The Antonopoulos residence, built in 1973, has undergone significant upgrades to make this home more efficient, comfortable and sustainable. Renovation is a great sustainable option because much of the original material is retained, reducing the need for new materials and the energy and carbon footprints they create.

One of the upgrades was the addition of a rainwater harvesting system. This system is made up of rainwater barrels...

...as well as a large rainwater cistern for a total of 1650 gallons of storage. The rainwater is used to irrigate the low water use landscape.

The landscaping for this project was done by Deep Roots Landscaping. It’s grown quite a bit since it was first installed in 2008!

Other upgrades to the home include the installation of a 95%-efficient furnace. 80%-efficient furnaces are still common in Flagstaff. Imagine the impact that extra 15% of fuel efficiency could make if everyone switched to high efficiency models!

This solar thermal heating system was installed in August of 2008 and paid for itself within 4 years! It reduced home natural gas consumption by 40%-50%.

Door transoms are a great way to allow for air and heat movement between rooms without mechanical systems.

Composite decking materials, like this, often have reclaimed or sustainably harvested content. Note the permeable walkway that will help retain rainwater on the site.