From insulation to housewrap to siding, a home’s complete exterior envelope can be a complex concept for some buyers to understand, especially in a time with a plethora of product manufacturers and emerging product types.
To help potential buyers understand the makeup of their dwellings, home builder Beazer Homes incorporates “Surprising Performance” rooms in select models, which includes a deconstructed wall that demonstrates how Beazer’s materials and construction methods provide greater energy efficiency.
BUILDER had the opportunity to speak with Joe Starr, Beazer’s senior director of national accounts and innovation, on the history behind the idea, what’s included in the rooms, and how they help the consumer better understand home performance.
BUILDER: What is a Surprising Performance room, and what’s included in it?
Starr: Surprising Performance rooms are a physical demonstration within a model home, giving home shoppers an inside look at how our people, processes, and materials come together to create Beazer’s high-performing homes. They serve as a tool for our new-home counselors to illustrate each component.
- A deconstructed wall is included to demonstrate the home’s thermal envelope, which includes Tyvek HomeWrap in each home, and insulation, which varies by market.
- In communities where all new homes are designed and built Indoor airPLUS qualified, wall boards display the benefits of the EPA’s program, including energy efficiency, comfort, durability, and indoor air quality.
- We’ve included QR codes to allow prospects to dig deeper by visiting partner websites, including Tyvek and the EPA’s site for Indoor airPLUS.
BUILDER: Who came up with the idea, and what need were they trying to fill?
Starr: The idea for Surprising Performance rooms was sparked in our Houston division as a way to demonstrate Beazer’s performance benefits. The goal was a way to physically showcase benefits of our construction practices in a climate-controlled environment that allows for deeper conversations.
Initially, customers had access to flyers and wall boards that touted HERS ratings and estimated savings on utility bills. The team took it a step further by showcasing the benefits of the home’s insulation practices (spray foam) by inviting customers to see a chocolate bunny up in the semi-conditioned attic space. This campaign, Show Me The Bunny, proved the power of innovative demos that capture customer interest. We then decided to evolve our demonstrations to showcase an entire room of the components that create durable value in each Beazer home.
Courtesy Beazer Homes
BUILDER: How do Surprising Performance rooms help the consumer?
Starr: The Surprising Performance rooms illustrate the building science concepts that are often new or complex for customers. Not only do they serve as a hands-on visual aid for understanding our construction practices, but they spark more meaningful conversations. Plus, these conversations can happen right in the sales center, rather than walking a home under construction.
BUILDER: When and where was the first one installed? Why was that location chosen, and how many are there now?
Starr: Our Houston team has been using some of these demonstration concepts since 2012. In 2019, they dedicated an entire model home bedroom to showcasing performance. Now, Surprising Performance rooms are being created in each of our markets across Beazer’s footprint. Each division determines the location of their Surprising Performance room, and some have opted to use bedrooms, garages, or large primary closets. Each room includes universal messaging about our national partners, and features unique cutaways showing the specific insulation and other materials that vary with individual municipal building codes.
BUILDER: How have consumers reacted? Does it help them understand home performance better?
Starr: Yes! We’ve consistently seen our customer experience scores reflect an increased understanding of home performance. Surprising Performance rooms take topics that can be hard to explain and make them relatable. The concept also lends itself to authentic, unscripted connection with customers. Through individual conversations, our sales team can identify what is important to the customer and tie it back to home performance.
BUILDER: What is the company’s plan with them going forward? Add them to all models or only some?
Starr: We will be adding them to models moving forward, and they’ll continue to evolve. As our commitment to quality and innovation continue, so will our Surprising Performance rooms. For example, we hope to add digitally interactive elements to the rooms to enhance the customer experience. Similar tactics will be used throughout the home, so conversations about performance won’t be limited to one physical space. Whether it’s pointing out Energy Star appliances and windows, or tankless water heaters, the Surprising Performance room is just one component of the total experience.
By the end of 2025, every Beazer home will meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home requirements, achieving a gross HERS Index Score (before any benefit of renewable energy production) of 45 or less. Beazer homeowners will be able to achieve net-zero energy by attaching a properly sized renewable energy system, such as solar, that will generate as much energy as the home consumes.
As we work toward this goal, each Surprising Performance room will reflect the latest building practices, innovative products used, and how they come together to provide improved energy efficiency and air quality to for a healthier, more comfortable, and more durable home.
