Steeling Itself Against Bacteria
Call it the ultimate California home.
When it’s done, not only will this earth-tone, $3-million-plus marvel in concrete, glass and steel be virtually fireproof, termite-proof and earthquake-proof.
It also will be antimicrobial.
In fact, designers of the 11,000-square-foot Camino de Robles, near Simi Valley, say when it’s completed they intend it to be the first house in the nation engineered to stem the growth of bacteria, mold and fungus--from heating ducts to doorknobs and cooking pans to bedsheets. Maybe even down to the toothbrushes.
Tucked away off a winding pass in Box Canyon just inside the Ventura County line, past mechanized waterfalls and 130 acres of native plants and flowers, this home of the future is now little more than a hole in the ground.
But crews are busy at work to meet a deadline by next summer. The home’s philanthropist owners, Los Angeles attorney Ed Landry and wife Madeleine, are counting on that. So is their architect, David Martin.
And so are more than 60 companies that stand to gain millions of dollars in publicity and sales in the years to come. If the technology being employed here proves durable, practical and appealing to the public, it could find its way into houses across California and the nation, from expensive custom homes to standard tract homes.
Two companies top that list. One is Ohio-based AK Steel, which is coordinating the building effort and using its steel for construction.
The other is AgION Technologies, a Massachusetts firm that sells the antimicrobial coating--a ceramic powder with silver ions--that will cover much of the home’s steel along with fixtures, fabric and appliances. Company Vice President Ravi Bhatkal said the substance doesn’t altogether eliminate germs but substantially suppresses the growth of mold, fungus and bacteria.
“While this is a high-profile home by any stretch of the imagination, the products that are going to go out there are really very commonplace and can be bought by anyone” for slightly more than the products would cost without the coating, Bhatkal said. “This really provides a framework in the consumer’s mind as to what this product could potentially do for them.”
The Landrys say they stumbled upon the home’s scientific aspects by accident.
“We’re not germ-o-phobes or anything,” Ed Landry said. “We don’t run around using Kleenex on doorknobs. We’re just an ordinary couple who were lucky enough to make an arrangement with these people.”
The Landrys began to consider building a new residence after the 1994 earthquake damaged their wood frame and stucco home in Northridge.
They were at a point in life where they could afford to build their fantasy home. Madeleine, 58, loves gardens. Ed, 62, loves architecture and wanted to design something modern and “significant.”
With their involvement in fund-raising for many causes--including the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Los Angeles Opera and construction of Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels--they wanted an impressive spread for entertaining. They also wanted a home their children and grandchildren could enjoy.
The Box Canyon site provided the right combination of space, privacy and nature. With architect Martin, they began to draft plans for a main house and a guest house linked by walkways and a piazza.
Steel seemed the ideal building material. It would give the couple the modern look they wanted and hold up well against fire--a concern in the area--as well as earthquakes and termites. Madeleine had developed allergies and wanted a home that could be maintained with a minimum of bug spraying, painting or use of other chemicals.
As the Landrys’ plans progressed, AgION was testing and beginning to market its antimicrobial product, which evolved from a technology used in Japan by the petrochemical industry. By 1999, the company had paired with AK Steel in looking for a site to build an antimicrobial test home.
“We began to think about how we were going to market this and make the world think, ‘Hey we can’t live without this,’ ” said AK Steel Vice President Alan McCoy. “We wanted to construct a high-end home in an idyllic setting that would attract some attention.”
After Martin’s plans for the Landrys’ home won an architectural design award, the AK Steel-AgION team made some inquiries.
Martin and his firm were intrigued. “With a lot of the projects we do, we’re very interested in healthy environments and superior air quality,” he said.
“It was the old peanut butter and chocolate,” McCoy added. “The more we talked, the more we had in common with them.”
Months of discussions followed to determine what plans would be modified. And what elements would be coated: The roof will not. Neither will the hot tub and swimming pool, which will be treated regularly with chlorine.
But most everything else will be coated: Ventilation ducts. Inside handrails. Doorknobs and food-preparation surfaces. Cookware. Walls of the refrigerator, oven and dishwasher. Tile, caulking and porcelain of tubs and sinks. Racks in a 6,000-bottle wine cellar.
Stucco walls will be coated to resist mold and mildew. New carpet fibers, upholstery and mattress pads will have the substance blended in. Scientists will visit the home periodically to determine how well the coating holds up under varied uses.
The project has caught the attention of several health experts, including some skeptics.
“Whether that is something that is good or bad is something that can only be tested over time,” said Kaye Kilburn, a professor of environmental medicine at USC. “We live in a bacterial, fungal world. If you kill all that off, nature will try to fill the vacuum with something that’s resistant to it. It is an experiment and it ought to be regarded that way.”
Kilburn said breathing mold can make people seriously ill. But if a home is built properly and has good ventilation, then that shouldn’t be a problem, he added. And people sensitive to chemicals can use simple vinegar solutions in place of many harsh cleansers.
“There’s a place where what sounds prudent becomes ridiculous, and I think we’re bordering on it with this,” Kilburn said.
But Bhatkal said the AgION product has been tested extensively to prevent unintended consequences. It has been registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for application to steel, fabric and other household materials and “is less toxic than table salt,” he said.
Ultimately, it’s up to consumers to decide whether they like the technology.
So-called antimicrobial products will probably be more expensive than their traditional counterparts, though just how much more will vary, depending on the manufacturer, McCoy said. A heating and air-conditioning system with the coating will cost 10% to 15% more, he said. An ionized steel-coated refrigerator costs about $25 more to produce.
One major manufacturer already sells a humidifier with a filter made from similar antimicrobial coating. A company that makes hotel and restaurant ice machines also is using the material. Medical device manufacturers are looking to the coating to reduce hospital infections.
Later this year, coated ductwork systems will be available to commercial builders. And a major shoe manufacturer will be rolling sneakers with so-called antimicrobial linings off the production lines.
