Building, Remodel & Decorate: Trend Watch – Image Magazine

The Spring 2011 issue of Image Magazine, distributed to homeowners in 46 towns along the CT River Valley in New Hampshire and Vermont, features a unique section called Trend Watch, a homeowner’s guide to building, remodeling, and decorating. In this regard, we see the same trends in conventional homes as we do in timber homes.

When asked about current home design and building trends, NH Architect Jeremy Bonin pointed to home size.  “Smaller is definitely a trend,” said Bonin, Principal Architect of Bonin Architect & Associates in New London. “The size of the custom house is coming down.  We’re seeing fewer rooms and more multi-use spaces.  Instead of two separate rooms with several hundred square feet each, these are combined into one slightly larger room.”

Another trend, says Bonin, is maximizing outdoor space.  “We design many lakefront homes in the Sunapee region.  These homes have a lot of interaction of the indoor living space and the exterior landscape or lake side of the home with views and outdoor activities.”

Energy efficiency is another front-runner in design and building trends.  Bonin, a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional), uses his training in sustainable design in each and every project.  “For energy efficiency and sustainability, we use guidelines from LEED and Energy Star,” adds Bonin.  “The building envelopes are well-insulated, we specify durable low-maintenance materials, high-quality windows and doors, and homes are sited to take advantage of passive solar as well as views.”

Other building and remodeling trends Bonin notes:

• Open kitchen, dining, and living areas
• First floor Master Suites and one story living
• Incorporating three-season porches with energy efficient windows to use year-round

Jeremy Bonin has contributed to many publications.  Click the link to read some of his articles on green building.

Timber Frame Homes and LEED

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most well-known, visible rating system for energy efficient, high performance buildings today. A program of the US Green Building Council, LEED is taking the lead in educating professionals and consumers in the green building movement.

Can a timber frame home be LEED certified? Absolutely. LEED for Homes awards certification based on point totals in eight categories. Categories include:

• Innovation & Design Process
  
• Location & Linkages
  
• Sustainable Sites
  
• Water Efficiency
  
• Energy & Atmosphere
  
• Materials and Resources
  
• Indoor Environmental Quality
  
• Awareness & Education

An important first step in building a LEED timber frame home is to interview and hire a LEED architect registered in your state to design your home. After you have a timber frame design, your architect will help you find a qualified builder to construct the timber frame home and document certification points throughout the construction process. When the home is completed, a certified Rater inspects, tests, and certifies the home as Certified (45.0 points), Silver (60.0 points), Gold (75.0 points) and Platinum (90.0 points).

Energy savings is just one of the benefits of a LEED certified home. A green home that reaches a LEED Certified or LEED Silver status will enjoy a 30% reduction in energy usage over a conventional home. A LEED Gold home increases that savings significantly, using 48% less energy, while a LEED Platinum status home can see the biggest energy reduction - 50%-60%. (Home Energy Rating System (HERS) scores compared with International Energy Conservation Code standards).

Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP
Registered in NH, VT, ME, MA, NY, RI, and PA

How Structural Insulated Panels Measure Up to LEED

Are you looking for LEED certification for your new energy efficient home and plan to use structural insulated panels? SIPA (Structural Insulated Panel Association) has calculated the points the project could be awarded using structural insulated panels. Below are the categories and possible points earned for using structural insulated panel walls, roofs, and floor systems:

Performance Path - EA – Energy and Atmosphere

EA 1: Optimize Energy Performance-Maximum 34 Points

Using the Performance Pathway, the home is awarded points based on overall energy performance, measured by a HERS Index. A home’s HERS Index is calculated by a certified energy rater and takes into account the insulation, results from a blower door test, HVAC, lighting, and other relevant information. LEED points are allocated on a scale ranging from 0 points for ENERGY STAR and 34 points for a net zero energy home. Homes must meet ENERGY STAR as a prerequisite for this credit.

Prescriptive Path

EA 2.1: Basic Insulation-Prerequisite

Builders must install insulation that meets or exceeds the requirements of the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). SIPs are listed as an exception to this requirement, and must alternately pass a visual inspection using the ENERGY STAR SIP Visual Inspection Form.

