One Community, Many Solutions

Burnt orange, amethyst, and rusty-red colored houses pierce the blue sky like a desert sunset. Like its painted homes, the community of Civano distinguishes itself from typical urban development. It represents a new way to live—sustainably.

The Civano neighborhood in southeast Tucson was designed with "beyond-code" energy efficiency standards, solar energy systems, and water conservation measures throughout.
Credit: Chelsey Killebrew, Institute of the Environment, The University of Arizona

With its energy-efficient buildings, climate-controlled houses, and the dry desert landscape, this Tucson, Ariz., neighborhood has created community-standard codes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water use to protect the environment.

“Civano. That was actually my dream in 1981,” said John Wesley Miller, an innovative builder who helped with the initial planning of the community. The original plan called for conserving water and energy, providing jobs within the community, reducing solid waste, and minimizing vehicle travel.

“We set these lofty goals, knowing we would start somewhat low and work up,” Miller said.

Builders brought the city’s reclaimed water line to each home in the first phase. Some homeowners have added rainwater harvesting systems, and others shower outside while watering their gardens with the run-off.

Less water use means less energy use. According to Nichols, the 2007 Energy and Water Use in Civano report states the first 150 Civano homes each reduced 7 tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions per year, when compared to Tucson homes built in 1998–1999.

This 820-acre Arizona community strived to implement energy reduction during construction, and boasts a diverse building material résumé of home insulation accomplishments.

“If there’s a material out there, it’s been used,” said Al Nichols, engineer and chair of Civano’s Environmental Working Group. “We’ve tried just about everything.”

Straw bales insulate the yellow building in the Civano’s business complex. Rastra block—made of recycled Styrofoam and concrete materials—lines an orange building close by. Double adobe walls circle a round meeting room at the heart of Civano’s common area.

The Civano neighborhood includes businesses like restaurants, a yoga studio, and this plant nursery in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
Credit: Chelsey Killebrew, Institute of the Environment, The University of Arizona

“We had to beef up the shell insulation values” of Civano’s buildings, Nichols said. Insulation is the first step in providing energy reduction, he added.

Civano’s commercial sector will employ residents who don’t want to drive to work. The Civano school, a plant nursery, and a future hospital provide jobs within the community. Some residents live in mixed-use homes with a business below and personal space above, such as a yoga studio and engineering consultant office. With “60 some-odd home businesses, an abnormally large amount of residents work from home,” Nichols said.

Nichols’ former 2,500-square-foot house, built in the 1950s, used to cost him $400 in utility bills in the winter and $400 in the summer, he said. Now he pays $120 to $180 during those months for the same size house, albeit an all-electric, steel-framed home with styrofoam insulation, high efficiency air conditioning, and a shared wall with the neighbor.

The Next Phase: Sierra Morado

The Civano village began with several different custom builders. After the first neighborhood, Civano I, was completed, master developer Pulte Homes took over with Civano phases two and three, named Sierra Morado.

“What we’ve always said is that high performance homes utilizing solar energy can be built for very little more,” Nichols said. A report provided by Nichols showed energy savings in Sierra Morado surpassing Civano’s first phase slightly. Although Sierra Morado lacks the bright color pallet and architectural diversity, building and buying a home in this neighborhood generally costs less than the first homes in Civano.

“The homes in phase one are simply less affordable,” Nichols said. If a gap exists between affordability and sustainability, enticing developers and funding becomes a leap of good faith.

Sierra Morado still abides by the energy and water codes, along with comparable housing features. Karl Ryan, Pulte Homes project manager, said these standard home features include

• a solar water heater
• built in recycling bins next to trash cans in the kitchen
• controls on toilets to dictate how much water to use per flush
• cellulose installation—recycled, treated newspapers used on walls and attics
• concrete with fly-ash— a ingredient mixed with cement to reduce heavy carbon dioxide emissions caused during cement production