Family moves into green home

The Burns family didn't set out to make history when they purchased their new home in Las Vegas, but that's exactly what they did.

Ian and Kim Burns, and sons, Chris, 18, and Andrew, 16, became the first homeowners of a verifiable, certified green-built production home in Nevada when they purchased their new home in Pulte Homes' Timber Creek subdivision in northwestern Las Vegas.

They didn't set out to buy a green home, but seemingly it was their destiny. Ian Burns has worked for more than 20 years in quality assurance and environmental management, and Chris Burns did a research project in high school about sustainability that focused on a certified green office building in the Celebration community in Florida.

Originally from England, the family moved from Kissimmee, Fla., to Las Vegas last summer after enjoying many vacations over the years in Las Vegas.

"We're very proud, to come from England via Florida, and for Ian to have been involved in the environment for over 20 years, and then to be the first owners of a green home in Nevada. It's absolutely amazing, given the background," Kim Burns said.

Ian Burns was a manager of a government environmental program in England, and was responsible for addressing the environmental legacy of past coal mining in the United Kingdom, such as the construction of large mine water treatment plants and issues regarding potentially dangerous methane gases.

Twenty-four homes at Timber Creek have received green-built certification by the Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership, a program of the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association and the Green Building Initiative of Portland, Ore., established in 2005 to bring more environmentally sensitive home building to Nevada. The local requirements are based on the National Association of Home Builders' Model Home Green Building Guidelines.

"The Burns' purchase of this home is a milestone in the history of home building in our community," said Irene Porter, executive director of the SNHBA, which administers the Green Building Partnership program. "Congratulations to the Burns family as the first homeowners to live in a certified green-built production home. We wish them many years of enjoyment in their very special new home."

To qualify for green-built certification, the homes must meet stringent Green Building Partnership program requirements for resource, energy and water efficiency and indoor environmental quality, exceeding government codes and industry standards. Pulte Homes plans that all 78 homes at Timber Creek will achieve certification as green-built homes.

The homes also qualify for the city of Las Vegas Green Building Program and the Water Smart Home program, administered by the Southern Nevada Water Authority in partnership with SNHBA. Timber Creek homes are built to Environment for Living Diamond-level standards and qualify for that program's green certification. The community is the first in Southern Nevada to achieve EFL green certification.

Throughout the construction process, the homes are inspected by independent, third-party raters who verify that the requirements of the programs have been met.

"For years, Pulte Homes has worked tirelessly to raise the bar for environmentally sensitive home building in Las Vegas," said Nat Hodgson, vice president of construction for Pulte Homes' Las Vegas Division. "With this first-ever green-certified community, we are taking the lead in bringing a product to market that is better for the environment and meets the needs of an average family without sacrificing their comfort. Families like the Burns prove that there is consumer demand for greener homes and we anticipate this trend will continue."

Hodgson said the homes have blown-in cellulose insulation, 15-SEER-rated air conditioning and low-e dual-pane glass windows, among other features that are expected to save owners $60 to $80 per month on heating and cooling costs.

The homes are about 36 to 52 percent more energy efficient than homes of similar size in the Energy Star program. The homes are 50 to 74 percent more efficient in heating and cooling than the requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code-2004, and meet or exceed the requirements of the Federal Tax Credit bill.

On average, the homes emit 28 percent fewer pollutants, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, compared with nongreen homes, Hodgson said.

For the Burns family, earnest talk of moving to Las Vegas began several years ago. They said they agreed Las Vegas was a more comfortable fit for them than Florida.

"Even when you're a tourist, and clearly, we're from England, it's a pleasure to be here because of the interaction with the people. When you go off the Strip into the neighborhoods, you're treated like a local. We feel part of the community," Ian Burns said.

With their sights focused on Las Vegas by early 2007, Andrew Burns applied, auditioned and was accepted as a student at Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts, a Clark County School District magnet school for students in the ninth through 12th grades. Andrew is a guitarist with a love for jazz.

Chris Burns applied to and was accepted by the Honors College at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where his studies focus on mathematics, statistics, data and economics.

After house-hunting in May and June, the family chose a home at Timber Creek.

Kim Burns said she was impressed with the floor plan. In particular, she said she liked the kitchen, which flows into the family room.

Ian Burns said he was impressed by the fact that Pulte Homes is certified to ISO 9001:2000 (the International Standard for Quality Management.) As the head of environment and former top quality manager for the Nuclear Submarine Division of Rolls Royce Worldwide, that high level of efficiency helped seal the deal for him.

"To maintain certification to the ISO 9001 standard, Pulte Homes is required to demonstrate, via third-party verification, that they are customer focused, and are continually improving their standards. What that means is year-on-year improvement with robust systems in place to deal with any issues that may arise. This, of course, leads to greater customer satisfaction," Ian Burns said. "The quality shows through and demonstrates Pulte's commitment to sustainable development, but at the same time being pragmatic and economical."

The Burns family purchased their home in June and watched it being built. By early fall, they saw new signage at the subdivision stating Timber Creek was Built Green.

"Certainly, we knew the homes were very energy efficient, but this was an added bonus for us," Kim Burns said of the green features. In addition to energy efficiency, green building requires resource and water efficiency and a high standard of indoor environmental quality to minimize and manage potential pollutants in a home. There's more about the details of the Green Building Partnership program at snhba.com via a link on the right side of the home page.

The Burns clan moved into their new home in early November, about the same time the Green Building Partnership certified that the home met the requirements of the program.

"It's an honor to welcome Ian and Kim Burns and their sons to Ward 6 and Timber Creek, and I applaud their appreciation of a green-built home," said Las Vegas Councilman Steven D. Ross, who represents Ward 6. "It's very gratifying to have the first certified green-built home in Southern Nevada within the city of Las Vegas, and we hope the Burns are the first of many more residents to come to appreciate sustainable communities."

Timber Creek is located on Ann Road, east of Rainbow Boulevard. Floor plans range from 2,559 to 3,799 square feet, and prices start in the $320,000s.

For additional information, call 655-2109 or visit pulte.com.