The social and economic climate of the day can, and typically has, had a broad affect on home design throughout time. Our current times are no different; in fact, home design may be more driven by these factors than we have seen in over fifty years. The current economic downturn coupled with peoples’ desire to be more environmentally conscience, has brought about change in our perception of what a home should be. Efficiency is the key word of today, and now more than ever, it is an integral part of designing and building a home. Maximizing the efficiency of resources during construction can cut down home building costs, while quality construction and air-sealing a home can cut down the energy costs over its lifetime.
Here at SWA Architects, we have begun developing a housing design strategy that is built on the motto of efficiency. We have started preliminary designs of homes that are designed to fit narrower suburban and urban lots and range in size from 1,800 to 2,500 square feet. Each design consists of a two story home that has three bedrooms, two and one-half baths and includes a master suite. The designs are set up to be easily modified or combined with other optional plans, including plans for an attached or detached two-car garage depending on lot size and configuration.
There are a number of ways we are maximizing efficiency in our home designs. The plans are laid out on a 4 foot module so as to maximize the efficiency of standard building materials. By stacking the two stories of the home, the building footprint is minimized, while maximizing the total square feet of living space. The homes are also sized to allow clear spans across the width of the house. What this means for the future homeowner is that they can make adjustments to the interior layout of the home before construction or years down the road with ease knowing that there are no structural members that may conflict with plans. With this in mind a homeowner can adjust a design to fit their lifestyle and needs. An added bonus is that each home can be built with a full basement that is devoid of columns, allowing for a variety of future uses.
Efficiency is not limited to size and layout of the home. It is crucial that the mechanical systems of a home are designed to function at a high efficiency. This efficiency is accomplished in several ways with-in this design. The ductwork is designed to remain out of the attic, keeping it all with-in the conditioned space, and heating and cooling systems are appropriately designed for the size of the home. The use of floor trusses allows for straight runs from the front to back of the home with all ductwork runs fitting within the floor construction.
Insulating the home properly will also add to its mechanical efficiency, and this starts with the foundation. When standard poured concrete foundations are used, a 2” thick rigid foam board will be applied to the entire perimeter, but we also have an alternate that uses a foundation constructed of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF’s). ICF foundation walls consist of interlocking foam blocks that are dry stacked to create the formwork for the poured concrete foundation. Once the foundation is poured, the foam formwork remains in place giving the wall an R-value of up to 24, which is nearly 2 and half times greater than a wall with 2” of rigid insulation.
For the exterior walls above grade, the cavities will be filled with spray foam insulation that provides a better air infiltration barrier than batt or cellulose insulation. Dow SIS board sheathing will be used on the exterior giving the home a continuous insulation barrier around the entire house.
Efficiency is also the motto when selecting fixtures with-in the home, be they plumbing or electrical fixtures. Selection of low flow plumbing fixtures conserves water while cutting down on cost. Light fixtures that are energy star rated and use of LED and compact fluorescent bulbs will cut down on electrical usage over the life of the home.
It is our belief that an efficient home can lead to efficiency in life.
Those of us at SWA Architects are not only attempting to assist our clients fulfill their wishes as to how their home will look, work and feel, but to be sure that the home is also environmentally sound and energy efficient throughout its life cycle. If you are interested in learning more about these design and construction strategies please contact us to schedule a no cost consultation.
Tags: Energy Efficiency, Green Construction, Gregg Stahr, Residential