The Utah House

Recently I took a tour of The Utah House with some of my friends. We had fun flushing the energy efficient toilet and rebelliously turning on faucets. My favorite part of the tour was the cool skylights. There was one big one in the family room that seemed to light up the whole house. This is an essay I wrote about the Utah House:

The Utah house is a place where recycling and earth friendly practices are used to build a comfortable and attractive house. The Utah house helps the environment by making the house special in 6 different aspects:  sustainability, saving energy, conserving water, improving air pollution, and modifications for people with disabilities. In these five ways, the Utah House is helping to promote healthy habits that can save the earth.

The Utah house promotes recycling through its sustainability aspects. The aspects include carpet located in the office and bedroom that has been made from old plastic bottles. In this way, less plastic is thrown away, creating less garbage on the earth. The carpet is also made of individual squares than can be taken out if damaged. This makes it so the whole carpet will not have to be replaced if a juice stain gets into the carpet. Another way the Utah house promotes better building is in its energy saving technology.

Energy saving is an important part of keeping our earth healthy. The Utah house has several energy saving features that are not only good for the environment, but save money as well. The light bulbs in this house use 66 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs, this cost 30 dollars less per bulb in a lifetime. Energy star appliances found in the home save water and energy, reducing utility costs as well.  Also, the bulbs in the house are partly powered by solar panels on the roof, saving even more energy.  And skylights on the roof that let in sunlight not only conserve energy,  but provide a beautiful lighting effect.

The Utah House saves water through the use of utilities that use less and save more. The washer and dryer in the home use 1/3 of the water and energy that others use.  The water that melts off the roof at the house is stored underground in a tank and is used to flush the toilet. The gravel surfaces on the driveway create ground that water can go through to moisten the ground.

The Utah House creates cleaner air by using paints low in chemicals to decorate the walls. There is also ventilation which lets off fumes from the kitchen which prevents mold from growing. A Carbon Monoxide detector and a ventilation system in the house also promote clean air. The features in the house that help people with disabilities include easy to get into entryways, a shower with no door, and bars to grab onto in the bathroom.

The Utah house is a great place that sets an example to the world about eco-friendly living habits. It promotes 6 different aspects:  sustainability, saving energy, conserving water, improving air pollution, and modifications for people with disabilities. These things come together to make a great house and an even cleaner world.