We love this place…. and if you love homes, planning, architecture (particularly English Tudor), gardens, and trees you must put this place on your bucket list. Continue reading ‘Lovable Places No. 3 – Forest Hills Gardens’
Archive for the 'Architecture & Design' Category
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These buildings are part of a new movement in our region to bring basic business services into outlying suburbs through the creation of neighborhood commercial districts that are much smaller than what is normally allowed by our commercial zoning ordinance. The hope is that small commercial developments like these will decrease drive times and create a better quality of life for suburban residents who have lengthy drive times just to get to the grocery store. Even though the suburban NIMBY movement seems very reluctant to entertain any commercial development in the “backyard”, I think it is a great idea. Continue reading ‘The Neighborhood Market’
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.