The Parikhs converted their 1940s-era home into a showcase for green technology. Watch video
PARAMUS -- The Parikh home in Paramus looks nothing like the other houses on Henry Street.
The modern facade is covered in horizontal black panels, setting it apart from the aluminum siding and brick that dominates the rest of the block.
But the inside is what sets the Parikh home apart. Raj Parikh, the 70-year-old patriarch of the clan, an engineer and owner of New York firm Atmos Engineering, set out in 2012 to redesign his 1940s-era house to demonstrate how a home could be rebuilt in an environmentally friendly and practical way. He had the help of his sons, Asit, a New York City real estate broker who served as contractor, and Hitesh, an architect with Atmos.
"We wanted a bigger, better house without adding to the landfills in this very overburdened area," Asit said.
The house made news this winter when one of its systems, a heated driveway, eliminated the need to shovel snow. Construction on the house is now almost completely finished, just in time for Earth Day.
The house lacks a boiler, air conditioner and most of the other mechanical equipment you'd find in a typical house. Instead, almost all of the heating and cooling is accomplished through a network of pipes and pumps that shuttle air and water into, out of and around the house.
The sun provides the house's source of electricity, through rooftop solar panels, and its source of heat. The temperature is also maintained through a geothermal heat exchanger, which uses the ground temperature to provide cool air and water in the summer and hot air and water in the winter.
The house is also completely air-tight and heat-efficient. Unless a window is cracked, all the air is piped in through a central ventilator. In addition, the Parikhs leveraged the position of the home and its in-set windows to provide maximum light during the colder months and shade during the summer.
The construction reused many of the materials that went into the original home and preserved the trees on the property.
But the Parikhs didn't want the house to just be green. They wanted it to be nice, as well.
"We wanted to create not just a green or efficient home," Asit said. "We wanted to create a home with 10-foot ceilings, tremendous natural light and luxurious materials, because that is what makes people smile in real estate."
The Parikhs spent close to $1 million to retrofit their house. Asit said the investment is worthwhile: He expects the house to last longer and produce more electricity than it uses over its lifespan. The house even captures rainwater and snowmelt, so it won't burden local storm drains, either.
With the house complete, the family hopes it can be a showcase, not only for potential clients, but also for local students.
"The purpose of this was to start a conversation," Asit said. "We want to be able to show and share what's possible."
Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.