Business Chief USA – August 2019

supporting sustainable home devel-

opment with a series of initiatives as

part of its vision to have all new

buildings net positive in both energy

and materials by 2050. “We ran a

$100,000 competition to design a

beautiful home that is sustainable and

near net-zero, and yet can be built at

the cost of typical construction,” says

Hartman, who notes that even with

adherence to the latest building codes

we’re a long way from buildings that

need little energy to condition them.

“Our planning department has posted

the winning design and the detail

construction drawings from Imirzian

Architects on our website so anyone

can download the pre-approved plans

for free to build a net-zero energy

home at a cost similar to current

construction. And here in Phoenix, we

won’t charge building permit fees for

the first 25 homes. It’s an opportunity

to encourage home buyers to think

differently about the energy savings

from well-insulated walls and high-

performance windows.” Hartman

highlights this focus also extends

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AUGUST 2019

CITY OF PHOENIX