Tippie Build 2—The Dream Continues

Thank you Tippie for being so helpful. I will never forget them in my life.
God bless them. They are wonderful people.
—Ibrahima Diallo, Tippie Build 2 Partner Family—

The Tippie Build 2 home was built in southeast Iowa City for a Habitat for Humanity Partner Family consisting of a mom, dad, and two children. The family had been living in an older mobile home that was difficult to maintain and expensive to heat in the winter. Tippie Build 2 made it possible for this family to live in a safe and decent home.

Ten percent of the money we raised was tithed to Habitat International. This money was used to help build Habitat homes in Guatemala. Because homebuilding is much cheaper in the countries to which we tithe, our contribution supported two homes there.

Tippie Build 2 built an energy efficient, "green" home in Iowa City. The home was dedicated on May 8, 2009, the week before our student volunteers' final exams.

Among the "green" features included in this home were:

• Super-insulated exterior walls which can withstand tornado winds
• A tankless water heater to save on gas costs
• 50% more insulation in the attic to reduce utility costs
• New building materials utilizing recycled materials in the floor coverings, counter tops, and sheetrock
• Dual flush toilets to reduce water consumption by 25%
• A heat-recovery air handling system to assure good air quality while reducing heating costs
• South-facing orientation with increased window glazing to increase solar heating gain
• Landscaping to keep rainwater from running away and to minimize lawn care
• Water conserving plumbing in all sinks and showers
• Extra insulation in the foundation to reduce utility bills
• High-efficiency lighting to reduce electrical consumption
• Very high efficiency heating/cooling units to cut utility costs by 10%-20%
• Efficient design/layout to reduce construction waste (lumber and sheetrock) by +30%
• Sufficient overhangs to shade the home during the summer and allow in sunlight during the winter
• Shortened runs of ductwork to increase the efficiency of the heating/cooling system and to reduce construction costs

Habitat homes are a hand-up, not a hand-out. To learn why, visit our Hand-Up webpage.

You can be part of making this dream come true for another family. Help us raise the funds we need to build our next house by making a donation. If you are a Tippie student who would like to work on the construction, sign up to build the house.