by Charles Hendricks | Jan 17, 2013 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building, green term defined, Indoor Air Quality
Ambient lighting: Lighting in an area from any source that produces general illumination, as opposed to task lighting.
Biodegradable: A material or substance which will decompose quickly and without harmful effects to the environment, when left exposed to nature.
Building pressurization: The air pressure within a building relative to the air pressure outside. Positive building pressurization is usually desirable to avoid infiltration of unconditioned and unfiltered air. Positive pressurization is maintained by providing adequate outdoor makeup air to the HVAC system to compensate for exhaust and leakage.
Carbon Footprint: A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases we produce. It is measured in units of carbon dioxide. Here is a carbon footprint calculator from the Nature Conservancy.
Constructed wetland: Any of a variety of designed systems that approximate natural wetlands, use aquatic plants, and can be used to treat wastewater or runoff.
Cradle-to-grave analysis: Analysis of the impact of a product from the beginning of its source gathering processes, through the end of its useful life, to disposal of all waste products. Cradle-to-cradle is a related term signifying the recycling or reuse of materials at the end of their first useful life.
Embodied energy: Embodied Energy is the total energy sequestered from a stock within the earth in order to produce a specific good or service including extraction, manufacture, and transportation to market.
Energy Efficient: Products and systems that use less energy to perform as well or better than standard products. While energy-efficient products sometimes have higher up-front costs, they tend to cost less over their lifetime when the cost of energy consumed is factored in. An example of this is LED light bulbs vs. incandescent bulbs. Here is a good place to start finding Energy Efficient products.
Formaldehyde: A gas used widely in production of adhesives, plastics, preservatives, and fabric treatments and commonly emitted by indoor materials that are made with its compounds. It is highly irritating if inhaled and is now listed as a probable human carcinogen.
Green: A common metaphor referring to environmental association based on the shared secondary color of many plants. It is often used to associate products, organizations, political parties, or policies with environmentally sensitivity. It has largely been misused by marketing departments and therefore has lost true meaning.
Indoor air quality (IAQ): According to ASHRAE Standard 62-1989, indoor air quality is defined as air in which there are no known contaminants at harmful concentrations as determined by cognizant authorities and with which a substantial majority (80 percent or more) of the people exposed do not express dissatisfaction.
LEED/LEED Certification: In the United States and in a number of other countries around the world, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. Here is some more in-depth discussion: here.
Life-cycle: The consecutive, interlinked stages of a product, beginning with raw materials acquisition and manufacture and continuing with its fabrication, manufacture, construction, and use, and concluding with any of a variety of recovery, recycling, or waste management options.
Native vegetation: A plant whose presence and survival in a specific region is not due to human intervention.
Natural: A product that is made from materials and ingredients found in nature, with little or no human intervention. For example, wood is a natural material while plastic is not.
Photovoltaic: Generation of electricity from the energy of sunlight, using photocells.
Renewable Energy: Energy derived from sources that do not deplete natural resources. Examples include solar, wind, and geothermal energy from the Earth’s core.
Sustainability: Sustainability is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This definition was created in 1987 at the World Commission on Environment and Development..
Sustainable Design: The design of products, services, buildings, or experiences that are sensitive to environmental issues and achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in terms of energy and materials
VOC: Organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere. In other words, that new car smell or new paint smell.
Waste Reduction: A process to reduce or eliminate that amount of waste generated at its source or to reduce the amount of toxicity from waste or the reuse of materials. The best way to reduce waste is not to create it in the first place.
by Charles Hendricks | Dec 19, 2012 | Building Science, Harrisonburg Architect
We were contacted by a small business owner in Harrisonburg that wanted to start a new venture in town. I was familiar with the type of studio she was looking to create, but had never experienced it first hand. Her goal was to start the first Harrisonburg Bikram Yoga Studio. Bikram Yoga is a system of Yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970’s. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees with a humidity of 40%. As an architect and a building scientist, this is the coolest design challenge and the scariest all in one project. Our first step was to do some research – this is the Charlottesville Bikram Yoga Studio.
We set off to design a functional, healthy, space for this new business in an old two story building. We evaluated the existing space, created drawings to start our design work, and met with the owner to layout the most functional solutions for her business goals.
