ADAPT

The property on which the prototype i⁺CONNECT Healthy Home™ sits and the property seawall have been raised 3 feet to further protect against rising sea levels. This made the driveway exceed the 1:12 slope for ADA compliance, so a longer more appropriate sidewalk from the front public sidewalk was constructed around the rear of the garage to provide access to the home.

In addition to Miami Dade hurricane compliance for construction of the home and the cabana, the garage with its large double door was constructed to withstand a 200 mph wind load (40+ mph over a category 5 hurricane).

The garage has a second floor inside designed to house a water purification system and the batteries for storing energy/electricity from the utility company as well as from solar panels and wind production.

In order to withstand up to a 14 foot tidal surge the electricity from the second floor of the garage is brought to the breaker panel on the second floor of the home through waterproof conduit so that in the event of such a tidal surge the second floor of the home will still have power.

MITIGATE

The key steps in mitigation focus on minimizing energy consumption for comfortable living, generating sustainable energy from diverse sources, and prioritizing efficient water use, reuse, and collection wherever feasible.

Energy Sources and Storage

1. Primary Sources:
   Solar, wind, and local utility (backup).
2. Storage:
   Large batteries on the second floor of the garage and secondary storage using the battery in an all-electric SUV parked in the garage.

Energy Conservation

1. Construction:
   
   • CMU walls with foam insulation and steel frame for high R-factor efficiency.
     Walls are comprised of CMUs (Concrete Masonry Units) the standard building blocks used for strength against hurricanes. The stucco exterior is waterproofed and painted, while the interior features a steel (stick-built) frame. Between the CMU wall and the steel structure are sheets of closed-cell foam to prevent air leakage, hence heat transfer. The plumbing and electrical are run through the steel studs. The area between the studs were then filled with open cell foam, and 5/8-inch fire- and mold-treated drywall applied to a level five finish. This construction method provides a very high energy-saving R-factor.
   • Low-E coated dual-pane windows reduce heat transfer.
     Floor-to-ceiling, 10-foot high windows along the entire two stories of the south and west walls and all glass doors are argon-filled dual-pane Low-E (Low Emissivity) coated structures. This helps to maximize the R-factor by minimizing the amount of infrared transmission while reducing harmful ultraviolet light.
   • Eco-friendly, non-toxic countertops.
     Kitchen counters and the island’s waterfall front are made from sintered stone, and do not contain any toxic binding material.
2. Appliances:
   • Heat pump HVAC system with zone cooling.
     The home is cooled using multiple heat pumps. There are 4 external compressors: one for the garage, one for the cabana, and two 25-ton compressors for the home itself. Inside, there is one standalone fan coil unit in the cabana, two in the garage, and a mini-split with seven fan coil units in the home itself. The seven fan coil units inside the home enable zone cooling to reduce energy/electricity usage.
     In order to preserve the conditioned interior temperature and humidity environment, air curtains are used for two of the 5-foot openings to the outside and another opening which is 13-feet wide, cutting down on additional energy/electricity to return these areas to desired levels for comfort.
   • Energy-efficient black swimming pool for solar heat absorption.
     Another energy saver was achieved by making the swimming pool black in order to use the full spectrum of sun shining on a black body radiator to warm the water year-round.
   • Induction cooktops, air fryer, and heat-pump dryer.
     All appliances, where possible, consume a minimum amount of energy. For example, the stovetop uses induction coils, the clothes dryer is a heat-pump with no external exhaust to reuse the heat, thereby lowering energy requirement. The baking, broiling, and frying are done most often in a healthy manner with a low-energy air fryer.

Healthy Living Design

1. Whole-house vacuum system to reduce allergens.
   The i⁺CONNECT Healthy Home™ is kept clean using a whole-house vacuum cleaner system which exhausts into a canister in the garage, as portable vacuum cleaners even with HEPA filters pick up the larger particles of dirt and blow the fine particles back into the air.
2. Energy Recovery Ventilators for fresh, conditioned air.
   Continuing on the healthy theme, fresh air is brought into the home through ERVs (Energy Recovery Ventilators) in both the downstairs and upstairs principal bedrooms. These not only bring in filtered fresh air, but do it in a manner which preserves both the conditioned temperature and humidity environment within the home.
3. Biophilic design with native plants visible through floor-to-ceiling windows.
   As a novel approach for people with allergies, in this iPC Healthy Home™, the designer wanted to show that one could enjoy the benefits of biophilia without having any plants inside the home. This was achieved by using a lot of floor-to-ceiling glass and creating a wonderful visible array of native flowers, bushes, and trees in the yard. The large, lap-pool was built within 1 foot of the home and at a level co-planner with the bottom floor.

Water, sources and storage:

1. Sources:
   
   • Local Utility: Backup water supply.
   • Rainwater Harvesting: Stored for irrigation and potable water production.
     Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in a large tank for the purpose of:
     
     1. Replenishing water loss through evaporation by the waterfall.
     2. Irrigation.
     3. Producing potable water by being routed to the second floor of the garage for filtration and treatment.
   • Air-to-Water Collection: This is achieved by collecting condensation produced by the fan coil units of the heat pump used to cool the home.
   • Desalinization: Ocean/bay water purified for use.
     This is achieved by drawing water into a desalinization unit on the floating dock and pumping the salt-free water from the dock to the second-floor of the garage for filtration and treatment to produce purified, mineral-free water for automobile and window washing, and then to be passed on to another stage to introduce minerals and adjust the pH to produce another source of potable water.

1. Usage:
   
   • Irrigation automation based on rainfall monitoring.
     Water usage outside the home is minimized by automatic monitoring of the rain forecast and only using irrigation water when necessary. Water usage inside the home is minimized by restricting faucet, appliance and shower water.
   • Gray water recycling (pending Florida regulation changes).
     The home has been plumbed for water reuse by capturing all the water from washbasins, showers and the clothes washing machine so that it can subsequently be treated and used as gray water drip irrigation. However, currently the state of Florida guidelines prohibit this process (while encouraged in the state of California). Until this restriction changes, the filtration system has been bypassed, so currently this waste/gray water is sent directly to the sewer, as in other homes.