As if to emphasize that there's no need to wait for certain innovations, a demonstration house in Portland, Oregon is called HERE Today. This demonstration house is Healthy and non-toxic, Environmentally responsible, Resource efficient and Energy efficient. Uniquely Common Perhaps the most unique thing about the house is how common it is. While there are materials you won't yet find in the local lumber yard, there was only one product used in the home that's not commercially available. Design and forethought played a key role in meeting many of the HERE Today goals.
Some features are simple consumer choices.
Take dust mites, which often cause allergies. By choosing wood floors instead of carpets for many of the rooms, the owners reduced a major habitat for dust mites and made dust easier to clean. The owners chose electric space heat to reduce exposure to combustion gases. In addition, the home was separated from the garage with a breezeway to isolate auto exhaust. Advanced air sealing tightens the house against heat robbing air leaks.