Community Developmet Sales

The Universal HouseR was originally designed to solve the special problems associated with Community Development and housing for handicapped, elderly and/or Low to Moderate Income (LMI) families within a city, community or rural area.

HUD-1- A Series 009 home design located in San Angelo, Texas was the First LEED Platinum constructed home for Low to Moderate Income applications in US History.

The first of the Universal Type homes, the series 003 was specifically designed utilizing three basic sustainable strategies:

01 Passive Solar configuration

02 American with Disabilities Act (ADA) adaptability

03 Gray Water Collection and Re-use system

The second Universal type home, the Bogus House in Lubbock, Texas; expanded on the lessons learned on the first to include enhanced performance, greater efficiency and better conservation. It was the first house design to deviate from the "Plug and Play" approach to sustainability and was the first time we integrated all of the building systems together to work collectively to increase performance. This series 007 home was the first to be constructed specifically for a Community Development office actively engaged with revitalization efforts and community building and it was designed to operate with 7 integrated sustainable strategies such as:

01 Passive Solar Configuration

02 American with Disabilities Act (ADA) adaptability

03 Gray Water collection and re-use system

04 Multifunctional Safe Room/ Storm Shelter

05 Drought Tolerant Landscaping and Irrigation system

06 A Renewable energy production system

07 USGBC Platinum LEED for homes rating

The third home, HUD-1- a series 009 design, was constructed by the San Angelo Community Development Office. It was the most technically challenging house to date. As its wall system revisited an old idea of using standard "stick" construction (2x4 exterior wall system with brick veneer) in conjunction with passive solar design strategies. The Home was designed with 9 strategies:

01 Passive Solar Configuration

02 American with Disabilities Act (ADA) adaptability

03 Gray Water collection and re-use system

04 Multifunctional Safe Room/ Storm Shelter

05 Drought Tolerant Landscaping and Irrigation system

06 A Renewable energy production system

07 USGBC Platinum LEED for homes rating

08 EPA Superior Indoor Air Quality rating

09 High Performance HVAC system

The forth house, the Sonne Haus/ LMI-1, is presently being constructed in Abilene, Texas by Connecting Caring Communities, a Local Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) providing Community building in Abilene. The Sonne Haus/ LMI-1 is a series 012 home design. This ground breaking design takes advantage of all of the lessons learned from the first 3 designs and is the culmination of 7 years of extensive research and study. The series 012 design is the most advanced home design for Low to Moderate Income (LMI) applications in the country and with its integrated approach serves as a new standard in performance and quality. The Sonne Haus/ LMI-1 is designed with 12 integrated strategies:

01 Passive Solar Configuration

02 American with Disabilities Act (ADA) adaptability

03 Gray Water collection and re-use system

04 Multifunctional Advanced medium duration Safe Room/ Storm Shelter

05 Drought Tolerant Landscaping and Irrigation system

06 A Renewable energy production system (for this house a solar array)

07 USGBC Platinum LEED for homes rating

08 EPA Superior Indoor Air Quality & EPA Water Sense Water conservation rating

09 High Performance HVAC system

10 Superior Insulation Envelope- Compressed Earth Block (CEB) wall system

11 Electromagnetic Field (EMF) mitigation strategies

12 Passive Solar Domestic Hot Water System

In conjunction with the Universal HouseR development, UDC has been actively engaged in Research & Development. Since 2005, UDC has constructed test homes in various climate zones and regions and produced performance simulations and systems that enhance our understanding of sustainable building design. Our research efforts working in conjunction with academics from around the United States and field tested strategies have enabled UDC to facilitate the most advanced building designs in the United States.

Whether you are a Community development office, Non-Profit organization or a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), UDC can assist you in accomplishing your objectives in Community revitalization, Community enhancement & development, elderly, handicap citizens and Low to Moderate Income and Low Income affordable housing solutions. UDC can assist in all phases from Grant writing assistance, Design & Engineering, Construction Management and Construction.

We have established guidelines and models to allow for the most efficient use of HOME and CDBG funds. Why spend limited money on Rehab when you can replace the building all together with a solution that would require no additional attention in the future?

It is possible and cost effective to build low cost, net zero energy configured homes for our citizens. Not only revitalizing an aging obsolete community, but allowing the occupants of these homes to enjoy reduced monthly living costs. The Universal HouseR has NO electrical bill, a 90% reduction in waste water production, and the highest EPA ratings for indoor air quality and water conservation. These homes are not just good for the environment, they truly help people get the most out of their lives by reducing their monthly expenditures.

Contact one of offices today to discuss what UDC can do for you.

Since its conception in November of 2002, The Universal HouseR has been enhanced to achieve a net zero energy performance, the highest obtainable efficiency, and conservation and safety for its occupants. These homes are the most advanced homes on the market today and have the highest resale value available. Not only do they solve the fixed income problem by reducing monthly expenditures due to their high performance, but also, solve the revitalization problem by increasing property value in the neighborhoods in which they are constructed.