For families working with Habitat for Humanity, a new home is only the first step. In the desert environment of Las Vegas, heating and cooling bills can be a significant expense. In order to be truly affordable and sustainable, the home must also be efficient.

Walter P Moore provided pro bono structural engineering services for the design of a sustainable prototype single family home for Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas. Two homes were built using the prototype design and are Habitat for Humanity’s first LEED Platinum homes in Nevada.

Walter P Moore contributed to the sustainability of the structure by using optimum value engineering (OVE) techniques. The principle of OVE is to efficiently engineer the framing rather than using traditional design which can be overly conservative and call for more wood than is required. OVE techniques create more space for insulation and increase the R value of the home, requiring less energy to heat and cool the space. The house has doubled the energy efficiency of a normal home.

Other sustainable strategies include solar powered hot water heaters, Low-E vinyl windows, Solatube skylights, protection of the south and west facing windows with overhangs, and energy efficient appliances. The homes also use green building materials and paints and each has a powerful air filtering system, making them healthier for the families to live in as well.