Last Week's Celebration of Conscious Design with Faulkner Design Group's CEO

When Adrienne Faulkner decided to build her dream home, she put her loved ones at the forefront of her mind when it came to design: integrating systems that furthered their health, details that made their daily experiences more enjoyable, and laying out the floorplan with features focused on keeping people safe.

Last week, thanks to the Dallas USGBC chapter, GGO Architects got to celebrate this collaboration with the CEO of Faulkner Interior Designs, as she led the way for healthy homes in the Metroplex through her own residence’s LEED Platinum design. Now, the Faulkner residence serves as an educational venue that showcases the value and attainability of sustainable living.

Adrienne realized that as water is what humans are mostly made of, water is one of the most significant pieces of healthy, conscious design. We waste more water than most would think,  in fact, it takes an average of 62- gallons of water every time you water 100 sq-feet of lawn.  At the Faulkner Residence, all potable water is run through the Ophora Water filtration system. With Dallas’ high-mineral content, this filtration system is not only good for the skin but all of the faucets and appliances as it decreases excessive mineral build-up that over time destroys them. The increased oxygenation in this system decreases the amount of soap needed during daily routines (further lessening product consumption as a whole), while supporting the water for both drinking and swimming through increased oxygenation.

Every drop of water that normally runs off down the street and into the storm system is captured from the gutters, patio and gray water and sent into the 5000-gallon tank buried in the backyard. Faux grass further supports water conservation, captured water is redistributed to provide irrigation for the entire yard during the long Texas summers. 

By thinking about the end user’s experience at every turn, paired with the accountability driven by LEED, we were able to create a holistic strategy that tackled every challenge, and an extremely healthy design that creatively reduces the eco-footprint while working hand-in-hand to educate the vendors, crews and every individual participating to realize this cutting edge project.