• Site
• Client

• Design
• Systems

• Energy Efficiency
• Sustainability

The house is composed of:

• The main level –
  • Living Room/Kitchen,
  • Dining Room,
  • Sunroom,
  • Spare Bedroom/Den,
  • 1st level Full Bath,
  • Pantry/Hobby Room and
  • Utility Room.
• The upper level –
  • Master Suite,
  • Guest Bedroom,
  • 2nd level Full Bath.
• The lower level –
  • Open Unfinished Area
    (plumbed for possible future remodeling),
  • Mechanicals Room, and
  • “Cool” room.
• The Cupola Room Office.

Natural ventilation features include transoms over the interior doors and operable windows on all levels.

The cupola room allows for a “chimney” effect when desired; eliminating the need for a whole house fan.

The garage/workshop is composed of five areas:

• garage,
• workshop,
• bathroom,
• bio-diesel processing area, and
• storage loft
  (plumbed for possible future remodeling).

House:

• Kitchen is wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.
• Doorways have a flat threshold and are at least 36” wide.
• Hallways and stairs are 48” wide, stair risers are 6” high, and stair lifts are planned for the future.
• A dumbwaiter that extends from the lower level to the upper level will be installed.
• Textured surfaces to prevent slipping.
• The wrap-around porch will be 10‘ wide.

Lighting:

• Daylighting is a dominant design feature in this house. Natural lighting reduces energy use and increases the comfort level of the inhabitants.
• Artificial lighting will be a combination of CFL and LED technology to reduce heat gain and energy use.
• Sensors and timers will be used in appropriate areas, i.e. closets, passageways, etc.
• Dimmers, switches, and thermostats will be positioned between 42” and 48” above the floor.
• Exterior steps will be well lit with solar powered LED lighting.

Appliances:

• All appliances will be Energy Star rated.
• The dishwasher will use drawer-style loading, eliminating the need to bend or stoop to load or unload the dishwasher.
• A combination washer/dryer unit will be included in the Master Bathroom.

Cabinets & Storage:

• Base cabinets will be equipped with full-extension drawers and rollout shelves.
• Lever handles will be used for faucets and doors.

Bathtubs & Showers:

• Tubs and showers will be equipped with grab bars, hand held showerheads, and non-slip flooring.

Both house and garage/workshop are designed to use SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) as the above ground framing product (and as the roof on the house). SIPS are made by sandwiching a “foam” core (usually EPS or expanded polystyrene) with OSB (oriented strand board) panels. SIPS are engineered to create strong, durable structures, and provide the added benefit of integrated insulation which makes them ideal for residential buildings. SIPS provide a tight building envelope with a high insulation value, which leads to a decrease in operating costs to maintain a comfortable environment for the occupants. This product is able to withstand a wide range of weather conditions and it has been proven that houses built with SIPS are able to withstand a variety of natural disasters. Also, because of the “all-in-one” nature of SIPS, construction time can be greatly reduced when compared to a stick frame home. This is because SIPS incorporate framing, insulation, and exterior sheathing, and can come precut from the factory for the specific job; therefore, the exterior building envelope can be built quickly.

The below ground walls of the house will be created using a Fully Insulated Concrete Foundation (FICF) system which sandwiches an EPS core between two “panels” of concrete called thermal mass walls. This configuration allows for the passive solar features of the house to combine with the thermal mass of the concrete and provide a natural heating effect during the winter months. This FICF system will also help to maintain a cool lower level and north wall on the main level during the summer months. Thermal mass walls consist of 4 inches of concrete facing the interior, 2 inches of concrete on the exterior and 2 inches of EPS insulation sandwiched in between. Fiber composite connectors, spaced 16 inches on center, hold the assembly together. The thermal mass walls take advantage of the thermal mass effect, which occurs when concrete walls and floors absorb daytime heat and release it at night. During the daytime, the 4 inches of interior concrete warm up to the indoor temperature. Once the home’s interior temperature falls below the wall temperature, the concrete releases this heat back into the home. This effect reduces both cooling and heating loads, thus the homes HVAC system is downsized. Along with decreasing the total amount of heating and cooling required, it also shifts the load to off-peak hours, which can offer even greater cost savings in areas with variable electricity rates. Although the wall has a material R-value of 11.33, its effective R-value (which considers the thermal mass and other effects of the concrete) is two to three times as high depending on the climate. The extent to which the thermal mass effect increases the effective R-value of a wall is affected by the number of heating degree-days. The general rule is that areas with fewer heating degree-days will benefit more from the thermal mass effect, making this a logical selection for the climate at the site.

The garage/workshop is designed using a gambrel-style roof which has the correct angles to incorporate photovoltaic (PV) products on its roof for year-round production of electricity. Storage of batteries will be provided for in both the garage/workshop and the house.

The 10-acre lot is large enough to accommodate a residential-size wind turbine.

Hathmore Technologies, LLC has been engaged to work with the general contractor and subcontractors to consult on the options that will work best with the lowest costs and maintenance. Therefore, design charrettes will be conducted to facilitate these decisions.

The house will utilize Energy Star rated appliances.

