architectural design, inspiration & ideas
Jonathan Miller Architects is pleased to announce that one of our recently completed projects has been certified as an ENERGY STAR 2.5 Qualified Home. A typical Energy Star home is 20%-30% more energy efficient than an average new home. We are proud to be involved in a project that is making efforts to respect the environment by reducing energy consumption.
Many of us have travel plans on the mind for the holidays, so it seems fitting to highlight a building concept which is dedicated to transportation. This is a Transit Center for a mixed-use development in Maryland called Woodlands Perryville that we did the masterplanning for. It will provide a connection point from the development to the town center, surrounding towns and rail systems that connect to points farther away.
One of our homes that is currently under construction was recently featured on WBIR Channel 10. This home is expected to gain LEED Gold Certification. Watch a clip from that broadcast below…
Every so often we stretch our wings and reluctantly try new construction materials. I say reluctantly because we have been burnt in the past by materials that were cutting edge and overtime ended up being major problem products: ie, PVC membrane roofing, EIFS, and most recently Tendura Plank porch decking.
However, after consulting with members of our project team we felt it was time to try an insulation system we have been hearing about for several years now – Icynene. We decided to use it on a LEED-certified and Energy STAR qualified project in Knoxville, TN. The Icynene system’s strength is not in a higher R-value as much as in its ability to seal the home tightly and prevent unwanted air leakage.
Iceynene explains on their wesite that “R-value measures energy moving in and out of a home through the insulation material (conduction). But the real energy-waster is air leakage (convection) – the cause of up to 40% of a home’s energy loss (Source: U.S. Department of Energy).”
I like how quite this insulating system makes the home even before gypsum board is applied. I also like the ability to insulate the ceiling deck so that all attic mechanical ducts are within the insulated envelope of the home providing additional energy performance. And it is fun making hand and face prints in the stuff before the wall boards go up. Once the insulation is installed, the house is so tight that the HVAC system must provide fresh air to keep the indoor air healthy for the inhabitants, so a poor mechanical system with this product could be a real problem. My biggest complaint about Icynene so far is the strong odor the product emits when being installed. Also, like most chemically created products, it consumes a great deal of energy during manufacturing. Icynene cost about %40 more than standard Fiberglass batt insulation but the trade off is some significant payback on the utility bill. In the end, I am confident the product will perform well for the home’s inhabitants for generations to come.