Vern and Debbie Jahnke's Green Dream Home

Every element of the redesign reflects the Janhkes' goal of reducing the production of waste. Photo Credit: Vern Jahnke

Vern and Debbie Jahnke lost their Claremont home in the Grand Prix fire that destroyed 194 houses in the San Bernardino area, in 2003. Instead of being devastated by their loss, they decided to use it as a motivation for a new beginning, a greener one.

A few months before the catastrophe, the Janhkes had visited an environmental architect to discuss the possibility of renovating their home to make it more energy saving. Little did they know how handy that conversation would come in a few month later when they had to decide on how to rebuild their house, completely burned by the fire.

The fire caught on their bamboo fence, burned it very fast and spread into the house. Ironically, in the reconstruction, they decided to use a bamboo floor which is safer than wood floors because it's very compressed and dense and will not burn as readily. In addition, bamboo grows much faster than oak, so it is more sustainable as well.

Everything in this house is meant to reduce the production of waste. For instance, the walls are made of Styrofoam brick, which, contrary to the common thought, is reliable, green, and safe. The company that makes it, Rastra (www.rastra.com), uses 85% of recycled Styrofoam and mixes it with cement. Using the Rastra brick is more environmentally friendly because besides taking Styrofoam away from landfills, it doesn't burn fuel, since the production of the bricks uses very little energy.

The carpet, made of corn kernels, is another interesting renovation in the house. The Jahnkes say it was pretty cheap, compared to the man-made type. Vern and Debbie bought theirs at a state fair in Minnesota, but Dupont and Mohawk have those carpets for purchase as well.

In the kitchen, the Jankes opted for a kitchen countertop made of powdered-paper, mixed with resin. It's strong, firm and cheaper than granite. And it's also much easier to install and to fix, when scratches happen.

Instead of using a heater, which consumes a lot of energy, the Jahnkes have a heat venting system that works connected to their gas fireplace. The venting system uses a chase: vertical open stairways that let the warm air rise to the second floor and out of the windows. Cool air is let in through the basement and lower deck windows in the afternoon and overnight. The well insulated, Styrofoam concrete walls keep it cool during the day, provided that the windows and doors are closed. And, as one might expect from a couple so devoted to sustainability, they also have solar panels all over their roof, providing energy for the whole house.

By no means are the changes limited to the house. Vern and Debbie changed the whole landscape of their yard, as well. For example, to replace a regular sprinkle irrigating system, they use an energy-saving dripping system for the plants that are real. For irrigating their hillside, the Jahnkes use shower and wash water in a standard draining system. The landscaping is natural, using trails and patios dug into the hillside, with the patios made from local stones (uncemented) and broken concrete from the old house.

When asked what would be the best picks for people who want to make a change in their homes but can't afford to change it all at once, Vern says, Solar electric panels maybe the best change, especially if linked with electric battery cars, which could be charged with solar cells. For initial costs, the landscaping with rock, treated beam and concrete will be labor-intensive but cheap. You can also change your lawn to a vegetable garden. And for the heating system, radiant electric heat is a very good choice instead of forced air furnaces.

But if it is still a little bit out of reach, Vern suggests, People can also start with an energy audit, energy-saving light bulbs and windows with more insulation.

Regardless of your budgets, there is always a way to be more sustainable.

When asked about the costs of rebuilding his home entirely energy saving, Vern says it ended up costing around 25% more than using regular materials and that the greatest outlay of money would be for building houses or additions with Rastra or Apex block, but the payback for their use and the energy savings overtime will pay off the initial investment.