Nh Booklet062709

Confi dential and Proprietary©All Rights Reserved


2

NATURA HOME is a company based in New York and Costa Rica that designs and produces sustainable, prefabricated, modular homes and furnishings for tropical climates. We offer “turn-key” products to individuals and developers, managing the whole process from design through construction. NATURA HOME reinvests a portion of profi ts in sustainable housing, agriculture, and jobs in low-income communities in Costa Rica.

ADVANTAGES AND SERVICES Homes are prefabricated in our 7,000-square-foot facility in Costa Rica by expert workers. This reduces construction time and stress compared to non-prefab construction—with superb quality.Depending on site conditions, constructing a typical three-bedroom home will take signifi cantly less time than a standard custom-built home.Cost savings due to:

Effi cient fabrication means less labor.Post-and-beam design eliminates extensive site work.Volume purchasing. Weather-controlled facility reduces damage to and loss of materials.

We use sustainably grown or sourced timber (e.g., salvaged, reclaimed, FSC-certifi ed). When possible, we use timber from Costa Rica, which cuts shipping-and-handling costs dramatically and further lowers our carbon footprint.We favor traditional mortis-tenon joinery techniques, eliminating non-essential steel fasteners and their attendant costs—fi nancial and environmental—for manufacturing, water-jet cutting, welding, galvanizing, parts, and transport.

Additional OptionsCustom fl oor plans available.We partner with several sustainability pioneers—John Todd Ecological Design and Bill Reed, among others—to provide sustainable systems and services appropriate to your location.

These include: Solar photovoltaic or micro-hydro turbines for energy generation Solar hot-water systemsConstructed wetlands for wastewater managementOrganic polyculture farming for food production

Upgraded fi xture package.Upgraded appliance package.Custom furniture and cabinetry.Pool, spa, exterior water features.

•

•

•••••

•

•

••

••••

••••

Who We Are


3

Contact us at:[email protected]

USA : Costa Rica:Chris Coburn Jesse Angel (718) 530 2128 506 8848 547


4

Material Procurement and Analysis

NATURA HOME analyzes all materials to minimize the total energy required for the end product. The analysis includes harvesting, processing, and transporting of the materials, as well as installation and construction. The average embodied energy of a newly constructed conventional dwelling is estimated to be 5 GJ/m2. The average fl oor area of a dwelling is around 223 m2, putting the embodied energy of a single-family dwelling at approximately 1,115 GJ.1 In contrast, Natura homes contain approximately 0.32 GJ/m2 of embodied energy. By these estimates, a Natura home will consume just 6.3% of the embodied energy of a traditional building of the same size. This effi ciency results from careful selection of low-embodied-energy materials such as air-dried hardwoods and recycled steel.

On average, 0.098 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) are produced per gigajoule of embodied energy.2 Therefore, the average carbon footprint of the conventional building described above is 109.27 metric tons of CO2. By contrast, the carbon footprint of a Natura home of equal size will be 18.6 metric tons of CO2—83% smaller. This is largely due to the selection of materials and the synergistic phenomenon of sustainably harvested wood acting as a carbon sink. This benefi t offsets the emissions associated with harvesting and transporting the materials.

All materials and processes are non-toxic and either biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable after the useful life of the building or systems. Externalities (an environmental accounting that measures negative outputs associated with materials and systems) are minimized, from extraction through installation and eventual reprocessing. In addition, major structural components are designed to yield a service life of more than 100 years.

The use of hardwoods that are naturally pest- and rot-resistant, combined with the use of natural sealants, eliminates the externalities associated with traditional fi nishes, which typically account for 13% of the total initial embodied energy of a structure. Traditional fi nishes also cause the highest increase in recurring embodied energy3 and account for a large percentage of the environmental pollutants produced by a building.

1 Csiro Materials Science & Engineering. Sustainable Built Environment. Embodied Energy. <http://www.cmmt.csiro.au/brochures/tech/embodied/index.cfm>2 Csiro Materials Science & Engineering. Sustainable Built Environment. Embodied Energy. <http://www.cmmt.csiro.au/brochures/tech/embodied/index.cfm>3 Canadian Architect. Measures of Sustainability. Embodied Energy. 1996 to 1997. <http://www.canadianarchitect.com/asf/perspectives_sustainibility/measures_of_sustainablity/measures_of_sustainablity_embodied.htm>


5


6

WoodHomes are made out of FSC-certifi ed tropical hardwoods. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a nongovernmental, non-profi t organization that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forests.

Established in 1993 as a response to concerns over global deforestation, FSC is widely regarded as one of the most important initiatives of the last decade to promote responsible forest management worldwide.

FSC provides internationally recognized standard setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services for companies, organizations and communities interested in responsible forestry. It is a membership organization with a governance structure based on participation, democracy, equity, and transparency.

The FSC logo and on-product labels have become the globally trusted mark for businesses and consumers looking for forest products that benefi t people, the environment and that also provide ongoing business value.

The FSC solutionFSC uses certifi cation to engage the market, driving recognition of the value of forests to improve social and environmental standards in forest management practices worldwide.

Forests provide us with clean water, fresh air and they even help combat global warming. They also provide food, medicine and important natural resources such as timber. If managed responsibly, forests and plantations benefi t the people that depend on forests and the global community at large.

