Solar Hot Water Heater

We recently made the switch from our dinosaur electric hot water heater to our spiffy new modern solar hot water heater. Can I tell you how smart I felt by doing so?

It all started back in May when Leon and I discovered a leak coming through our fairly newly installed IKEA light fixture over the kitchen sink. As new home owners that don't know anything about home repairs, we went into a state of panic. Our one saving grace was that our "miracle leak" occurred right over the kitchen sink. You really can't ask for a better spot to have a leak. We felt blessed.

We consulted with a handful of contractors, roofers and handymen. The first thing we did was pull the entire seal off our roof to determine what kind of crack we were dealing with. Well....let me tell you, one doesn't realize one has a leak until it's rainy season in the tropics. One also doesn't realize how bad the leak is until one has no seal on the roof.

Once the seal was removed and we discovered enough cracks to break my mothers back. Our miracle leak turned into multiple miracle leaks. We got another one directly over the bathroom shower, and another one over our kitchen cabinet that just so happened to have a chip and dip platter resting directly beneath it. I was finally able to prove my point to Leon that the platter would someday be used. Chips it hasn't held, water is has.

We finally got a break in the weather and were able to seal the roof with Crossco 8500, a product that seems to be working ok and is available at Home Depot. The following day we had PR Solar Products come out to install the solar hot water heater. We purchased an 80 gallon tank with three panels. Basically we have enough hot water for our entire neighborhood to take showers, do laundry, wash dishes and do whatever else one does with hot water. It took less than 2 hours for the entire system to be installed and we had scalding hot water immediately.

The best part about it is that we get a 50% tax credit on the total amount paid ($2000). If we had installed it last year we would have received a 75% tax credit. Now our electric bill should be reduced significantly. I'm actually looking forward to receiving our next electric bill so I can see the reduction. Not only will we be saving money but other added values of the solar hot water heater are reduced CO2 emissions, added value to our home, free hot water and we can feel good about being environmentally friendly.

Solar Louvers

One of the passive cooling strategies employed by Bigprototype in the Little Malibu House (Rincon, PR) is a system of fixed solar louvers to shade the southern elevation of the house from the intense Caribbean sun. The louvers are made from 6" Ipe wood decking sourced from Maderas 3C's in San Juan, PR.

Here Sarah selects and cuts the wood louvers to size in the soon to be finished garage space.

The support frames were fabricated locally and are made from stainless steel.  Here John attaches the louvers to the brackets.  Ahhhh!  It's cooler already!!!

Almost done!

Caribbean Coralina

This is one of the best local materials we came across in our Puerto Rico building adventure! Coralina or Coral Stone is quarried from multiple locations in the Caribbean - our lot was sourced from our stone supplier in Puerto Rico, but originated from the Dominican Republic. Coralina is a sedimentary rock composed of compressed shells and corals rendering it with some interesting properties.


Coralina is a pale pinkish/orange stone that bleaches out to almost white with intense sun exposure. Due to its composition, many tiny air bubbles are trapped within its layers making this stone an excellent insulator. BigPrototype used the stone on all of the exterior surfaces of the Little Malibu House. On the upper deck the coralina insulates the bedrooms below - using a passive cooling strategy to reduce or eliminate the need for AC.

In addition to having exceptional insulating properties, the surface is wonderful for barefoot traction. The porous finish is not slippery and is the perfect material to use around the saltwater pool. It should, however, be grouted and sealed to maintain a pristine surface - the tiny holes will otherwise trap water and cause mildew.

To find out more or to buy coralina tile, contact Yaniel Merced from Northwest Rustic Tile at 787-882-0520 or go visit them at: Carr 2 KM 118.1, Interior Carr #110, Bo. Ceiba Baja in Aguadilla

From Brooklyn, NY to Rincon, PR

BigPrototype rolled into town with a posse this last weekend. Upon arrival, the crew stopped by the Little Malibu House at Dos Ceibas and photographer Jessica Creedon sent us these shots from her visit to Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Like designers John & Sarah, Jessica currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

In her own words, "A few years ago I went back to my roots so to speak, and began working for an architectural photographer, continuing to expand my knowledge of 4x5 cameras and lighting - both in the studio and on location.

I live in Brooklyn now, pursuing my dreams, perfecting my craft and framing life as it comes. I shoot daily with my Nikon D70. You can see my daily life unfold here."

Check out Jesse's impressive body of work by visiting her website.

First Green Roof in Rincon Puerto Rico!

Green roofs in the Caribbean offer many benefits to home owners. The plant medium absorb the radiant heat of the sun insulating the living spaces below keeping them cool. They also help with storm water management by reducing runoff, soaking in rainwater and mitigating erosion.

Bigprototype used a green roof at the Little Malibu House in Rincon, PR for several reasons. The house can be seen from all of the other lots in the Dos Ceibas development; it was an important concept for the vision of the neighborhood. We decided to use the strategy of passive cooling instead of air conditioning to reduce energy costs. More importantly, Harrison gets to tee off his biodegradable golf balls!

February 4, 2009 Progress Shots

Almost there........here are some progress shots of the Little Malibu House in Rincon, PR from February 4, 2009. The home includes a number of green design strategies. Note the water catchment and wood solar shades in the top image. The bottom image shows the North elevation: top floor contains main entry and kitchen/dining space; middle floor contains living room and two bedroom suites; ground floor has one bedroom suite, outdoor living room and bunk room.