EA 2.2 Enhanced Insulation-2 points

SIP construction qualifies as enhanced insulation if it passes the visual inspection using the ENERGY STAR SIP Visual Inspection Form.

EA 3: Air Infiltration-Maximum 3 points

Well sealed SIP homes have a proven track record of achieving extremely low levels of air infiltration. Homes are awarded points based on their blower door test results, with a maximum of 3 points possible.

Performance Path - Materials and Resources (MR)

MR 1.4 Framing Efficiencies-Maximum 3 points

The project is given one point for each SIP system used: walls, roofs, and floors. If SIP floors are not used, points can be earned by using other material-efficient framing techniques, such as spacing floor joists greater than 16” o.c.

MR 2.2 Environmentally Preferable Products-Maximum 1 point

SIP homes qualify for 0.5 points if two of the three building components (wall, roof, or floor) use FSC certified OSB. SIPs are eligible for an additional 0.5 points if they are produced within 500 miles of the home.

MR 3.2 Construction Waste Reduction-Maximum 3 points

Using prefabricated SIPs decreases the amount of onsite construction waste, helping builders qualify for waste reduction points. Waste reduction points are given on a scale ranging from 0 to 3 depending on the amount of waste generated per square foot of the home.

NOTE from SIPA: This information is meant for reference only. Actual project scoring will depend on the individual rater, builder, and other factors.

Do you have questions about you building a green home using structural insulated panels? We're happy too answers your questions about SIPs homes, sustainable design, and hybrid homes (combining timberframe with structural insulated panels).

Kimberly Bonin, Executive Project Manager

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Who will design your green home?

A sustainable home starts with good home design – even with experience in home building and energy efficient building materials, you can benefit with the advice of a design expert. The traditional approach is to hire an architect to design your home and a builder to construct the home.

Make sure your architect is highly knowledgeable about green building, a LEED accredited professional if possible, and interview builders to see their energy efficient homes, discuss costs, budgets, and check their references. In this instance, the architect stays involved with the project from start to finish, helping you to find potential builders and making sure the home is built as specified in the drawings.

You may consider a local design-build firm to build your green home that will handle both the design and the construction of your home. Another approach is to hire a builder or manufacturer to design the home. Many companies offer “standard plans” with flexible floor plans. Consider carefully before selecting a stock plan: while your spatial needs may be met with a standard home design, your sustainable home should be designed to match your family’s philosophy on sustainability and be tailored to you site. Alex Wilson, President of BuildingGreen, Inc. and Editor of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec Directory, also cautions about using standard plans in his book Your Green Home, “Green building involves elements that are not conducive to the use of stock house plans, such as a close examination of the building site and a careful tailoring of the design to make the home fit the site.”

Many design-build firms, builders, and manufacturers offer green home design services but do not have an architect on staff. So what’s the difference between an architect and a designer? Timber Home Living’s 2007 Annual Buyer’s Guide article titled “The Design Pros”, explains, “Schooling, accreditation, and cost, primarily. All architects are designers, but not all designers are architects.” Before hiring a designer who is not an architect, make sure you check with your state and local permitting authorities, many are requiring a registered architect’s stamp and you don’t want to end up paying twice for services.

The Timber Home Living article continues, “To become an architect, the individual must pass his or her state’s Board of Architects exam, which indicates an understanding of the structural engineering principles behind making a building stand up. A designer may be able to design an entire building, he just needs an architect or engineer to ensure it will be properly built.”

Alex Wilson essentially sums it up: “The importance of good energy design cannot be overemphasized. Hopefully the architecture firm or design-build company will have the in-house expertise needed to create a very low-energy house. If not, the designer should have a good working relationship with an energy expert who is skilled in energy-efficient construction detailing, passive solar heating design, daylighting, computer modeling of energy performance, advanced mechanical equipment, and state-of-the-art electric lighting.”

Take a look at our sustainable home design services when you get an opportunity. We're happy to answer any of your questions on green building and look forward to helping you design your sustainable home with structural insulated panels, timber framing, post and beam, or another building method you are interested in!

Jackie Lampiasi, Marketing Director

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC