In the past 50 years, everything in our daily life has
modernized, been enhanced by technology, and become better, faster and cheaper.
Everything except our biggest investment: our homes. In that time homes have doubled
in size, energy consumption and percentage of your income. And we're continuing to build 700,000+ of these outdated homes every year! This means:
Acre is bringing a solution to market that’s currently
unavailable. To make this possible, we’re fixing problems
throughout the entire design and construction industry. It’s a huge undertaking, which is why we need
your support!
The prototype is more than just a home, it's the proving ground for all of these revolutionary concepts. As such, it will require funding, partnerships and support from our backers. Your contribution will make it possible to complete the home, as well as document the process in order to repeat this for homeowners nationwide.
EFFICIENT: Efficiency
is at the heart of all Acre homes. The result is a home that functions better, is
more comfortable, and is drastically better for the environment.
AFFORDABLE: We focus
on the real, all-in, cost of homes in order to make them truly affordable. With
no energy bills, owners can accelerate their mortgage for a savings of
$400,000, or more, over 30 years. A home like this can reshape your lifestyle
and your future, opening up a world of opportunity!
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OUR ASK: Compared with most projects on Indiegogo, the Acre prototype is larger, more costly, and will take longer to complete than other campaigns. We trust that our backers will appreciate the scale of this vision and support us throughout the build.
BUDGET: Achieving NetZero energy use for standard build costs is a high bar to set, especially on the first build. Other NetZero homes are $250 to $400 per square foot, while we are targeting $135 per square foot. We have many unique systems and products in place to achieve this, but the first build will reveal any remaining issues and require creative solutions to stay on budget and on schedule.
INDUSTRY: We are attempting a big upset to a very old, established industry, which comes with many risks. The good thing about this is there's so much to improve! At the very least, we produce homes that are much better than the average. At best, we change the world.
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WHEN CAN I BUY AN
ACRE HOME?
After completion of the Axiom House prototype in Summer 2016, we
will be offering our homes to the Kansas City market. We are currently
taking deposits for our customer presale list in the Kansas City area. Early
adopters will help define the final designs, and secure a place in line with
our approved Acre Builders.
CAN I GET AN
ACRE HOME OUTSIDE OF KANSAS CITY?
In 2017 we will begin to establish builder relationships and a
customer pre-sale list in other cities. If you would like to bring our homes to
your area, please support our campaign – and rally friends, neighbors and
coworkers to do the same! We will use
donations to evaluate interest in other markets. This is the way
GoogleFiber rolled out in Kansas City, and it was thrilling to watch
neighborhoods come alive to compete for access to a new idea and product!
HOW MUCH WILL AN
ACRE HOME COST?
Our homes are priced competitively with traditional new home
builds. In Kansas City, this runs about $110 to $135 per square foot. This is
independent of land costs.
That price includes the entire package, from materials, labor
and transport to appliances and solar panels. It even includes standard
site work and slab-on-grade foundation, though homeowners can elect to build a
basement. The only extras are premium add-ons like advanced home technology.
Our finish and fixture options are offered as Standard, Premium
or Luxury packages that allow homeowners to control costs while enjoying access
to higher grade materials.
HOW ARE ACRE HOMES
SO AFFORDABLE?
It’s not any one thing, but a combination of strategies, that
allows us to achieve this. A few examples:
By offering fixed plans, we can build hours of engineering and
design into the base cost of the home. Just like with your car or phone,
focusedproduct developmenthelps
us deliver a refined, high-performance home that can be repeated again and
again.
Starting with a right-sized, efficient floor plan has a domino
effect: reducing up-front costs, energy demands and system sizes throughout the
house. With a lighter load, we can eliminate ductwork, wiring, plumbing
runs, and the expensive labor associated with these. With streamlined,
repeatable construction, we shave months of labor costs out of each job.
Our scalable business model helps us keep a small core team
while leveraging buying-power with material suppliers nationwide.
CAN I CUSTOMIZE
THE FLOORPLAN?
Acre’s fixed plans are a key component to keeping our homes
affordable, and ensuring NetZero performance. We have developed a variety of
plans in order to appeal to a wide range of families. While we can’t
accommodate plan changes, we will use owner feedback to continuously refine our
offering. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, please tell us!
CAN I CUSTOMIZE
THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR FINISHES?
Have an HOA that dictates exterior cladding options? Your
grandma’s farmhouse sink? A floor tile you’ve fallen in love with?
If an owner wishes to use their own finish or fixture, they can delete it
from the building package and receive a credit. However, when it comes to
appliances, Acre cannot assume liability for energy consumption above our standard
appliance package.
HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE NETZERO ENERGY PERFORMANCE?
Net-Zero homes produce as much energy as they
use year-round. That means homeowners pay no energy bills. Our
homes are 90% more efficient than standard construction to begin with, and we
make up the difference with a small solar panel (PV) array.
We start with an efficient floor plan and a tight building envelope to prevent
air from getting in or out. We use high-efficiency doors, windows, and
appliances, take advantage of natural (passive) heating from the sun, and
utilize unique heating and cooling solutions.
ARE YOUR HOMES OFF-GRID?
This depends on your goals and location. With
a battery storage system, any of our homes can be taken off-grid.
Within Kansas City limits, homes are required to be grid connected. In this
case we use the grid as our “battery”, selling power generated from our solar
panels to KCPL during the day, and buying back power at night. Ensuring
that we always sell more than we buy keeps our homes NetZero.
ARE ACRE HOMES PREFAB?
Our homes are built on-site using panelized
construction. We use SIPs panels, one of the most precise, efficient wall
systems on the market. Our system is so quick to install that once the Acre
Builder has the foundation prepared, walls and roof can be assembled in just 2
to 3 days! Unlike prefab, this means we don’t need a manufacturing facility and
can easily partner with material suppliers across the country. Plus
transporting panels vs. an entire prefab home doesn’t require special permits
or hefty fees.
WHAT ARE SIPS PANELS AND WHY DO YOU USE THEM?
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are a high
performance building system for residential and light commercial construction.
The panels consist of an insulating foam core sandwiched between two structural
facings, typically oriented strand board (OSB). SIPs are manufactured
under factory controlled conditions, which means every window and door opening
is perfectly cut. The walls are straight, highly durable, and sealed
tight. Plus they don’t flex or move during severe weather. Acre
partners with our SIPs manufacturer to get the highest efficiency out of each
of our home designs. The result is a building system that is extremely strong,
energy efficient and cost effective. Building with SIPs will save you time,
money and labor.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD?
For the Axiom House, we are attempting a 3.5
month build time. This is about half the time of a traditional build, and
is a key component of keeping our costs low.
