ARE YOU LIVING CERTIFIED GREEN?

ARE YOU LIVING CERTIFIED GREEN? 

III. Indoor Environmental Quality

All duct connections must be sealed and tight with a UL-listed mastic product. All supply and return boot-to-house connection properly sealed and U.L. Class 1 pliable sealant or caulk.

Install hardwired CO detectors to detect build-up of carbon monoxide – a colorless and odorless gas.

Provide fresh air and ventilation throughout the house through your HVAC system. This requires an electronic air cleaner or special filter performance metric. We recommend installing a “Fresh Air” economizer system that not only provides a controlled air flow but also saves energy.

Spot ventilation is also needed for kitchen and bathrooms capable of exhausting to the outside the code required volume of air.

All living rooms (except bath and kitchen) should not exceed a pressure differential of +/- 3 parcels with respect to the outside when interior door are closed and the air handler is operating. The system must be balanced per each room.

Tub and shower surrounds must be backed with water resistant materials and in hot humid climates. Vinyl wall paper is not advised.

Paints should contain low level of VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) resulting in better indoor air quality. VOC’s can off-gas from solids or liquids.

Carpets should be CRI (Carpet Rug Institute) labeled which also requires low-VOC emissions. The installation should be with low VOC tack strips and underlayment free of urea formaldehyde. If your floor area exceeds 70% of the total consider installing an approval central vacuum system.

Interior walls by bedrooms, baths and utility rooms should be acoustical sound controlled by using sound board. Second story floors should contain gyp crete or insulation, giving a coefficiency performance of 37-39, QUIET!

I

nstall an advanced (IEQ) equipment package – source elimination, ventilation, cleaning, purification and monitoring. HEPA filtration, germicidal lamp and other components based on your location and climate.

For house construction, go to www.EstimateConstructionCostFirst.com.

 

ARE YOU LIVING CERTIFIED GREEN?

ARE YOU LIVING CERTIFIED GREEN? 

Water Efficiency

Bathrooms should have low-flow efficiency fixtures. Toilets with a flush volume of 1.28  gallons per flush and a solid waste removal of 350 grams or greater. Shower heads 2.5 GPM max., lavatory faucets 2.5GPM, sink faucets 2.2GPM maximum.

For plumbing efficiency, the water heater should be at a central location or a demand-controlled recirculating pump. Code requires all hot water pipes be insulated. The clothes washer should be “energy star” qualified and a water flow (WF) less than 6.0 (water used per cu. Ft.).

If you live in an area that allows the reuse of water to install a “Gray Water” system, connect your sink, tub and shower drain lines to a holding tank for landscape use.

For cost of construction, go to: www.EstimateConstructionCostFirst.com

ARE YOU LIVING CERTIFIED GREEN?

ARE YOU LIVING CERTIFIED GREEN? 

I. Energy Efficiency

Is your home well constructed by having continuous air barrier, reduced drafts and air penetration? Ideally, a reflective barrier is under your roof and above the insulation. Snug-tight construction. Seal around all pipes, gaps, doors and windows. Insulation should be code required R-value or greater and with contact of the air barrier to prevent air movement. Also, insulation has to be Indoor Air Quality Certified or manufactured from at least 75% recycled content. Your HVAC system should be the “perfect size” for your cooling square footage for best performance and efficiency of equipment. Bigger equipment is not necessary and may even cause humidity and cost more electricity.

The electrical hard wired system should be at least 60% compact fluorescent lights (CFL) or light emitting diode (LED) lights that reduce energy consumption.

Use dimmer switches for non-fluorescent fixtures.

Windows should be dual glazed (double paned) or install the low-E emissivity window. Low-E windows have a thin metal coating that allows light but inhibits thermal heat gain.

For estimating tools, go to: www.EstimateConstructionCostFirst.com

CREATIVITY VS ACADEMIC

CREATIVITY VS ACADEMIC

Time was the architect as the only person to engage with when planning to build. However, with the changing times, i.e. sustainable design, renewable energy, seismic design, soil design, concrete design, lighting design, design/build, etc., it has become more and more apparent that designers are special and are specializing in a specific field of construction as demand is growing with consumer awareness. In the past architects did most everything including light planning. Today, light design experts are in cultural demand, engaging in creating solutions. Good design and low energy will no longer be an oxymoron. Experience and memory will be recognized design values. Cost has been a key driver, other factors such as risk, energy use, and the cost of maintenance now drive solutions.

Knowledge (book smart) may be what is necessary for an architect to achieve his degree, but without hands-on building skills, he lacks an important part of an architectural education.

There becomes a disconnect between drawing something and building it. Hands-on experience cannot be taught in a classroom or with a computer. Design improves with lessons learned the hard way thru every façade of the construction industry. Today, the design/build evolution has proven to be the leading choice for a good design with follow thru and is an amazing industry producing amazing results. Knowing engineering also gives an added edge to a well designed project. Today, a licensed structural engineer is required for most plans designed by an architect. This leaves the architect or designer to only create the set of plans and provide city plan services. Other design experts are required energy codes, geology, mechanical and electrical . . . to mention a few. Not all architects or designers are created equal. Being a book smart and like to draw is one thing, to have a license is another. But to be a “right-brainer” has proven a God-given talent gives a good quality design and is definitely recognized. The left hemisphere of our brain is associated with analyzing details, performing mechanical calculations and more engineering part of our thinking. The right hemisphere is the synthesizer, seeing the “big picture” and is creative part of our intellect. Creative thinkers (right-brainers) will be how design will rule the future. High-concept and high-touch aptitudes are moving from the periphery of our lives to the center. Design has permeated every aspect of life and the psychology of consumer. Preferences drives creative design.

It may not be “political correct” to ask a designer if he or she is left-handed, but what is the difference asking if licensed!

Perhaps, what is needed is the eastern concept of Shoshihn, translated as “beginner’s mind”. An attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would. The best artist practi9ce Shoshihn without knowing the term.

A good designer will be yours rather than only being solicited and appreciated by a knowing elite.

For more information, go to www.EstimateConstructionCostFirst.com.