Cool Houses Austin » Living Green

Southwest Austin Boasts New Eco-Friendly Homes!

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:05:38 +0000

Green is blooming all over Austin and it is not just from all our recent rains! Several new eco-friendly green built neighborhoods are popping up all over southwest Austin and the new models are opening this spring. Come check out the new model at Las Casas Verdes which will feature 20 homes designed to meet LEED certification and Austin Green Building program standards. So what does this mean for the new homeowner who purchases one of these beautiful homes? How about not only a home made from eco-friendly and recycled materials, but one which boasts a 2200 gallon rainwater collection system, a 3-kilowatt solar panel system, metal roof, bamboo floors, and concrete countertops, and of course Energy Star appliances—all high tech ways to go green and a very livable 1800 sq. foot unique layout. Prices are starting in the mid $300,000s. Las Casas Verdes (which means Green Homes) are located very conveniently just off South Brodie on Sache Cove and Longview Rd. And if you are thinking of moving here and would like more info on other green neighborhoods or green homes, give us a call at Cool Houses Austin 512-665-7778. Spring is a wonderful time of year to move to Austin!

Dick Nichols Park Austin, Tx.

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:06:42 +0000

If you are thinking of living in Southwest Austin, do yourself a favor and check out this beautiful park where you can hike and bike on a well-kept 2 mile trail, play tennis, basketball, volleyball with a sand-pit, take the kids to the elaborate playground, and even swim in an outdoor heated pool year-round! The pool is free in the summer and has a $1 entry fee for children and seniors in the fall, winter, and spring. Regular winter adult admission to the pool is a nominal $2.00. What a bargain! There are also large reservable areas for large groups and parties. Dogs on leash are welcome in the park as well, so bring your furry companions for a run!

Hike and Bike Trail Dick Nichols Park winds through delightful oaks and cedars. A truly delightful park for southwest Austin residents to enjoy! Come out and play!

The photos below show the incredible size of the pool with its many lap lanes and for those who prefer a more leisurely pace, there is a huge open swim area that is reserved for those who prefer to do water aerobics or perhaps swim with their children. Both sides of the pool are heated in the winter swim season (October through May).

Dick Nichols Park is located at 8011 Beckett between Convict Hill and Davis Lane. From Mopac, take William Cannon West to Beckett and go (left) South on Beckett.

Dick Nichols Pool

A gorgeous fall day at Dick Nichols Pool

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

admin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:09:12 +0000

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center is a native plant botanical garden located in Southwest Austin just off Loop 1. With its incredible array of native plants, water features including an aquaduct and viewing tower, it truly is a delightful treasure for Austin! And don’t forget to check out its art gallery to see what is currently on display. Until October 4 you will find the wonderful, magical origami of Joan Son. Some of her images are below. What a joy to behold an 8 ft. kimono made out of 900 pieces of paper!

And for you gardening buffs, be sure and mark your calendars for October 9-11. It is the center’s Fall Plant Sale & Gardening Festival! Sure to be a hit!

Earth Robe by Joan Son

Home Depot’s Do-It-Herself Workshops

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:22:17 +0000

Hey want to attend a really cool workshop and learn about how to make your outdoor area a very cool and beautiful oasis this spring and summer? Well, check out the workshops that Home Depot offers to “women- do- it- herselfers! This Thursday night at 7 pm, at Austin area Home Depot stores, they will be teaching about outdoor plants in the Central Texas area, organic gardening, and much more: From their site:

Yard and Garden Maintenance

This month, our FREE Do-It-Herself workshop focuses on your outdoor space. Join women in your community as you learn all the skills you need to unlock your creativity while you grow and maintain a yard that reflects your style.

Workshop Highlights:

Effective watering and fertilizing techniques
Creating colorful accents with containers and baskets
Go organic and grow your own vegetables

Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Austin Adopts Zero Waste Plan

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:25:46 +0000

The city of Austin is the first city in the state of Texas to adopt a zero waste plan. What does that mean?According to Jessica King, sustainability administrator for the City of Austin’s Solid Waste Services Department, …it is no longer a ’waste’. We call it a commodity now…a different way of thought on how we look at trash”. The city transitioned in October to single stream recycling (allowing users to put all recyclable materials into one big “blue” bin) for twice monthly pick-up and the number of tons of recycling collected has already doubled! According to the Solid Waste Services dept, nearly 80% of residents of Austin are now participating. The city hopes to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill by 20% by 2012. Can it work? The city has only to look at San Francisco where 90% of their trash is diverted from the local landfills and know that yes, we can do it, too! So get that big blue bin, and rinse out those cans, bottles, plastic trays, and containers..Do it for your city, your children, and for the planet. Make it a family Earth Day project to see how much difference you can make in your household. We did and it is amazing to see how little we actually put in our “normal” dumpster. We are down to one bag per week and are working on eliminating that, too. Our big blue bin is overflowing and we look forward to the day when the weekly pick-up is for the big blue and the twice monthly or less for the “trash”. Until then, happy recycling!