Energy Star qualified refrigerators use up to 40 percent less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001 and at least 15 percent less energy than models built to current federal standards. These refrigerators feature high-efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms.

Energy Star qualified freezers use at least 10 percent less energy than required by current federal standards.

Energy Star qualified dishwashers use at least 25 percent less energy and up to 40 percent less water than standard models and can save more than $25 a year in energy and water costs. These dishwashers use “smart” features such as effective washing action, energy-efficient motors, and sensors that determine the necessary cycle length and water temperature.

Energy Star qualified clothes washers use up to 50 percent less energy and about one-third less water than standard washers. As a result, expect to save up to $75 per year on utility and water bills with additional savings from using less detergent. Most Energy Star qualified washers extract more water during the spin cycle, providing further energy savings when using a clothes dryer because drying time will be shorter. The client will see less wear and tear on clothes from front loading model(s), which do not need an agitator. Since there is not Energy Star rating for clothes dryers, a unit that matches the clothes washer will be purchased. Additionally, clothing will be dried outside using the sun and wind whenever feasible.

Artificial lighting will be a combination of CFL and LED technology to reduce heat gain and energy use.

Sensors and timers will be used in appropriate areas, i.e. closets, passageways, etc.

Exterior steps will be well lit with solar powered LED lighting.

The PlayHaven Green Building Complex is designed to use a solar water heater as its primary heated water source.

The sun’s heat has been used for decades to heat water for homes and businesses. At the turn of the 20th century, solar heated water systems were common in Southern California. Some countries have made their use mandatory. For example, all homes in Israel have solar hot water systems. More than one-half million solar hot water systems have been installed in the United States, mostly on single-family homes. Typically, a homeowner relying on electricity to heat water could save up to $500 in the first year of operation by installing a solar water heating system. The savings over time increases due to increasing electricity rates. The average solar heating system pays for itself in four to seven years.

• Environmentally Friendly
• At least 50% savings in heating and cooling costs
• Reduces dependence on old growth lumber
• Reduces atmospheric pollutants
• Utilizes recyclable materials
• Energy Star Program

Besides providing excellent structural integrity, working with SIPS also ensures a high level of environmental sustainability. The finished product uses fewer materials than a conventionally built home, requiring less energy to maintain, emitting less pollution and resulting in an improved living space.

SIPS provide superior insulation properties over typical “stick-built” construction. Independent testing has shown that SIPS walls are up to 45% more energy efficient and reduce air leakage by up to 90% when compared to fiberglass insulated walls of the same thickness, making them just the thing for an energy-conscious world.

The panels are more environmentally friendly than conventional construction methods. The OSB is made from recycled or new growth trees, requiring less virgin lumber. In addition, no outgassing is produced from the foam releasing system, and the EPS foam core can be recycled.

The house is designed to incorporate a living – also known as “green” – roof on the covered porch.

Because green roofs reduce the surface temperature of a roof by minimizing heat-absorbing surfaces, the green roof helps to reduce energy costs inside the building as well. For example, on a 90-degree day, while a blacktop roof surface can be as hot as 160 degrees, a typical green roof temperature will only be 95 degrees.

The green roof helps to protect the roof membranes from extreme temperature fluctuations and the negative impact of ultraviolet radiation. Green roofs can double the life span of a conventional roof.

The plants capture and hold rainwater. Water stored in the growing media is released through evaporation and transpiration. Rain water retention rates are determined by saturated infiltration capacity, thickness of the growing media, field capacity, porosity, under-drainage layer water retention and flow, and relief drain spacing. Green roofs also filter out fine, airborne particulate matter as the air passes over the plants. Airborne particulates tend to get trapped in the surface areas of the greenery. Rains wash it into the growing medium below. Plants also absorb gaseous pollutants through photosynthesis and sequester them in their leaves.

The garage/workshop will have rain barrels at each down spout.

The house will use gutters to harvest rain water and collected in at least one underground cistern. This water will be used for tertiary uses e.g., watering plants.

The use of rain water not only promotes water conservation, but it also promotes an aspect of sustainable development of such an irreplaceable resource.

The PlayHaven Green Building Complex will incorporate as much reused, reclaimed and recycled material/products as possible.

The interior of the house is designed to be simple aesthetically so that unique architectural salvage may be incorporated into it over time. Kansas City is home to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, one such resource for recycled materials and products. The garage/workshop will be built first to a weather-tight condition of the main level to store building materials and collected architectural salvage.

New, recycled products that are planned for inclusion are:

• Countertops made from recycled glass aggregate, and
• A variety of floorings including recycled PET carpeting, reclaimed timber, stained concrete, cork, natural linoleum, and porcelain tile.

The porch on the exterior of the house will use recycled composite decking and railing products. This type of decking and railing products are made from a unique combination of reclaimed wood and plastic, giving you the best qualities of both materials.

It is important to maintain a healthy indoor air quality; therefore, the PlayHaven Green Building Complex will use:

• low and no-VOC paints, stain, varnishes, and sealants,
• FSC certified interior wood and panel products, and
• Environmentally-friendly cleaning products.