Tag: deconstruction

Abandoned house gets new life in planned LEED renovation

Post author By admin
Post date February 18, 2013

Indianapolis, IN) GreenPath Homes will renovate a formerly abandoned 110-year old cottage in Fountain Square, Indianapolis, to the US Green Building Council’s rigorous LEED for Homes standard to show how distressed urban properties can be given new life as healthful, efficient homes.

In addition to reaching for the LEED Platinum certification level, GreenPath Homes is leading professional-level green building education and an extensive homeowner and community awareness campaign. A 10-person project team has been planning the renovation and will document the credits for certification. Open houses during and after construction will allow the public see inside the walls of a green home, and the project’s blog can be followed at www.takethegreenpath.com.

“This home will be the first LEED Platinum renovation in Indiana, and the second oldest home in the Midwest to receive this standard,” says William Wagnon, principal at GreenPath Homes and a LEED Accredited Professional for homes. “I hope homeowners, developers and even ‘flippers’ will take note of what new life can be possible with the City’s abandoned houses.”

Acquired through Southeast Neighborhood Development’s (SEND) Transfer and Transform Program, the home at 1055 Elm Street was once on a list of properties slated for demolition. The planned renovation seeks to preserve character and charm of the 960sf, 2-bed 1-bath home, while updating the space use for modern lifestyles. The home will also receive a deep energy retrofit including insulation, air sealing, high efficiency HVAC and Energy Star appliances. The energy model projects the home could be 40% more efficient than a standard home and 30% more efficient than an Energy Star home.

In committing to the LEED process, the project must also focus particular attention on:

Durability measures
Indoor air quality
Water efficiency strategies and storm water management
Environmentally preferable products and finishes

Being located within blocks of the heart of Fountain Square and the Cultural Trail, the home also has excellent access to community resources and public transportation, another component recognized in the LEED for Homes rating system.

The renovation is expected to get underway in December and be completed in just 2 to 3 months. After work is complete, the home will be offered for sale.

William Wagnon, LEED AP for Homes, has been renovating distressed urban properties in Indianapolis since 2005, and recently organized GreenPath Homes to consult and contract with homeowners and developers for better urban living spaces. His passion is smartly-designed small residential projects where he can preserve the charm of older homes and update their function for current lifestyles.

Tags deconstruction, featured, gut rehab, Indiana, LEED AP+H, leed for homes, LEED Gut Rehab, LEED Remodel, Single-Family Projects

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Ann Arbor Rehab, Green Building, Green Business

Post author By admin
Post date November 27, 2012

Ann Arbor Michigan, a hot bed for sustainable home development is at it again with a LEED for Homes registered gut rehab that is on track to be Platinum Certified as well as net zero site energy. Dubbed the Rancho Deluxe project, this ambitious rehab will feature both the Atomic Zero Home and a new structure and the home offices of Urban Ashes, a small business owned and operated by Paul Hickman. This home will feature geothermal, occupancy sensors, 10 kws of PV, mostly locally sourced or re used products, storm water reduction, native meadow installed and mo re. The Urban Ashes Studio addition is rumored to be one of Ann Arbor’s first straw bale wall assemblies once approved by the city and the studio it self is an authentic sustainable business with a triple bottom line. The company utilizes otherwise thrown out city trees to build furniture and picture frames while employing transitional/disabled labor. The company was recently featured in a local West Michigan news story based in a made in Michigan edition

Tags deconstruction, Education and Events, featured, geothermal, gut rehab, leed for homes, LEED Platinum, michigan, net zero homes, Single-Family Projects, solar

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A Green Future in the past – Habitat Registers 100th LEED Home in Grand Rapids

Post author By admin
Post date June 22, 2012

After dozens of new and gut-rehab LEED projects, the Grand Rapids, Michigan Habitat for Humanity affiliate is ready to begin a new era. That happens to be a really old era too.

With LEED for Homes-registered project #100, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County will start work on their ambitious “Wealthy Heights” neighborhood effort to rebuild homes built in the 1880’s as affordable, workforce housing. After building one new LEED platinum home (Grand Rapid’s 1st!) and preserving a single-family home and a two-unit in Wealthy Heights over the last couple years, Habitat is ready to start seven more projects this fall. It will also coincide with major road and infrastructure improvements by the City of Grand Rapids. Neighbors in Wealthy Heights get ready for construction season!