However, in some countries as much as 80% of the timber is harvested illegally, often in violation of human rights and causing destruction of protected forests. A key factor behind the threats faced by natural forests is the perception by many societies that they lack economic value.

The extraordinary social and ecological value of forests in comparison to other land uses is often not considered. In other words, forests are often converted to other land uses which lack many of the social and environmental values of forests but promise higher economic returns.

FSC does not encourage exploitation of forests, but rather promotes the equitable incorporation of social and environmental considerations when this does happen.

How FSC makes a difference in the forestTo earn FSC certifi cation and the right to use the FSC label, an organization must fi rst adapt its management and operations to conform to all applicable FSC requirements. Managing forests the FSC way means following the highest social and environmental criteria.

This is how FSC has a direct and permanent positive impact on the world’s forests and the people living from, in and around the forest. FSC has defi ned ten principles that describe how forests have to be managed to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations. FSC’s standards are the highest social and environmental requirements in the forestry sector, and they have been proven to work across continents, forest types, sizes and ownership.


7

FSC principles1. Compliance with laws and FSC principles 2. Tenure and use rights and responsibilities3. Indigenous people’s rights4. Community relations and worker’s rights5. Multiple benefi ts from the forest6. Assessment of environmental impact7. Management planning8. Monitoring and assessment of management impact9. Maintenance of high conservation value forests10. Responsible management of plantations

For further information, please visit: www.fsc.org

SpeciesAll wood species have been selected with the aid of foresters and wood technologists with extensive training and experience in tropical hardwoods. Species have been chosen for strength, beauty, and natural durability to rot, fungus, and termites. Furthermore, Natura Home’s innovative sourcing approach enables us to select lesser-known species and cut out middlemen to save money while ensuring quality.

Our FSC consulting adviser is Robert Simeone, a forester with 30 years of international experience in sustainable management of natural forests. He has specialized expertise in natural forest management in tropical and temperate America, tropical wood dendrology, and marketing of certifi ed forest products. Over the past two decades, he has been actively engaged in defi ning global sustainable forestry and wood certifi cation issues and is widely published on the subject. A founder of the Forest Stewardship Council, he has participated as lead consultant on numerous FSC-certifi cation assessments in tropical and temperate America.

Forest after conventional logging practices Forest after FSC logging practices


8

Optimizing designs to use more effective spaces and to use materials more effi ciently.

Using materials that are resource-effi cient and have low environmental impact.

Designing and building energy-effi cient homes.

Designing water-effi cient homes and landscapes.

Providing a safe and comfortable indoor environment.

Designing for durability and adaptability.

Promoting neighborhoods that foster a sense of community and reduce dependence on cars.

Preserving or restoring local ecosystems and biodiversity.

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Natura Home is committed to providing some of the highest standards on the market, such as:

DesignSustainability is more than simply using recycled materials. Natura Home achieves true, comprehensive sustainability through resource-effi cient land planning, construction, operation, and maintenance. Our philosophy focuses on fi ve key areas: site development, materials selection, energy effi ciency, water savings, and indoor environmental quality.


9

pile to post design detail

construction sequence diagram for a typical home.

StructureNatura homes are simple, open-plan, versatile spaces that work. They maximize passive cooling and enable seamless indoor-outdor living. The post-and-beam style has roots in indigenous architectures of Africa, Japan, and Polynesia.

They are designed on a modular platform to offer a wide variety of expanding and stackable fl oor plans. Engineered to meet Zone 4 seismic loads (as found in California) and hurricane-force winds (as found off the coast of Florida), they can be assembled on diffi cult terrain, such as hillside, sloped, marshy, sandy, or fl ood-prone sites. This enables you to maximize the value of such sites in an affordable way.


10

SteelSlip-tenon joineryNatura h omes are post-and-beam structures assembled with steel slip-tenon joinery cut from 1/4” steel sheets with WaterJet cutting technology. Each set is shipped with the home fl at-packed to be assembled on site.


11

BoltsAll bolts are custom manufactured to meet engineers’ specifi cations and our aesthetic requirements.

DoorsPanel sliding door designOur door designs match tropical climates through the use of passive building systems—including operable, natural ventilation in fl oors, walls, ceilings, and roofs—that cool the home naturally, silently, and without the cost of A/C.


12


13


14


15

FLOOR PLANS

1 BEDROOM 1 STORY - Expandable777 ft2 or 72 m2

16 * Images are for visualization purposes only. Designs can be customized to client and site specifi cations with expandable and stackable fl oor plans.

2 BEDROOM 1 STORY 1,238 ft2 or 115 m2

17* Images are for visualization purposes only. Designs can be customized to client and site specifi cations with expandable and stackable fl oor plans.



3 BEDROOM 1 STORY - “L”3,059 ft2 or 284 m2


2 BEDROOM 1 STORY - “L”2,002 ft2 or 186 m2


3 BEDROOM 2 STORY2,066 ft2 or 192 m2




2 BEDROOM 1 STORY - “T” 2,454 ft2 or 228 m2



24


25

Natura Home prototypes in Achiote, Costa Rica (photos on opposite page)


26


27

Contact us at:[email protected]

USA : Costa Rica:Chris Coburn Jesse Angel (718) 530 2128 506 8848 547

Documents

Nh Booklet062709