PRE-WEB ARCHIVES:
No. 28, Spring/Summer 1989
Desert Architecture
By Richard G. Brittain and Martin M. Karpiscak
"...conservation can occur at both home and community levels with no significant impact upon present lifestyles." |
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A number of interested parties have joined forces to design and construct a house that will serve as a model of water conservation and energy efficiency for the general public, developers, homebuilders, the business community, and government officials. Desert House will be occupied by a family and will have a public demonstration and education center attached. The house is to be located at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. The conceptual design phase has been completed and fund raising has begun for the subsequent phases. Desert House will demonstrate that water- and energy-efficient features can be incorporated aesthetically and economically into single-family homes without reducing their sales appeal and residents' quality of life. Commercially practical concepts, methods, materials, and equipment will be used in the design, construction, and operation of the house and its landscaping. Current participants in the project include the city of Phoenix, Salt River Project, Desert Botanical Garden, Valley Partnership (a consortium of development and related organizations in the Phoenix area) and the University of Arizona's Office of Arid Lands Studies and College of Architecture. DescriptionWater Efficiency(Back to top) Strategies for water conservation include the following:
Energy Efficiency(Back to top) The following strategies have been selected to accomplish these goals:
Education(Back to top) Desert House information brochures will offer simple, practical approaches in a how-to format, emphasizing the positive aspects of water and energy efficiency, its costs, and its application to the visitors' residences. Project Goals(Back to top) |
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UA College of Architecture assistant research professor Richard G. Brittain specializes in resource conservation in desert architecture. Martin M. Karpiscak, associate research scientist in the Office of Arid Lands Studies, specializes in water conservation in residential and agricultural settings.
Desert Botanical Garden "Desert House" Project
(http://www.dbg.org/4/dh/desert_house.html)
Since original publication of this article in 1989, the Desert House has been constructed as planned at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona. These web pages provide current information about various aspects of the Desert House project.
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