BETTER BY DESIGN
Introducing the Wheeler Residence – its design, construction and performance in a 3-part project profile. We’re taking a close look at this house and sharing it all with you. Why? You ask. Because this home tallies a $50 - $100/month average energy bill… and its 3,200 square feet is lived in by a family of 6.
That’s revolutionary. This is part I – Better by Design.
To Begin With
...let’s think of design as the intersection of aesthetics and functionality. Can these two driving forces collaborate to help produce a super energy efficient 3,200 sq. ft. home for a family of 6?
WHAT IF. WHY NOT.
When your questions begin sounding more like answers, you're probably on to something big… and outside the box. Like when homeowner Trey Wheeler, Vice President of TWH Architects began work with Ethan Collier last September to design his family's new home and wondered, what if I could design a highly energy efficient, low-maintenance and financially practical home in a kid-friendly location using all traditional materials? Well, why not? Here's how he did it:
• Integrated Project Team {a paradigm shift from start to finish}
Trey Wheeler (A “Behind the Scenes” Tour on Gold to Green TV)
"Contrary to what has been a paradigm architect/contractor relationship is that we’ve really approached this as a team effort with input from Ethan, from Ethan’s employees, even the subcontractors. We’ve consulted with the insulation crew, with the masons and certainly the heating and air folks. We’ve all worked together and it’s been a team approach."
• 5 goals {from livability to sustainability}
1. That the design effectively respond to the numerous livability and efficiency issues that the Wheeler family experienced in their previous home.
2. That the home be situated (in terms of location and design) to accommodate an active family of 6.
3. That every aspect of the design and construction make energy sense (from the locally manufactured metal roof to the house color).
4. That the design promote low maintenance and durability.
5. That the finished home be financially practical.
SO LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
... and zero in on 3 primary design elements that make this home highly energy efficient – livability, durability and sustainability. Then we’ll look at what we learned from this home’s design.
Livability
{putting space to work}
Livability means your home is designed to fit you, your family, and your lifestyle. Space that works with you – not against you – over the long term. Because it’s designed around your priorities, from cooking meals to accommodating guests. Livability means you can stay put without remodeling, adding on or going crazy. Check out some of the finer points that make the Wheeler residence enormously livable.
THE TANGIBLES
Go with the flow: Space flows from room to room. Open rooms flooded with natural light welcome crowds, yet there are clear lines between public and private space… and without spatial interruptions.
Park it, not breath it: The detached garage means no VOC (gas fumes) transfer into the home. And with the dark-paneled garage doors facing west, natural heating and cooling completely eliminate the need for additional energy use to heat and cool the garage.
THE INTANGIBLES
Feels like home: the Wheeler residence is designed to reflect the family’s priorities. On the outside, a private mountain bike trail/skills area, replete with dirt jumps, is carved through the woods around the home. On the inside, rooms are designed to optimize space – a kitchen big enough for the whole family and multi-use rooms for out of town guests.
OVERVIEW
Forget excess: Wheeler’s design makes practical use of space and excludes excess so that the family is not heating and cooling unused, un-lived in rooms – which goes a long way toward reducing energy consumption, without compromising on comfort and functionality.
So where livability addresses the interaction of people with the built-environment, durability accounts for the interaction of external conditions with the structure itself. Read on.
Durability
{simple. solid. strong.}
Just keeping things simple can eliminate a lot of problems – like rot, mold and bugs in your crawl space because you don’t have… well, a crawl space. And a solid design using strong building materials helps the house stand up against the elements. Well, we like to think of this as a 100-year home. But you be the judge….
SIMPLE
The home’s single story design and minimal height allows for easy maintenance.
The home sits on a concrete slab which means no crawl space – and none of the rot, mold, bugs, air leakage or energy loss usually associated with a crawl space in the southeast.
Easy, long term accessibility is accomplished by eliminating steps from the design. It also means that the Wheelers won’t need maintenance, repair or replacement of steps… ever.
SOLID
Shed roof has no valleys or intersections. In other words, no roof leaks.
Concrete floors are extremely durable and eliminate the costs associated with typical maintenance and repair.
STRONG
Boral Brick has protective pastel coating and a 30-year warranty; is especially designed to accommodate a rain screen siding system which prevents moisture infiltration.
Hardie Siding is a fiber-cement product made with recycled content (wood pulp, cement, sand and water) and resists moisture damage, insects and fire.
Standing seam metal roof is locally manufactured and has a 40 year warranty.
TPO (the practically indestructible thermoplastic polyolefin roof membrane) has a 30 year warranty.
OVERVIEW
From livability to durability, Wheeler’s design incorporates specific methods and materials that extend his home’s life-span – preempting the waste, embedded energy, and costs caused by renovation, repair and maintenance.
Along with a host of energy efficiency measures, these design elements play a leading role in the home’s sustainability. See how, read on.
Sustainability
{& home (eco)nomics}
So what is sustainable design? It is design that values our ecosystem and our economy. Design that conserves energy and resources. Design that halts unnecessary production of building materials. Design that prolongs the home’s lifecycle and prevents future waste. Design that asks “what if?” and answers “why not!”
LIVABILITY AND DURABILITY REVISITED
• Livability {without remodeling, adding on or going crazy}
Over 100 million pounds of construction waste and debris is generated every year in the U.S. - the majority of that waste is the result of demolition and renovation. That's why designing livable homes matters from a sustainability standpoint.
Wheeler's design makes practical use of space. The large kitchen and multi-use rooms, outdoor recreational space and detached garage resist obsolescence – which means that, unlike many, the Wheelers won't be remodeling, adding on or going crazy living in the same home over the long term. Simply put, there living space is sustainable.
• Durability {100-year home}
Durable building materials are not only made of recycled content (i.e. metal roof and fiber-cement siding); they are also highly durable – which means the Wheelers will never send their metal roof or fiber-cement siding to the landfill so that it can be replaced by new materials. The home’s concrete floor will never need to be replaced, and because there is no crawl space, they will never need to repair or perform maintenance underneath the house.
We call this a 100-year home – one whose components and systems are designed, built and implemented to last 100 years before needing to be replaced (2 – 4 times the average life expectancy of a conventional home). A 100-year home aims to reduce future landfill waste as well as lessen manufacturing, production and the embedded energy associated with product lifecycle.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Passive solar design allows for full-on natural daylighting.
Existing trees permit direct light in the winter and diffused light in the summer.
Standing seam metal roof reflects radiant heat.
Single story design prevents excessive heating/cooling.
Floor system with no crawl space means no energy loss or air leakage.
High efficiency plumbing fixtures conserve water.
Compact florescent lights (CFL's) consume 75% less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs.
LED lamps used for outdoor fixtures as well as all under-cabinet lighting consume 75% less energy than CFL's.
OVERVIEW
From livability and durability to energy efficiency, sustainable design not only aims to reduce a home’s regular energy consumption, but also prevent the use of energy to extract, manufacture, distribute and implement building materials in the future, and thus seeks to decrease waste generated by remodeling, maintenance and repair.
So what have we learned form this home’s design? Read on.
What We Learned
{simple math}
Fact: The average American household spends $1 per square foot per year on energy. Not the Wheelers.
This home’s design and construction save the Wheelers $166/month on energy costs – that’s nearly $2,000/year and $20,000 over the next 10 years (without calculating rate increases).
And the home’s design aims to completely eliminate the costs associated with maintenance and repair, remodeling and additions.
An integrated project team and clearly defined goals were essential to the success of this project
When balancing the cost v. sustainability equation, energy savings is the ultimate tipping point.
