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News and Events
PATH, Home Depot, DOE Help Homeowners in the Gulf States
PATH is partnering with The Home Depot and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct three, two-day expos in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama to train skilled, do-it-yourself homeowners to repair storm-damaged homes. The training will emphasize measures that improve energy efficiency, durability, and storm resistance. Manufacturers will demonstrate how to repair walls and floors, roofs and ceilings, and windows and doors. The expos will be held in January and February.
PATH Hosts Breakfast of Innovators at IBS; Sponsors NextGen Home
On Thursday, January 12, PATH will unveil its new approach to storm resistance at PATH's annual Breakfast of Innovators, an event for the press and housing industry professionals. Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m.; PATH will announce its latest resource to help builders construct storm-resistant homes at 8:00 a.m.
To attend, please RSVP to info@pathnet.org. The event will be held at the NextGen Demonstration Home in Lot D of the Orlando Convention Center.
Following the breakfast, participants will tour the NextGen "Peace of Mind" Demonstration Home, built by BrownStone Builders & Associates. This 2,500-square-foot model features more than 20 PATH-profiled technologies that improve storm resistance, energy efficiency, and affordability. Innovative safety features include a unique residential fire protection system and the DuPont StormRoom with Kevlar, a residential in-home storm shelter.
Visitors can find Peace of Mind in the parking lot D of the Orlando Convention Center, January 11-14.
Mark Your Calendar: PATH Showcase
The PATH Industry Committee will host a PATH Showcase on March 7, 2006, in the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, DC. This event will highlight PATH's ongoing impact on housing innovation and connect forward-thinking manufacturers and builders. If your company is interested in learning about sponsorship opportunities, please email info@pathnet.org.
CONCEPT HOME UPDATE:
PATH Welcomes Its First Concept Home Product Partners
To bring the PATH Concept Home from concept to reality, PATH has been recruiting innovative manufacturers to create systems that meet the needs of tomorrow's homebuyers. This month, PATH welcomes its first five partners to the Concept Home Product Partner Program:
- PulseSwitch Systems in Norfolk, VA, designs and manufactures wireless switching components, which generate their own power without the use of batteries.
- Microtherm (SEISCO) in Houston, TX, manufactures electric-powered tankless water-heating systems. These systems save space, improve efficiency, and work well with organized plumbing distribution systems.
- Studor in Clearwater, FL, manufactures air admittance vents that allow plumbing fixtures to be vented without traditional venting pipes. This product reduces utility entanglements through walls, floors, and the roof.
- Vanguard Piping Systems in McPherson, KS, manufactures flexible water piping systems (PEX), which can be pulled in long runs to minimize utility entanglements. Vanguard also manufactures manifold systems.
- WireTracks in Seattle, WA, manufactures finish systems that can conceal wiring systems in new and existing construction. This product is good for use in expandable spaces.
For more information on the Concept Home Product Partner program, contact James Lyons at 301-889-0017 or jameslyons@newportpartnersllc.com.
Six Principles for Innovation Revealed
Designs for the Concept Home will be unveiled in early 2006, but while you're waiting, you can read the Technology Reports describing each of the six principles that are the foundation for innovation in the Concept Home. The reports discuss flexible floor plans; organized and accessible systems; improved production processes; alternative basic materials; standardization of measurements and component interfaces; and integrated functions.
PATH Case Studies: Call for Innovative Projects
This February, PATH will launch the first of its case studies to highlight strong examples of innovation in homebuilding and remodeling. The case studies will cover 30 PATH-profiled technologies over the coming year. Builders and remodelers with innovative projects are encouraged to contact Kate Fried at 301-588-9387 or info@pathnet.org.
PATH Partners with McGraw-Hill Construction on Market Data Symposium
Knowledge of the latest trends in demographics, behaviors, and practices in innovative housing products and processes is limited at best. This February, PATH will partner with McGraw-Hill Construction to conduct the first Symposium on Market Data for Housing Innovation, to be held in Washington, DC. The symposium will bring together key members of private industry, government, and academia to discuss gaps in market data related to housing innovation and determine what research is needed to overcome barriers to new products. The meeting's results will directly influence the government's housing innovation research and data collection agenda for the coming years. Recommendations from the meeting will be delivered in fall 2006.
Chuck Miller Construction: EnergyValue Housing Awards Finalist
On November 28, the NAHB Research Center announced the names of 18 builders selected as finalists for the 2006 EnergyValue Housing Awards (EVHA) program. PATH Partner Chuck Miller Construction of Hidden Springs, ID, is in the running. EVHA finalists for 2006 rated an average HERS of 91.7-about 60 percent more efficient than Model Energy Code requirements. The winners will be unveiled at IBS on January 11.
Learn more about Chuck Miller Construction in PATH Blazing.
Content updated on 1/4/2006
