I am writing this blog sitting in the kitchen of VISION House Los Angeles. It is so peaceful in here at 7am (appropriate as it is located on Via de la Paz, or Path of Peace. Today is June 10, 2012 and in about 3 1/2 hours we open for the Grand Opening. 

I want to take a second to thank all the amazing people who have been involved in this project. The House turned out beautiful. Our builders, Structure Home, who work with such integrity and detail, the architects, designers, landscapers, investors, sponsors -both National and Local, all the people working on the systems and lighting in the House, the very patient neighbors, the community of Pacific Palisades who have shown such enthusiam for the project and to everyone who has had any hand in making this VISION House what it is - much gratitude and thanks to you all! - Heather Wallace, Director VISION House Projects for Green Builder Media.

Onto the final stretch...

#9. JM Spider custom insulation and JM Corbond MCS SPF were used to insulate VISION House Los Angeles. The Spider product is made of 75% fiber glass - a renewable resouce - and this particular fiber glass is formaldehyde-free which improves indoor air quality. The Corbond product is made of 13% pre- and post-consumer recycled content. It helps to increase energy efficiency.

 JM Corbond MCS SPF being installed in the attic at VISION House Los Angeles.

#8. Lighting. Kichler Lighting provided the majority of our lighting for VISION House Los Angeles. Both LED and Florescent lighting were used. Included are some beautiful lighted fans and pendants (shown in the kitchen below). The landscape lighting is so beautiful at night - lighting up all the lovely landscaping and water features.

 Photo by LathamArchitectural.com

#7. Cisco Brothers has furnished the House. And there are some really great pieces. Below is a photo of the drafting table that I think I NEED for myself. Additionally there are couches, structurally cool chairs, interesting side tables and much more.

#6. DuPont Zodiaq countertops. Between the appliances, water fixtures, cabinets and the countertops the kitchen in VISION House Los Angeles is pretty amazing looking. Using two colors in the kitchen Zodiaq is an extremely durable product and very easy to keep clean.

 Photo by LathamArchitectural.com

#5. Trane suite of products including the XLi15 air conditioner shown in the photo below. 

    Photo by LathamArchitectural.com

#4. Schlage handlesets. Most people don't think too much about the door handles they use everyday but it's amazing the different look an entire house can have by using one handle style over another. VISION House Los Angeles uses these lovely handlesets throughout the project.

 Photo by LathamArchitectural.com

#3. Scan and Hollywood Sequel carpeting by Bentley Prince Street. With a "Mission Zero" commitment to eliminate any negative impact their company may have on the environment by the year 2020 their products were a perfect fit for VISION House Los Angeles.

 Photo by LathamArchitectural.com 

#2. A healthy, energy-efficient environment. With a plethora of Energy-Star qualified products VISION House Los Angeles has achieved a variety of verification goals. 

#1. Every single person who contributed to this project. We could literally spend the next week naming off people who have helped with VISION House Los Angeles. First and foremost, the Structure Home staff deserves a huge thanks. Accounting, marketing, project managers, office assistants - you know who you are! We are so thankful for all of you! There are team members of all our sponsors who have helped in one way or another, reps who come out to the open houses, community members, council members, schools, teachers, laborers, landscapers, electricians, plumbers, truck drivers, cleaners, greeters...so many people to thank. But because of all of you and your hard work this project has been a success. From all of us at Green Builder Media we give you our most heartfelt thanks. 

 Photo by LathamArchitectural.com

We're excited to give you a peek at some of the plants and greenery that will be showcased in the landscape design at VISION House Los Angeles supplied by Monrovia. 

 Midnight Rose Coral Bells

 Maiden Grass

 The Ravers Cherry Frost African Daisy

 Orange Stalked Bulbine

 Tip Top Aeonium

 Purple Haze Summer Lilac

 Ghost Plant

...Not to Miss the Grand Opening of VISION House Los Angeles! (#10-#16) 

We are a week away, believe it or not! We hope you will make it out to our Grand Opening Event on Sunday, June 10 from 11am to 5pm. Come see what the fuss is all about.

16. What is that bright orange stuff I keep seeing in the construction photos? ANSWER: Schluter-DITRA. This product was designed specifically for ceramic tile and dimension stone installations. It serves as an uncoupling layer, waterproofing membrane, and vapor management layer that accommodates moisture from beneath the tile covering and provides support/load distribution for the tile covering.

You won't be able to see it but Schluter-DITRA is installed underneath all the Porcelanosa tile.

15. Imagine being able to get up on a cold winter morning without your slippers and walk across the hardwood floor without your feet freezing...well, that's what you get with Uponor's Radiant Floor Heating system. The water in a hydronic radiant floor system has the capacity to transport energy 3,500 times greater than air, so it can heat (and even cool) using less energy than a forced-air system. 

14. The Noritz NRC98 Series Residential Condensing Tankless Water Heater is Eco-Friendly and reduces carbon emissions. If every U.S. household installed a Noritz tankless water heater, it would equate to the CO₂ savings of taking approximately 6.7 million cars off the road.

13. A really "cool" roof.  

Custom-Bilt Metals Titan Cool Roof reflects up to 70% of the sun’s energy and reduces cooling costs by up to 20%.  Even roofs in darker colors can serve energy and meet ENERGY STAR® requirements. And that IS cool. 

 Weatherized Copper color (shown in photo) is used on VISION House Los Angeles. 

12. Toilets and faucets that save water. Whether it's a low flow showerhead or a dual-flush toilet, Kohler is constantly designing products to help you save money, energy and the environment. Many products in VISION House Los Angeles are WaterSense labeled.

11. The Maytag High-Capacity Maxima Front-Load Laundry Pair. Whew, that was a mouthful. This washer model uses up to 82% less wter and 84% less energy (Compared to pre-2004 traditional top-load washers) and meet CEE Tier III qualifications. It can also handle a whopping 29 towels per load.

10. Paint that is good for the environment. 

Mythic Paint is the only paint that is not required to carry a warning label. This is because it is a zero-voc, non-toxic paint. It is created in a zero-emissions facility and the containers are made of recyclable plastic.  

Come back next week as we finish up the countdown and OPEN! We are so excited!