Walls & Ceilings Architect/October 2007

ICFs Creates a Tight ENVELOPE Testers in the area found the home to have the tightest envelope they had seen. Photo by Marilyn W. Moedinger-Clay. work to be run in conditioned space. “It was like starting the game 18 points in the hole, but it was the right thing to do from an energy-efﬁciency standpoint,” says Lowe. With such a tight envelope, Lowe had to pay special at tention to indoor air quality. The HVAC system includes a fresh-air intake on an automatic damper, with an integrated dehumidiﬁ er. By controlling the quality and moisture level of the incoming fresh air, the mechanical systems can run at maximum efficiency and adjust to the challenges posed by the mixed-humid central Virginia climate. Low-/no-VOC ﬁ nishes and materials are the second part of maintaining indoor air quality in a tight home. All carpets, carpet pads, paints, adhesives and coatings in the home are low-VOC. Other indoor air quality measures in the home include a detached garage, radon protection measures, and a directvent gas woodstove. Reducing a home’s energy footprint first, then considering highefficiency means of heating and cooling, is the Artisan philosophy. This allows for dramatic reductions in energy consumption in a home, though Lowe and Artisan are currently analyzing the various tradeoffs. Concrete requires a great deal of energy to produce, but is it offset by the energy savings in the home over time? Bamboo is a rapidly renewable material used for flooring and casework, but it requires shipping from China on a CO2belching cargo ship. (Lowe opted for reclaimed pine ﬂooring from a barn in Pennsylvania for his home.) “Five, 10 years ago, no one was asking these questions. It was always about the cabinets or the trim; now energy efficiency and indoor air quality are our ﬁ rst concerns with clients,” explains Lowe. Reducing the energy footprint of a project also extends to demands on public utilities, from the power grid to stormwater management. Lowe’s house features a rainwater collection and filtration system, which supplies the house with 100 percent of its potable water needs, and is capable of processing 60,000 gallons of water a year. No stormwater leaves the site, all plants are native and drought resistant, and dema nds on local g rou ndwater sources are reduced by using the collection system. Lowe also plans to install PVs on the roof, and a wind turbine in the yard to further reduce the home’s reliance on fossilfuel energy. But all of these energy savings begin with a tight envelope. And for 34 | Walls & Ceilings Architect | October 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Walls & Ceilings Architect/October 2007

Contents Trade News Silver Certiﬁed Airtight The Men of Steel Thinking Thermal Firestop 101 ICFs Create a Tight Envelope The Finish Line The Green Thumb Cracking the Code

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