What is Organic?

admin — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:05:39 +0000

We read about the word “organic” as a label applied to food all the time? But what does it reallymean? According to US Dept. of Agriculture, organic means “meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products which come from animals that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones”. Organic food or produce is produced “without using pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation”. Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it? Just the thought of eating vegetables grown in sewage sludge makes us pretty queezy…let alone radiation of plants? So where to buy organic in Austin? Most of our local supermarkets carry an organic produce section and we have a plethora of specialty markets for our Austin area like Central Market Westgate, Sun Harvest, Newflower Farmers Market , and of course, the wonderful flagship store of Whole Foods (located downtown on 6th and Lamar) where you can eat in one of their incredible cafes, have a cooking lesson, listen to live music, and shop organic til you drop! And if you are downtown on a Saturday, don’t miss the Austin Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 9am to 1pm on 4th and Guadalupe….yummy treats! And so good for you, too!

Austin Named Community Wildlife Habitat

admin — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:30:35 +0000

Once again, the city of Austin is honored! On March 12th, Mayor Bill Wynn and the city council accepted the National Wildlife Federations’ offiicial certification as a Community Wildlife Habitat. This makes Austin the first Texas city and the largest metropolitan city in the nation to be so honored! The main focus of the National Wildlife Federation Habitat program is to benefit plants, wildlife, and people through the creation of sustainable landscapes that require little or no pesticides, fertilizers or excess watering. And best news of all is that you can have your very own garden or yard certified as a wildlife habitat! Get officially recognized and the very cool sign to display in your yard by simply providing food, water, places for cover(shrubs, etc), places to raise young (again grasses or shrubs or nesting areas, and sustainable gardening(compost, mulch,etc) For more information on the project, simply click here: National Wildlife Federation

Nation’s Largest Solar Panel Array Coming to Austin

admin — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:10:36 +0000

The Austin City Council voted unanimously on March 5 to contract with San Fransico based Gemini Solar Development Company to produce up to 30 MW of sloar power over the next 25 years. The facility will be located in east Austin and will be the nation’s largest solar panel arrary in existence! It is expected to be online by 2010 and according to City Council staff, it will produce no carbon emissions, no fuel cost, and its energy production will create more green jobs in the Austin metro area and help hand the peak demand needed in our hotter summer months.

Save $$ on Your Heating Bills This Winter

admin — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:53:51 +0000

Here at Cool Houses Austin, we recently enrolled in an Eco-Broker course taught in Austin and are so excited to share some of the information with our readers. Did you know that you can install some of these home improvements rather easily, save money on your utility bills and get reimbursed from your local utility company to boot? For example, you can cut 60-70% of the heat coming in your windows by simply installing solar screens on those west facing windows? And in our long, hot Texas summers, that could amount to a significant savings. You ask but what about this winter? Well, something as simple as sealing and caulking all those little cracks around windows, doors, and your ductwork can give you huge savings for both summer and winter! And even better, you can get up to $1575 in rebates from Austin Energy for doing the improvements on their list! A short excerpt follows from their site at www.austinenergy.com

A Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® Rebate covers up to 20% of the cost of certain improvements—up to $1575.

(Austin Energy) offer rebates on these improvements:

Air conditioner or heat pump (14 SEER/11.5 EER or greater)
Duct repair and sealing
Additional attic insulation
Solar screens, window film, and Low-E glass
Caulking and weather stripping
Attic radiant barrier/reflective material

Bonus: Extra 20% rebate for air conditioner and heat pump

And don’t forget when you get ready to market your home, these improvements can certainly make yours stand out from all the others on the market. And if you are buying a home, these energy saving features are definitely criteria you would want to add to your list of must-haves! So give us a call at Cool Houses Austin, we would love to share information about how you can save money and ”green” up your home at the same time!

Article by Vicki E. Phillips

Hybrid Homes on the Rise in Austin Tx!

admin — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:45:53 +0000

Okay, you have heard of hybrid cars but hybrid homes? And of course, there is no better place to find them than in Austin, Texas! Our builders are going greeen in a big way here!

From the Austin Statesman November 9, 2008, Hybrid Homes Becomes Selling Tool, …”In Austin, custom homebuilders like Ray Tonjes are adding energy-saving features like thicker insulation, sealed attics and ductwork, and dual-speed air conditioner compressors to meet customer demand for more energy-efficient houses. Some companies do nothing but green-built homes. And the city has the nation’s pioneering green building certification and education program, as well as an aggressive incentive program for energy-efficient appliances. In Austin, Georgetown and other Central Texas cities, entire subdivisions are filled with energy-efficient homes”….For more on the Hybrid Homes, see the article in its entirety at www.statesman.com

In most new construction or even remodeled homes here, you will find features like Energy Star appliances, tankless hot water heaters, scored and stained concrete floors and sometimes concrete counter tops along with compact fluorescent lighting that is cool and super energy efficient! Did you know that if every American replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star Rated fluorecent bulb that we could save enough energy to light more than 3 Million homes a year! Isn’t that incredible? See www.energystar.gov for more cool info on Energy Star ratings and how you can help the planet and save yourself big bucks along the way!

And if you need help in finding that very cool, very green, energy efficient new home, call on us at Cool Houses Austin! We love our city and our planet! And of course, we would also love to show off some of our coolest hybird houses!