by Charles Hendricks | May 17, 2011 | architecture, citizen architect, Green Building, Local Leaders
What is a green architect?
The term green get thrown around a lot in today’s market place. From national companies looking to get into the niche green cleaning market to start up companies offering new services like energy audits. How do you get through all the marketing and find out if there is really value added? How do you figure out who is a green architect?
It all comes down to your values. We all make decisions based on our values. They might be based in economics, religion, heritage, or history. At the base of all our values, it comes down to what we personally think is right and just. So my value proposition for green to you is base your selections on common sense and compassion. If the claim seems to good to be true, it probably is not true. If the product has all the same ingredients as the competition, but has a green colored label with a leaf, it probably is not a greener solution. If the smell of the product makes you sick, or worse, if the label has a skull and crossbones, it is not a green product. If your action impacts the ability for future generations to enjoy that same ability to execute that action, then you are probably not working towards a green future. I encourage you not to buy into the green hype, but instead to look toward compassion. Don’t just look for solutions that satisfy your needs, but look for solutions that meet your needs without compromising others to achieve their goals.
In the real estate market for instance, help clients understand that lower energy and water bills will help them monthly to be able to make their mortgage payments. Yes, they want that big house with a nice yard, and yes you want to make the sell, but if their utility bills don’t allow them to make ends meet, they will probably never be a return customer. If on the other hand, you show that you care about their best interests and not just making a sell, you will not only gain a friend, you will gain the best marketing tool possible. They will tell everyone how good you took care of their needs and refer you to all their friends. The term green is just a label. The true path we should all be working towards is doing the best job possible with all the information we have available. If each of us works towards a better future for everyone, we will all enjoy the benefits of our efforts.
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.
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 24, 2011 | citizen architect, Empathy, Green Building, Local Leaders, Office Culture, team
One of my favorite quotes in the architectural world, “design is the first sign of human intention” ~ William McDonough, sets the stage for how architecture should be approached. Architects should focus on delivering design that will save money, save energy, reduce environmental impacts, and serve the intended use to the best of their ability. It all starts with design: setting the right priorities and understanding the process.
Let’s examine this notion of design. Take a step back and look at the process of creating a family calendar, a list for the grocery store, a vacation itinerary; these are all your designs for these activities. So how does making a grocery list apply to designing a building? It is essentially the same process of designing a solution. You can scatter shoot and simply make a list of things needed, without any thought to how the items will best fit together. This process will waste your valuable time in the store. Or you design the most efficient solution to the problem keeping items on the same aisle grouped together on the list. In other words, you have to understand the process, materials, and members of the team to best design a solution that is most efficient. If you understand the store layout, know how the products are arranged, and know which cashier is most efficient, then you can maximize your investment, time, used to accomplish the task.
In designing a building, an architect is trained to maximize your investment through design. The architect understands the pieces of the puzzle, the materials, the efficiencies of systems, and the members of the project. While anyone can purchase a floor plan design software at a big box store and put rooms together, they don’t understand all the complex pieces of the puzzle. Builders can deliver a house that provides shelter, but can they make sure that the spaces function to optimal performance for daily living. I contend that only an architect can bring all the pieces together, understanding how to design the most efficient solution, how to best use the materials, how the integration of systems impact spaces, and how the roles of the team members impact the end product. Yes, hiring an architect will cost more on the front end, but you then can achieve the most efficient design that meets your goals. Hiring an architect will save you money through energy-efficiency, by using materials to the best of their means, and by creating space that meets your daily lifestyle goals. Hiring an architect is your first sign of intention that sets the standard for your project.
by Charles Hendricks | Jul 20, 2010 | Building Science, Green Building, green term defined, Indoor Air Quality, LEED, resources
Mixed Humid Climate – Closed Cell vs Open Cell Foam
I posed a question this week about mixed humid climates – closed cell vs open cell foam. In a mixed humid climate, do you use open cell foam exclusively or can you use closed cell in some limited places?
In speaking to a very experienced architect on the subject, he hands down believes that closed cell is the answer for the typical wall system design. My problem – I can only find science that refutes his claim.
Closed cell foam is a vapor barrier that will not let moisture flow through the wall system.
In our climate, where we have two seasons, we cannot have a vapor barrier. This is because it will produce moisture issues in the wall. The only way to prevent moisture issues is to include a dehumidification system as part of the HVAC design.
While I do want a dehumidification system in every project, we know they don’t always get installed due to budget cuts. However, the bigger issue is when the building is shut down for a few days. When people go on vacation and cut back the thermostat or schools are out for the summer the system is not running as designed. When this happens, you are going to have a mold problem. I cannot find any science to back up the claim that closed cell foam can be used here in our climate. If you want to give me some data, I would love to be able to achieve the higher R values that the product offers.
by Charles Hendricks | Jul 19, 2010 | Building Science, Green Building, Indoor Air Quality, resources
There is a tremendous amount of information about going green on the news, television shows, and coming from corporate America. So how do you decide if “green” is right for you? Simple, do you like to save money, want to do less to maintain your home, want to use fewer resources to achieve the same goals? If you answered yes, then you are ready to go green. There are simple things that you can do to get started. Here are 10 steps to help you “go green.”
- Turn off the overhead lights and use lamps. Even better use LED or CFL bulbs.
- Use rechargeable batteries.
- Adjust your fridge temp to 37 degrees and your freezer to 0 degrees. While you’re at it, turn your thermostat back 1 degree.
- Recycle – it cost more to send something to a landfill than it does to recycle it. Do your locality a favor, don’t put it in the trash can.
- Print on both sides of the page.
- Fix any drips and install aerator on your faucets.
- Carpool or plan your trips to minimize driving – or even better, walk.
- Use reusable grocery bags – this will reduce the overhead of your favorite places to shop which will reduce their need to raise prices.
- Unplug or use a power strip – a television draws as much electricity turned off as a 60 watt light bulb does turned on.
- Shop local for everything from your food to your architect! Less driving is good on the pocketbook and putting money back into your local economy makes your community stronger.