“The neighbors and business owners who have led the revitalization effort in this neighborhood over the last three decades made it possible for Habitat to step into the mix. Being historic has been a challenge and a blessing but now become a really desirable location for our home buyer partner families,” said Habitat’s Chris Hall.

As Director of Strategic Initiatives, Hall has been part of this project since 2009 when it was first brought to Habitat. With a history of results, Habitat Kent was in the right place at the right time. “It all happened as we were starting to look at ways to become more effective in transforming entire neighborhoods through our work.”

Since then, Habitat has completed the three home projects but also built a community garden and hosted an AmeriCorps Signature Service Project which offered basic exterior repairs, landscaping and a fresh coat of paint for home owners on Donald Place SE.

“We’ve seen residents show up at hearings in support, out working on site, and they have embraced our new families as part of the neighborhood. For-profit builders are doing work in the neighborhood too. This week I heard from folks as far away as New York City regarding a possible LEED-ND certification. Considering we haven’t even begun the major work yet you’d have to say it’s already been an amazing success story.”

After committing to 100% LEED for Homes certification in 2007, Habitat Kent has gone one to become recognized internationally as a leader in affordable, sustainable design and construction. In fact, they were awarded for “Outstanding Program Commitment” to LEED for Homes at the 2011 Greenbuild Conference and Expo in Toronto.

While the positive energy surrounding this project is building, Hall says there is still opportunity for you to help, “We are always looking for partners—either through financial contributions, donations of materials or professional services, as volunteers on site and even as home buyers.” Anyone can visit habitatkent.org to find out more. “Someone can even gain LEED project experience to use toward a LEED AP credential through Habitat! Anyone interested sustainable design will find something cool about this project.”

Future posts will feature a profile of the 100^th registered home at 327 Freyling Place SE as well as the other upcoming and completed projects.

Research is being done by MSU and FSU students and faculty with support from Dow and Habitat. They begin with the lowest cost and simplest forms of energy efficiency including cans of spray foam at joints and in gaps, spray foam in rim joists, and other air sealing measures. From there they will test other wall insulation and mechanical system combinations. At each step the homes are tested and analyzed.

Habitat Director of Strategic Initiatives Chris Hall enjoys seeing young people included in the project, “The Michigan State and Ferris State students have really been on the frontline the whole way and they’re getting their hands dirty—in a good way. What they’re learning will directly be applied to what they do in their careers in architecture, engineering, construction management or beyond. And that their work on these homes specifically will benefit a low-income family is especially cool.”

More details on the research project https://greenhomeinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Black-Hills-Home-Energy-Research-Project-Habitat-for-Humanity-Kent-County-.pdf

Want to learn more about affordable Green/LEED major rehabs to existing homes? Free recorded webinar on Habitat’s success here https://www.fuzemeeting.com/replay_meeting/50e23e6d/2385117 Need CEUs for watching this? Email us Info@allianceES.org

Tags affordable housing, deconstruction, gut rehab, leed for homes, LEED Platinum, Single-Family Projects, slider, solar thermal

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Building Deconstruction Workshop – Fri June 18

Post author By admin
Post date June 11, 2010

Many LEED for Homes projects use deconstruction. Come to an affordable ($25.00!) full-day workshop that will examine new business and employment opportunities springing up in Northern Illinois and nationally connected with the growing movement toward deconstruction and reuse of building materials.

Building Community Assets through Deconstruction and Material Reuse
9AM – 3 PM on Friday, June 18th, 2010
University Center of Lake County, Grayslake Campus

The presenters will explain how this “green” technology is influencing the design, construction and remodeling of residential and public housing, schools, hospitals, public facilities and commercial and industrial real estate and share their real-world experience in the field. The session will also engage participants in determining the role local government, non-profits, community institutions and real estate and building professionals can play in creating a positive business climate for deconstruction and building material reuse Lake County. Lunch will be provided.

Who Should Attend?

