It may be big but did you see the energy bills?

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This home was cons015tructed with environmentally friendly materials and products.  The goal was to build a home that didn’t have a negative impact on the environment and would contribute to the home’s overall efficiency.

The result is beautiful home outfitted with natural bamboo hardwood floors, geothermal heating and cooling, superior insulation and Anderson Triple Pane Windows.   The house’s construction, due to its part being pre-fabricated offsite, diverted almost all waste from landfills.

The home  has greatly reduced utilities due to its design, costing $150 a  month or $1,700 a year due to temperature moderation, Energy Star certified ceiling fans in all rooms, water conserving (Water Sense) faucets,  and low flow 1.28GP toilets.

This home utilizes geothermal heating and cooling, which brings up 55 degree air from the earth’s crust, to effectively moderate the home’s temperature.  The house also has Structure insulated panels (SIP) installed for throughout the entire house, reducing the amount of onsite wastes and greatly increasing insulation.  The Kitchen, Foyer, and Great Room,  all have insulation with an R-value of 40, while all other rooms are at R24.  The attic, garage, and roof have an insulation of R40, but utilize spray foam insulation.

The Superior Wall Foundation was precast in Michigan with moisture resistant 5,000 psi concrete and placed on crushed stone footing to redirect water away from the foundation.  The foundation itself also includes R17 insulation to further reduce air leakage in the home.

Due the concrete foundation and sealing of cracks and joints in the foundation, the house has good protection against pests like termites.  The house also has a significantly reduced air leakage envelope, which is rated at 5.0 air changes per hour at 50 pascals (5.0 ACH50)   All ducts were installed in conditioned space, so there is no leakages withing duct work. The lawn consists of “No Mow Grass”  which does not require   fertilizer, mowing, or watering in its maintenance.

Projec2104 Greenviewt Details
Type                              Single Family
Conditioned Space     7,160 sq ft
Bedrooms                     6
Bathrooms                   4
Lot Type                       Infill
Construction Type    New

Key To Success
Air Filtration                     MERV 10
Roof Insulation Value      R40
Insulation                           SIP Channels: R24
HVAC                                  Geothermal
Reduced Envelope Leakage of 5.0 ACH50
Natural Bamboo Flooring

0010644179 Certificate

Greenview Project Profile

Photos courtesy of Ihab Riad, Green Park Construction, LLC.

GreenStar Remodeling Certification Introduction – Free Webinar

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and Minnesota GreenStar (MNGS) have teamed up to deliver the GreenStar remodeling certification to the Midwest and US at large. The program is backed by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) as part of their Green Certified Professional (GCP) program and is incorporated into the training.

greenstar logo us

Why GreenStar Remodeling? 

Many looking for authentic 3rd party verification/certification on their remodels find programs such as LEED for Homes, National Green Building Standard, Green Communities as well as any local state program within the Midwest & North East can be cost prohibitive, require major guts, are exclusive based on membership and/or are lacking any remodeling component.

Not anymore  – GreenStar  can certify without requiring expensive energy modeling and kitchen, bathroom, whole house or landscape remodeling projects can qualify under the program.

Take 1 hour to learn about the program navigation, case studies, requirements, qualification/credentialing, up coming courses and how you can get involved locally to jump start GreenStar in your city or State.

Learning Outcomes 

  1. Basic Knowledge of How to get started with the GreenStar program locally in your state
  2. Introduction to the GreenStar Checklist, Manual and Online Submittal Process
  3. Run through an actual certified Green Retrofit from Start to Finish
  4. Know where to get more knowledge for education, training, membership in your state or how to be a local champion

View it Here

Please take a quick Survey Here – When Completed – 1 AIA/GBCI/NARI Green Credit will be given at this time too.

Presenters 

Brett Little, LEED GA, GreenStar Professional

Executive Director, Green Home Institute(). A Graduate of the Aquinas College Sustainable Business Bachelors Program,

Brett Little Image Rapid Growth

Brett has been working with for 5 years now helping homeowners, builders, architects and developers find more sustainable ways  in their processes and verify it through 3rd party over-site through programs like the LEED for Homes rating system. Brett is the Secretary of the Lansing Passive House Alliance, sits on the USGBC West Michigan Board  and a Living Building Ambassador. Living in Grand Rapids and newly married he has invested in a 1920s home in the City and certified it as Michigan’s first GreenStar “Green Moderate Retrofit” which reduced energy use by 50% and improved the indoor air quality significantly. Brett loves supporting the local economy, kayaking, the Harry Potter Series, microbreweries, walking/biking/busing, board games and living the Grand Rapids Dream.

& Dan Taddei, Director of Education & Certification @ NARI National

ABOUT MINNESOTA GREENSTAR

Founded in 2007, Minnesota GreenStar is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has developed a leading residential building standards and certification program created to promote healthy, durable, high-performance design and construction for both new and existing homes.  An objective, third-party verification system assures consumers that the new home or remodeling project meets the program requirements and is constructed as designed. A whole-systems approach applies the five (5) key concepts of green building programs – Energy Efficiency, Resource Efficiency (including durability), Indoor Environmental Quality, Water Conservation, Site and Community – to the traditional building process.  The MNGS program improves the impact of green building programs on individuals, their families, the community, and the environment.

