By Nina King
If you were in Las Vegas during the International Builders’ Show earlier this year, you may have had the chance to check out The New American Home, a newly constructed residence in Ascaya, a luxury community of custom-built homes in the hills of the Las Vegas Valley.
Since 1984, The New American Home has been built in various communities in conjunction with the annual convention, including several in Las Vegas, to highlight innovative new products and designs in the industry. The 2023 home was built by architect Michael Gardner of studio g Architecture (Gardner has previously worked on other years of The New American Home), and sister company LUXUS Design Build. Gardner integrated interior design and construction with the use of cutting-edge products to create an energy-efficient property which earned a National Green Building Standard “Emerald” certification, the highest that the National Association of Home Builders offers.
A sleek, zen design allows you to appreciate interesting details that permeate each space in the five-bedroom home, from kitchen to baths. Custom Bang & Olufsen speakers flank a double-sided gas fireplace, which creates a focal point in the great room. The integrated sound system can be controlled via an app. In the kitchen are appliances by Signature Kitchen Suite (all Energy Star-rated) including a super-neat sous vide cooker, which sinks into the countertop when not in use.
Beyond, you’ll find a luxurious outdoor space with an infinity pool that faces the Las Vegas Strip. Gardner designed a special feature into the pool—where other homes simply have a trough for overflow, this one transforms that into a second, lap pool. And low-water use landscaping and drip irrigation add to efficiency.
In each separate bedroom suite, a dedicated HVAC system heats and cools only that area, resulting in big energy savings. A washer and dryer are located near the primary suite, as are whole outfit steam cleaners. Tankless Rinnai water heaters ensure
only water used is heated, while Kohler low-flow lavatory fixtures reduce water usage.
The home is net-zero, which means it generates more energy than it uses due to products like a 20 kw solar array (Solaria PowerXT 400 watt solar panels); high-efficiency windows (Awake Window & Door), which keep solar gain low; framing products that have enhanced insulating capability exterior frame walls (Kingspan Kooltherm K12 framing board insulation); open-cell polyurethane spray-foam insulation, and Fi-Foil’s Hy-Fi reflective wall and ceiling insulation. That adds up to a lot of energy savings, but the home also features LED lighting throughout (Circa Lighting). Paint finishes inside are low VOC, as are adhesives and sealants.
This story was originally published in the Las Vegas Magazine. To view the entire article, visit lasvegasmagazine.com.