John F. Long's
attention to up-to-date methods, the newest materials, and water and
energy efficiency, all added up to quality, affordable housing. He was
the first builder in the country to use plastic pipe in houses and the first
in the state to use roof trusses instead of rafters. Over the years,
Long’s own fully-equipped research and testing lab produced a variety of
innovations, such as the on-site component assembly of roof trusses, wall
sections, modular bathrooms, and custom designed cabinetry, which have been
adapted by builders and engineers all over the world. In many cases,
he designed and built his own equipment to facilitate improved construction
methods, including the pouring of continuous curbs and sidewalks.
It was Long’s devotion to
new technologies and energy efficiency that led to his most unusual project. In
1988, based on the company’s national reputation in design and construction,
John F. Long Homes was chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop,
construct, and test a demonstration model home featuring roof-mounted
photovoltaic solar cells. From this experimental start, Long’s Solar One became
the world’s first solar subdivision, where all electrical needs are provided by
a ground-mounted array of photovoltaic cells.
In addition to more
familiar modern energy saving concepts like dual-paned windows, solar water
heaters, combination evaporative cooler/air-conditioning systems, water saving
toilets, and radiant-heat barrier insulation, Solar One also incorporated an
ancient construction method. Rammed-earth construction was used by the Hohokam
people over a thousand years ago. “We didn’t invent this, we just re-discovered
and updated it,” says Long. To create an improved version of what the Hohokam
built, his crews mixed desert earth with Portland cement, and wet it just enough
so it could be “rammed” between forms. When it hardened, its stone-like
consistency retained heat in the winter and coolness in the summer.