Matchbox House LEED Platinum Certified – Ann Arbor

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The project started out with an intent to design LEED certified which is reflected in its unconventional design.  The project was modeled after a matchbox and was designed to have four inner quadrants that slip past on another withing the out sleeve of the house, all on top of

2216 Hickman Ann Arbor, Michigan

a raised foundation.   The Matchbox’s compact design contributed to it’s LEED Platinum certification as there was less conditioned area to work on. The architect gathered information from other contractors experienced in green building practices in order to produce a home outside the norm. The result was distinctive, efficient, and compact home surrounded by natural, permeable turf minimizing the impact of the house on the surrounding environment.

The house has four bedrooms, 1,738 sf of conditioned space and a one car garage. It has received LEED Platinum Certification. It has a HERS rating of 47 and many notable features, including FSC wood, reclaimed trim from demolished Michigan barns in the region, no conventional turf (no irrigation) and low flow plumbing fixtures. The house has no attic or basement so upstairs rooms have dramatic ceilings that begin at 3’-0” and end at 16’-0” with an angle ceiling matching that angle of the roof.

No conventional turf or irrigation system was installed around the home, and all fixtures and fittings (toilet, faucets, and showers) are very high efficiency, reducing the site’s water demand by 78%. The wood used in the cabinets, stairs, closets, doors, and upstairs floors are all FSC certified. The house itself is much more compact than a standard house, so much that the LEED threshold dropped by 10 points. The kitchen counter tops and decking are constructed are composite from recycled materials.

The home’s unconventional design earned it 1st Place in Detroit Home Magazine Design Awards 2013 for Contemporary House under 4,000 sq ft.

Project Details:
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Clients: Azar and Hormoz Alizadeh (the house currently is rented out to tenants, it is not currently occupied by the owners)
Project Type:                 Single Family
Conditioned Space:      1,738 sq ft.
Bedrooms:                      4
Bathroom:                     3
Lot Type:                        Infill
Construction Type:     Custom

HERS Rating of 46, expected savings of 54% with a 5 Star+ Energy Rating
44% of Construction Waste Diverted from Landfill

Key Features:

  • 2 kw Solar Panel on roof, reducing energy costs by 18%
  • Wall Insulation R-Value of 29
  • Air Filtration rate, MERV 15
  • Reduced water demand by 76%Hickman checklist
  • Compact home for minimal site impact
  • No irrigation system or conventional turf
  • FSC certified cabinetry, stairs, closets, doors, and upstairs flooring.
  • Energy Star certified appliances and light fixtures
  • 2 ton heat pump/ERV
  • Appropriately sized 40,000 Btu furnace
  • Low flow toilets, faucets and showerheads

Project Team:
Brian Halprin (Green Building Services, Pllc)
Naseem Alizadeh (Bureau for Architecture and Urbanism)
Tad Krear (Landscape architect)
Cory Johnston (Structural engineer)
Matt Snider (Mechanical Engineer)

Photo gallery containing before, after, and during construction pictures:
The Matchbox House: Bureau for Architecture and Urbanism

Feature in Architect Lab’s Online Magazine

2216 Hickman (Matchbox House) Project Profile

 

Matchbox House Certificate

Webinar: Materials Matter – Design Trends for a Sustainable Future

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Wood is an abundant, affordable and renewable, natural resource.  Using scientific analysis through internationally standardized Life Cycle Assessment methodology, the significance of carbon is changing the way buildings are being built around the world.  Greater Logo for Woodworksobjectivity in ‘green’ disclosure is being realized through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), resulting in greater recognition of wood’s benefits which include durability, fire performance, moisture resistance, and a positive impact on human health, in addition to sustainability.  From six-story mid-rise, to 30-story wood composite structures, to Olympic ice arenas, and wood bridges with 100-year service lives, the world of wood today is an exciting display of creativity and innovation.  Diverse projects from around the world demonstrate and inspire an unprecedented collaboration of materials destined to influence building professionals for decades to come.

Creator/Instructor 
Cheryl A. Ciecko, AIA, ALA, LEED AP, CSI, GGP
Midwest Regional Director
WoodWorks USA

An architect for over 25 years and Senior Technical Director for the Wood Products Council non-profit initiative ‘WoodWorks’ since 2008, Cheryl is an experienced and dynamic speaker with a passion for excellence, innovation and informed sustainable design. Specialties include low carbon and sustainable design, green building rating systems, moisture, mold and decay issues in buildings, as well as wood products selection, technical wood resources and forest resources throughout the world.Cheryl is a licensed architect in Illinois, with a B.S. in Architecture from the University of Illinois with High Honors and a Master of Architecture from the University of Minnesota. Cheryl has also studied in France and China. Cheryl is an elected member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Licensed Architects in Illinois and appointed member on the Sustainability Committee for the International Code Council.Topic Specialties: Wood construction, moisture, mold and decay in buildings, Heavy Timber Construction/Timber Frame, Green Building Rating Systems, Worldwide Green Building initiatives, Wood/Forestry Industry & Green/Sustainable Design Solution

Continuing Education 

  • 1 GBCI – General
  • 1 AIA – LU|HSW
  • 1 NARI Green
  • 1 MI Contractor (Code & Green)
  • 1 MI Architect
  • If you need continuing education units for a license in another state, this course may apply. Please consult your state’s requirements.

This webinar is free to review. If you are interested in continuing education credits, you must follow the following steps:

1. Watch the webinar for FREE.

2. Take the 10 question quiz and score at least 80% to be approved. Please also post a comment below and help add to the conversation.

3. Pay the fee below to get your certificate and CEUs. You must be an  member to pay the reduced member fee.


Webinar Pricing