Outside of fast-growing Albuquerque, N.M., in the quaint rural village of Corrales, the picturesque landscape meets sustainable living at the RIFT House – standing for Regenerative Ingenuity for Tomorrow.
Homeowners Hal and Kyrie Stillman poured their hearts, souls, and experience into imagining and designing a home that delivered a perfect blend of personal comfort, a close connection with nature, and maximum energy efficiency.
They wanted a building that pushed the sustainability envelope and asked the architect, builder, and contractors to think differently, a difficult yet worthwhile endeavor.
The Stillmans were rewarded with a stunning five-bedroom, four-bathroom, 3,800-square-foot home that prioritizes a reimagined space and strikes a balance between industrial beauty and eco-conscious living. Their comfortable, Pueblo-style home has been awarded the LEED Homes Award for Outstanding Single Family Project. The award recognizes LEED-certified residential projects that are positively impacting communities through sustainable, healthy and resilient design, as well as the builders and developers helping to advance green home building.
METUS Heat Pumps Top of Mind for Energy Efficiency
Although RIFT House is their first new build, the Stillmans have renovated several homes and have used a variety of HVAC systems. They first used a Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) heat pump system in 1986 when excavating a room under an existing house.
“I wanted accurate temperature control for heating and cooling, and it worked great,” said Hal.
They outfitted another rehabilitated house in Seattle with a METUS heat pump system and were happy with the results. When it came to an HVAC solution for the RIFT House, the couple chose a ducted PUMY system and seven indoor fan coil units (a multi-zone system with individual room controls).
PUMY heat pump systems are designed to deliver operational cost savings and are ideal for efficiency ratings and ENERGY STAR® qualification.
“Outfit your home with an all-electric heat pump. In doing so, you are reducing your carbon footprint and saving a lot of energy,” said Hal, who’s been involved in energy efficiency and electrification for more than 30 years. “There’s no other choice in my mind, especially since we’ve saved so much money.”
Positive Impact, Positive Recognition
In July 2024, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced RIFT House is a LEED Homes Awards recipient in the Outstanding Single Family category. Recipients represent innovative sustainable multifamily, single family and affordable housing projects from around the world.
A LEED-certified home helps lower utility payments by reducing energy and water consumption and provides a healthier indoor environment by improving air quality and using materials that lower people’s exposure to toxins and pollutants. LEED also provides a roadmap for creating high-quality, affordable housing that improves quality of life. Achieving LEED certification is an indication that a home meets the highest sustainability standards.
Building an eco-conscious home is attainable and well worth the effort, and the Stillmans have proven that sustainability is not only doable but beautiful.
