In September 2013, we posted a blog called Las Vegas: Bright Lights, Green City? questioning how energy efficient a place nicknamed “Sin City” could actually be. That post focused primarily on the growth of LEED-certified buildings in the city. Here we are now, and I see that the 2015 New American Home will debut at the International Builders Show in – where else – Las Vegas…actually, Henderson, which is about 20 minutes southeast of Las Vegas.

Before we learn about the 2015 New American Home, let me back up a bit.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) hosts the International Builders Show every year, with the location of the event switching between Las Vegas and Orlando every two years. Since its inception in the early 1940s, NAHB has served as “the voice of America’s housing industry.” Its primary goals are to ensure that housing is a national priority and that all Americans have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, whether they choose to buy a home or rent. NAHB is headquartered in Washington, DC, and maintains many regional home builders associations throughout the country.

The International Builders Show (IBS) is the largest annual construction show in the world. Last year, NAHB co-hosted the event with the National Kitchen and Bath Association and welcomed over 1,700 exhibitors to the first annual Design & Construction Week. More than 75,000 attendees from across the globe participated!

The New American Home is a cutting-edge feature at IBS that draws thousands of visitors. Produced and presented by the NAHB Leading Suppliers Council, the New American Home is a custom-built home that demonstrates “Builders’ Best Practices” – i.e., concepts, materials, designs, and construction techniques that can be replicated – in whole or in part – in housing built any place and in any price range. Moreover, the New American Home boasts the latest in technology, energy efficiency, and sustainability. You may not have heard of Henderson, NV, located 13 miles from the Las Vegas Convention Center (where the IBS show will be held), but you can see a spectacular view of the Las Vegas skyline from the home. You’ll see this in the video snippets below. I attended a wedding in Henderson last year and thought it was an absolutely beautiful area.

Why is the 2015 New American Home so interesting? Let’s take a look at some of the expected specifications. For starters, the home is expecting to achieve the following certifications and honors:

• HERS Score of 22
• National Green Building Standard – Emerald Level Certification
• US DOE Energy Star Certification
• US DOE Challenge Home
• US EPA Indoor airPLUS
• US DOE Build America Program
• Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership
• Water Smart Home Program (SNWA/SNHBA)

The home’s green building features include solar photovoltaic panels and closed spray-foam insulation that also reduces sound transmission through plumbing walls. It includes a weather-sensitive irrigation system that automatically adjusts usage relative to the immediate climate, tankless water heaters, hydronic air handlers, intelligent fireplaces, and sustainable building materials. What’s also cool about the home is that it includes many of the products from NAHB supplier members. That’s a great way to recognize suppliers and showcase the real-world application of their products in this impressive home.

If you’d like to watch the production of the 2015 New American Home, NAHB posted a series of videos on YouTube that go through the design and building stages.

The 2015 New American Home – Phase 1

The 2015 New American Home – Phase 2

The 2015 New American Home – Phase 3 

The 2015 New American Home – Phase 4

The 2015 New American Home – Phase 5

The 2015 New American Home will be open for free guided tours during the IBS show. Complimentary shuttle bus tickets will be distributed from the New American Home booth located in the central concourse at the show. Tickets will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis. It is recommended to visit the New American Home booth on the morning of the day you want to take the tour, but I suspect that the tickets will go quickly! Buses will leave every 30 minutes, with the last bus departing at 3:30 p.m. each show day. If you have the time, go on the tour! It will be worth it. It’ll be a really cool experience.

On that note, if you haven’t registered for the IBS show yet, the early registration deadline is TOMORROW, December 5th. The pricing is $50 (expo pass) for members and $100 for non-members. The expo pass increases to $150 for non-members after Friday. View full details on the Builder’s Show website. It’s pretty darn affordable, in the grand scheme of things, and will make for an awesome experience, both from a networking standpoint and an educational standpoint.

So…as the 2015 New American Home functions as a cool takeaway for IBS show participants, I hope this post performed its function to get you excited about IBS and take advantage of the registration discount that ends tomorrow! Will you be there? January 20-22 in Las Vegas – let us know about your experience!