Due to some circumstances beyond our control the project became a fast track schedule where we were still doing design while construction was ongoing. This is often not the best approach to a complicated design project, but we adapted. The design team by this point included the business owners, Winston Rhodes (mechanical engineer), Jim Herr (Contractor), Ken Wells (insulation expert), Deborah Smith (architectural intern), Amy Turnage (Interior Designer), and me. The challenge was to keep the humidity controlled inside the yoga studio and to protect the existing structural components of the building. If both of these goals are achieved the clients goal of having a healthy and functional space will be realized. I worked with Winston to cover the various options for performance then we both met with the entire team to discuss buildability / costs to deliver the best solution possible for this business use.
Once the plan was agreed on, construction continued on the space. First rigid insulation was installed on the interior of the wood studs. Then a vapor barrier of closed cell foam was installed.
Drywall brackets were created by Jim with consultations with the drywall company and local suppliers.
The finished product, in the works, will be a healthy, comfortable (110 degrees at 40% humidity) room for our client. While this is a very unique business type, all projects should take the care and attention this project did to building science elements. Planning up front always costs less than fixing the problems later. As we always say – Design Matters!
For more thoughts on saving money, protecting the environment, and on architectural design visit my websites:
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by Charles Hendricks | Jul 10, 2012 | architecture, Building Science, Harrisonburg Architect
I was at a local hardware store purchasing paint supplies last week. The elderly woman behind me in line (that was very interested in my reasons for purchasing the items) asked why I did not buy any paint. I told her that I wanted to use a paint that had No-VOC’s in the tint and that store did not offer that as an option. She looked puzzled and asked me what is a VOC. So I explained chemical off-gasing, links to long-term adverse health effects, and my goal to protect my children. Her concern for my purchase quickly faded (this often happens when someone asks me about building science in passing) and turned to being defensive for the “way she always does it.” She explained that she was too old to worry about things like that, after all, everything causes cancer these days. So is that the answer, don’t worry about it since everything is bad, or is it better to understand and try to change. Of course my goal is to constantly learn more and to try to be better. So here is some of what I know about VOCs and the link to health issues – my understanding is limited and I am always looking for more information.
Many products that are used in home construction have various chemicals that are released into the air post installation. Some of these gases are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Concentrations of VOCs are often found to be higher indoors than outdoors (an obvious conclusion looking at air circulation and volume of space). The levels of these chemicals is found to be even higher in a ‘energy-efficient’ home that does not have a dedicated fresh air system integrated with the heating and cooling system (remember when a HVAC system included ventilation and not just heating and cooling?). VOCs can be found in many products including paints, lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, printers, correction fluid, and glues. So we typically select products that have low or No VOCs in them for our clients and for our own personal use. This is not an across the board answer as there are many considerations, but it is certainly a huge factor as all of our projects are designed to be energy efficient. The other strategy used in combination with product selection is to include a dedicated fresh air source integrated with the HVAC system. While there are no guarantees in life, these two strategies will certainly diminish a known risk the health of your family. It will reduce the probability of headaches, nausea, eye nose and throat irritation, and possible damage to the central nervous system, and kidneys and livers.
With the known correlation between VOCs and various types of cancer, don’t you owe it to yourself, your family, and your friends to use products that are No VOCs? I cannot imagine ever being to old to care about prevention.
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 25, 2011 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building, green term defined, Harrisonburg Architect, Indoor Air Quality
A certified BPI or RES-Net Rater will allow you to better understand where to spend money to get the best return on investment. An energy audit is a test that can determine whether your house is air tight, and if not, where the holes are in the thermal envelope. For years we have heard, don’t make your house too tight – so tell me, why did you install all the windows, how big of a hole do you want left in your wall. Making a house air tight is not a negative; it will then allow you to control the fresh air intake of your home rather than filtering your makeup air through your attic insulation, your vented crawl space, or through your walls. An energy audit will give you the information to determine if you should replace your HVAC system, windows, and / or appliances. This is a test that every home owner should have in order to better understand their home and how they spend their money.
Did you know: The average new American home has a 28% duct leakage on a ‘well’ installed and maintained heating and cooling system.
Did you know: A vented crawl space or vented attic are not recommended for Central Virginia as it promotes bad indoor air quality and leads to higher energy bills.
