What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?
All local materials were used and it is off grid and solar powered. Energy seal insulation was used as well. There is a leech field which easily grows "Hopi" Corn, squash & beans for your own food in addition to any livestock which could easily adapt to the property. (Swine is NOT allowed)Property Description
UPDATE! The home is no longer occupied. Rob left Los Angeles in the summer of 2003 on a fateful journey to northern Arizona. After visiting the Grand Canyon, he took a tour of Montezuma’s Castle, a local archaeological site that showcases one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America.
This 20-room, five-level “apartment” — built by the Sinagua people 1,000 years ago — is a wonder of ingenuity and craftsmanship, and it got Robert thinking about his own desire for an Arizona home.
Staking a Claim
Robert purchased a 28-acre lot in Coconino County’s Howard Mesa Ranch, located between Sedona, Ariz., and the Grand Canyon. The ranch is a collection of 10- to 40-acre lots that border a national forest.
The lot was situated on dry, open grassland sprinkled with pinion pine and juniper. Herds of elk and antelope could often be found grazing in the area. Plus, the land has spectacular views of the highest mountains in Arizona, the San Francisco Peaks.
But, now that he had the perfect spot for his cabin, he needed to figure out what his cabin would be.
Size and footprint were the first considerations. “I sat down and decided that I don’t need that much space to be comfortable,” says Rob. “So I decided on a two-bedroom, one-bath plan with a traditional ranch design.”
The next questions for Robert: How and what? “I stressed to my general contractor that whenever possible, I wanted to use local materials and have the optimum energy-efficient construction techniques.”
Going Off the Grid
“When planning the project, I wanted it to be green from the get-go. As it was my escape pad from L.A., I felt that I needed to go all the way with this and have my own sources of fuel, water and power.”
Since Robert wanted an off-grid and self-sufficient cabin, he decided to go with solar, rather than generators, as his primary energy source.
Going off the grid wasn’t just a smart move environmentally; it was also a cost saver. If Robert decided to get electricity from the local utility company, he would have had to pay about $17,000 just to get the power line to his property.
But that doesn’t mean building a solar cabin was easy ... or cheap.
“The County decided that since so many people in the area were taking on solar projects, they wanted to make sure to make it as safe as possible. They had a fear of fire danger from the electronic components in the home, so they required a special room to be used for the solar inverters, batteries and controllers. This threw me a major curve ball that I did NOT budget for!”
Solar Shopping
Still, Rob pressed forward with his plans, picking the brain of an electrician friend and then shopping around on the Internet for pricing on the equipment he needed.
“I have three 90-watt panels, four 12-volt batteries, an 1800-watt inverter, a digital controller mounted on a pole on the roof which tracks with the sun. “Also, there is plenty of wind in the area, so a turbine is a serious option down the line.”
Rob estimates he spent around $4,500 on the solar portion of the cabin, not including the construction of the county-mandated special room to house the solar equipment. And while solar panels and inverters are generally on the expensive side, the U.S. Department of Energy claims that most users recoup the initial cost through the substantial utility cost savings within 15 years.
Saving Money . . . and Energy
Rob also found ways to save money in other aspects of construction. “I used plywood siding made from local lodge pole pine for the construction. This was less expensive than the log cabin route, and provides better insulation while protecting old growth forests. I also used local flagstone for flooring as opposed to more expensive travertine, which has to be shipped in from other regions.”
And even after dealing with the myriad mistakes and setbacks common to any construction project, Rob still feels he’s made the right decision to build his green cabin in the shadow of the Grand Canyon.
“I’m reminded of what my friend Jonathon Day (a Hopi Elder) said, that ‘the Colorado Plateau is sacred land.’”
And when the sun rises each morning on Montezuma’s Castle, that ancient wonder of ingenuity and craftsmanship, it now also rises on Rob’s cabin — one built with the ingenuity and craftsmanship of modern times.
Neighborhood Description
The closest neighbor is about one mile West. There is an unobstructed view of the San Fransisco Peaks which are eighteen miles to the East. The closest facilities including a hardware store and post office are Eight miles away. Most of the people in the area raise cattle.Market Area
Williams is a rural town of less than 10,000 people. It features the oldest continuously operated Hotel West of the Mississippi. There is a tourist based economy with buildings from the 1800's and a railroad complete with Steam Engines which go to and from the Grand Canyon.School District
Community
Location of Home or Land
Rural
Elevation of Home
Mountain
Air Quality
| Agriculture in Area | yes |
| Industry in Area | no |
| Air Pollution in Area | no |
| Pesticide Free | yes |
| Fragrance Free | yes |
| Cleaned with Green Products | yes |
Interior Environment
| Heating System | Wood Stove |
| Cooling System | Passive Cooling |
| Ventilation System | Whole House Fan |
| Whole House Filtration | None |
| Whole House Vacuum | no |
Energy & Water
| Energy System | Off the Grid |
| Water System | Rain Water Collection |
| Wastewater System | Septic System |
Construction Information
| Exterior Finish | Wood |
| Interior Finish | Gypsum Board - Sheet Rock |
| Interior Paint | No VOC |
| Floor Material | Wood - Solid |
| Roof Material | Asphalt Composition Shingle |
| Window Material | Metal Dual Glazed |
| Insulation Material | Urethane Foam |
Garage / Car Port
| Garage / Carport | no |
| Garage Type | carport_detached |
| Number of Cars | 1 |
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