* Nonprofit economic development, workforce and job training representatives
* Developers, builders, contractors and real estate professionals
* Government officials, mayors, trustees and elected officials
* City planners, planning commissioners, building deparments

For more information contact: Dara Reiff, CLC Sustainability Coordinator at (847) 543-2643 or email: dreiff@clcillinois.edu

Tags deconstruction, grayslake, training, workshop

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Earth Day Tour: Ravenswood Single Family Home

Post author By admin
Post date April 7, 2010

Tour a green home in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood on Earth Day! This LEED single-family home is attempting to obtain 93 points for a LEED Gold rating and features some interesting and unique features.

Earth Day 2010 – LEED for Homes project tour

The previous house on the site was “deconstructed“, taken apart piece by piece and donated so that materials like lumber and sheathing can be used in building projects elsewhere.

Some of the special features include a geothermal heating/cooling system with radiant floors, a rainwater cistern that collects all roof run-off for irrigation, advanced air sealing and insulation techniques, and framing that helps minimize the lumber used. The structure is sized to account for the actual loading to avoid using more lumber than needed. Even the curved roofs are made from 12″ deep trusses spaced 24″ o.c.

Some other great features will include salvaged fir flooring and wood trim, the soy-based closed cell foam insulation, and a whole house HEPA filter. The house will have over 90% of the light fixtures Energy Star rated.

Rigid foam insulation covers the exterior sheathing to provide a better thermal break and help seal the house. The LEED for Homes Green Rater will verify this with blower door testing performed before drywall to show us the actual condition of the house, and identify any needed improvements while the walls are open and accessible. Another blower door test will be performed upon completion of the house.

The mechanical system was engineered to help balance the system well. The owners also intend to have a solar hot water system installed for their domestic hot water use.

Tour this Ravenswood home under construction as the framing stage wraps up. See examples of advanced framing techniques on Earth Day, Thursday April 22 from 2:00 – 3:00. Reserve your tour spot now.

Tags deconstruction, framing, solar hot water, tour

Financial resources for low income GHI Education Manager GHI Youtube Channel Subscribe list GreenStar Homes Certification Net zero energy conference On-Demand Green Home Videos

Deconstruction as Alternative to Demolition

Post author By admin
Post date March 31, 2010

The LEED for Homes rating system rewards projects that are developed on sites that have been previously developed, and many project teams take advantage of good existing neighborhoods with access to transportation and services rather than building on raw land. Sometimes, a site is chosen where the existing structure is so damaged or functionally obsolete that it is necessary to start over.

In the past, these homes would be torn down in a matter of days, with tons of debris being sent to landfills. An increasingly common alternative to demolition is “De-Construction”. Unlike most houses that are demolished, a deconstructed house is carefully taken apart piece by piece to preserve the useful building materials and virtually eliminate waste.

On a LEED for Homes project in Oak Park, IL a certified deconstruction auditor came out and provided a value estimation for the salvaged components of the home. For this particular site, the value was over $130,000 which the homeowners were able to use as a tax credit that can be carried over for up to five years. This ends up being more valuable than the cost for the deconstruction services itself. View photos of this deconstruction project.

One impact any project team must be aware of is the effect on construction scheduling. Deconstruction is a labor and time intensive process, and can take much longer than traditional demolition. If weather is not cooperating, it can take up to two months rather than two weeks. But if deconstruction is properly planned for, the environmental and economic benefits can be more rewarding. LEED for Homes values materials from deconstruction which are eligible under Materials and Resources credit 2.2 for both reclaimed and local production credit. For teams pursuing deconstruction, the process of deconstruction of existing homes by providing Innovation and Design credit.

ID credit: The below is taken from the LEED Interpretations database for inquiry number 5289:

Projects may earn ID credit for diverting demolition waste, on the following conditions: (1) the amount of demolition waste is roughly equal to the amount of material in a complete home; (2) at least 50% must be diverted for 1/2 ID point, and at least 70% must be diverted for 1 ID point; (3) no credit may be awarded for land-clearing waste; (4) the Green Rater must verify waste hauling documents and diversion calculation, similar to MR 3; (5) only the diversion strategies approved for MR 3 may be used; (6) the calculation can be based on weight or volume, but a consistent approach must be used throughout the calculation; and (7) the demolition diversion rate must be calculated based on project specific information; using the diversion rate for a disposal facility cannot be used (i.e. MR 03-25 does not apply)

Tags deconstruction, ID, ID 3, interpretations, MR2.2

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