For more thoughts on saving money, protecting the environment, and on architectural design, visit my websites:
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by Charles Hendricks | Apr 1, 2011 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building, Indoor Air Quality, LEED
At a recent presentation I was giving on green design and construction, one attendee was very concerned with my endorsement of the LEED green rating system. LEED is a third-party green certification for buildings that measures multiple aspects including energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and water conservation. It was his contention that LEED was flawed because you can get a point for bike racks and there is no requirement for energy efficiency. First off, this statement is entirely inaccurate. You have to design and build an energy-efficient building to achieve LEED Certification. You do however, also get points for encouraging the use of bikes, conserving water, and even using FSC wood. While there remain flaws with any points based system, the LEED system does in fact create buildings that are more energy-efficient than a code minimum building (the worst possible building you can build by law).
Yes, I have heard of the buildings that don’t perform as modeled in the LEED energy modeling softwares. The energy models used for LEED certification looks at the energy use in a perfect scenario, facility managers that know and understand how to run the system, and building occupants that use the building as is typical. The problem with many of the energy efficiency / water efficient strategies is that the enhanced comfort features are different. The facility managers need to be trained on how to operate the different systems. They are not necessarily more complicated, but simply are different. For instance, in a home with a continuous supply of hot water will save money on energy used to heat water – IF – you don’t use more water. The problem is that people often begin taking longer showers, as they now have a continuous supply of hot water.
We worked with Better Living Mill Shop to create their facility in Zion Crossroads. We did not design the building specifically for LEED Certification, but did achieve certification through our design decisions. We reduced energy use by more than 40% over a code minimum building. We reduced water use through capturing rainwater off the 24,000 sf room.We used a high level of recycled content material and local materials – because they were the appropriate materials for the project. We used common sense solutions to create the best value design for our client. LEED was simply a validation method that added value for the facility owner.
LEED is simply a tool to help measure your success against your goals for energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. If you use LEED as a mandate for green building, then you should also mandate specific points within the system that you feel are the most important. If bike racks are not important, don’t mandate that point. If energy efficiency is the goal, mandate a higher level of points for those specific strategies. We need to increase our goals for energy efficiency, if not for any other reason, then because we all deserve to save money through reduced energy use, water conservation, and using local materials.
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 31, 2011 | Building Science, Green Building, green term defined, Indoor Air Quality, LEED, resources
LEED home in Crozet, Virginia
I get many questions as an architect that focuses on energy-efficient, healthy design, but the most frequent is “what wall system should we use?” While there are many factors that go into this decision and there is not a one size fits all, I do have a favorite. Insulated Concrete Forms. This energy efficient wall system is air tight, performs well thermally, and creates a long-lasting durable solution.
While I understand that we rarely have hurricane issues here in Western Virginia, this energy efficient wall system is still superior in many applications. It does cost more for the wall itself, but as my clients will tell you, day one when the power bill comes, it costs less. A project we are working on in Grottoes, Virginia as a LEED consultant is constructed of Polysteel ICFs. The building owner moved into this structure, which is three times larger than his previous facility, and his energy bills are now lower. He is heating and cooling three times the space and saving energy. There are other benefits as well: the indoor air quality is superior due to no air leakage through the walls and the building is extremely quiet. While ICF is not a one size fits all solution, if you are looking for energy-efficient, durable, long-lasting systems, this is the first option I would recommend you evaluate.
While an ICF house might not be the normal construction you are used to, it is quickly becoming common place. This ICF home in Crozet is the first LEED for Homes Certified project in Virginia. Built in 2005, this home was on the cutting edge for “going green.” However, the traditional vernacular shows that ICF or for that matter, a “green” home can take any form, even traditional farmhouse.
Many products that are used in home construction have various chemicals that are released into the air post installation. Some of these gases are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Concentrations of VOCs are often found to be higher indoors than outdoors (an obvious conclusion looking at air circulation and volume of space). The levels of these chemicals is found to be even higher in a ‘energy-efficient’ home that does not have a dedicated fresh air system integrated with the heating and cooling system (remember when a HVAC system included ventilation and not just heating and cooling?). VOCs can be found in many products including paints, lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, printers, correction fluid, and glues. So we typically select products that have low or No VOCs in them for our clients and for our own personal use. This is not an across the board answer as there are many considerations, but it is certainly a huge factor as all of our projects are designed to be energy efficient. The other strategy used in combination with product selection is to include a dedicated fresh air source integrated with the HVAC system. While there are no guarantees in life, these two strategies will certainly diminish a known risk the health of your family. It will reduce the probability of headaches, nausea, eye nose and throat irritation, and possible damage to the central nervous system, and kidneys and livers.
A certified 
For more thoughts on saving money, protecting the environment, and on architectural design, visit my websites:
