Picture yourself living next to a freeway.
Now picture yourself in a house that could just as easily be in a green meadow miles from town.
Thanks to modern technology, that’s possible.
The Scott home is just yards away from one of the busiest sections of the H-1 Freeway.
But when you walk indoors, you would never guess that.
"We installed the type of window that has improved acoustics in terms of allowing less sound to enter into the house because the panes of glass are differing thicknesses,” said Evan Fujimoto of Graham Builders.
There was much more work to do on the home to make it livable – considering its location.
Graham Builders put in extra insulation in the ceiling and walls not only to help cut down on exterior noise, but to keep the house cool.
That plan also included a light gray colored roof to reflect the sun except where solar panels were put in place to cut down on electricity costs.
"We started with 9 panels, knowing that we might need more panels for more power but we haven’t seen the house under a real thermal load yet. The house is cool,” said John Scott, homeowner.
John and Fran Scott pay $16 a month for electricity.
Part of that is because they use natural gas for cooking. But part of it has to do with new lighting.
"In the mornings, just tremendous lighting in here. It just lights up the day and of course, we’re morning people so this is a great start for us in the mornings. And in the evenings, as the sun sets and this golden light comes through the mango tree from our neighbor,” said Scott.
A tankless water heater and creative window placement.
The builders also had to be aware of the neighborhood.
"We had to be sensitive to the existing buildings around this neighborhood and we wanted to come up with a design that would fit in nicely. Obviously, you can’t take a typical plan that you’d probably see in a large sub-division and just plunk it down right here,” said Fujimoto.
A home in the shade of the freeway and you would never know.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
