these numbers, advanced energy-efficient strategies and technologies are broad-ranging, including insulated garage doors, pre-wiring for electric vehicles, and wood scraps innovatively used in a glulam-style interior posts.

For one, the Villas incorporate Gaco spray foam insulation, used by the Department of Defense and NASA. “This ensures zero air transfer,” Luster says, noting that 5 ½ inches of insulation is sprayed directly onto the roof trusses. In addition, wall cavities are completely filled – stud to stud, header to floor. “A typical 2,500-square-foot home without such insulation has about a half mile of cracks, which creates energy wastage,” he adds.

This method allows for all ductwork to be placed into conditioned attic space. “In many traditional homes, the ductwork, even if it is well insulated, is in hot spaces, which raises the temperature of the cold air being delivered to the living spaces,” Day adds. “Here, though, the air being delivered from the HVAC units is essentially unaffected by the areas it travels through to get to them.” He notes that Sterling also sprays the foam under the stairs and second floors for sound insulation.

Providing the climate control are Trane 22 SEER on-ground five-ton units. “We like to pick companies for their innovative technologies and also those with great track records in the desert,” Luster says. “We tested the best and chose Trane,” adding that the Trane FreshEffects system, which draws outside air in and cleans it, is eight times more effective than a HEPA filter.

Owners can control many of the lifestyle comforts through mobile technology or within the home. Each room has a mounted iPad tablet with touch systems iconized: HVAC, lights, shades, a record-keeping security system, and even music.

The homes use LEDs for cool, energy-efficient lighting. “Our calculations are that if the LEDs are on eight hours a day, they will last 15 years,” Luster says. “That means owners may never need to change any of them.” The homes realize about a 15 percent savings from the LED

Similarly, motorized shades can be programmed to close for seasonal comfort and savings.

All the while, the million-dollar-plus Villas offer luxury standard and optional features such as energy-efficient Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, Aegean shell counters, Cantera stone surrounds, custom cabinetry and wrought-iron work, spools by Catalina, and coffered ceilings.

“What’s really exciting about this community is the fact that it is the perfect combination of luxury living with cost-effective sustainable features that are in line with global environmental initiatives,” Luster says. “Sterling at Silverleaf defeats the notion that sustainability and luxury living cannot exist within the same space.”

VENDORS
SUB ZERO AND WOLF: appliances
DWELLING DESIGN: interior design
ACOUSTIC DESIGN: audio/video
IES ELECTRIC: electrical
CHISEL MARBLE AND GRANITE: countertops
SIERRA PACIFIC: windows and doors