Built on land adjacent to George’s current home, Vision House Austin demonstrates how thoughtful design and carefully chosen products can create a home that works with nature while standing strong against the harsh Texas climate. Every product selection reflects the project’s commitment to durability, health, and sustainability—values that are equally important to the companies supplying these materials.
AHF Products: Flooring with a Purpose
Among the companies supporting Vision House Austin is AHF Products, a leader in flooring solutions with a legacy spanning over 100 years. With well-known brands like Armstrong Flooring, Bruce, Hartco, and Crossville, AHF integrates environmental stewardship into every stage of its manufacturing. From reducing waste and conserving energy to supporting a circular economy, AHF demonstrates how responsible production can go hand-in-hand with innovation and design.
Two standout AHF products—Crossville porcelain tile and Hartco Dogwood™ Pro hardwood flooring—were selected for Vision House Austin to bring both performance and sustainability to the home.
Crossville Tile: Beauty with a Carbon-Neutral Footprint
The home features Crossville’s carbon-neutral Civilization™ floor and wall tile collection, a basalt-inspired porcelain that’s exceptionally dense and manufactured to exacting standards. This precise production ensures a smooth, level surface and consistent grout joints, making installation easier and more beautiful.
More importantly, Crossville, a US manufacturer, is fully committed to sustainable manufacturing and reducing its carbon footprint. We provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and Declare Labels for full transparency about materials and environmental impact.
“Crossville completed its first EPD in 2014, and by its five-year review in 2019 the company achieved a 10% reduction in energy use,” says Noah Chitty, VP of Sustainability & Technical Services at AHF Products. “Our goal is a 30% carbon reduction by 2030.”
By purchasing carbon credits that cover the entire lifecycle of its tiles—from manufacturing through demolition—Crossville goes beyond typical “cradle-to-gate” practices, making a meaningful impact on reducing embodied carbon.
Dogwood Pro Hardwood: The Densified Wood Advantage
The Vision House also showcases Dogwood Pro hardwood flooring (manufactured in the USA), made with AHF’s Densified Wood™ technology.
The manufacturing process uses a patented heat-and-pressure process—free of acrylic fillers and chemicals — to close the wood’s open cells on the veneer layer, which dramatically increases the density of the wood’s surface.
This technology significantly enhances performance while maintaining the authenticity of natural hardwood. The result is a floor that is six times more dent-resistant and four times more scratch-resistant than traditional wood flooring. Even soft species like pine and walnut can be transformed into viable, durable surfaces. Densified hickory, for instance, reaches an impressive 3500 on the Janka Hardness Scale, compared to its natural 1820.
This performance makes Dogwood Pro ideal for households with kids, pets, and heavy foot traffic. The flooring is also waterproof, allowing installation in kitchens, bathrooms, and even basements without worry.
A Model for Sustainable Living
Vision House Austin is more than a beautiful home—it’s a living example of how sustainable choices in design and product selection can create a better future. With products like Crossville tile and Dogwood Pro hardwood, AHF Products demonstrates how durability, health, and environmental responsibility can all come together under one roof.
This video is an interview with the well-known sustainable architect, Peter Pfeiffer, who specifically discusses his perspective on the Crossville tile and Densified Wood (Dogwood Pro) used in the Austin, TX home.
