Ah, the 100K House. Finally someone did an experiment to see how low they could go while designing a green home. They are aiming for LEED Platinum, no less. This house sparked a discussion at the LinkedIn Affordable Green Homes Group: Does green affordable have to be ‘modern’ when most people like traditional style homes?

When it comes to ‘traditional’ home styles, there are a lot of decorative aspects that are very costly. The goal of green affordable housing should include options that allow for ‘traditional’ features, but the quality of material and space, daylight, views, energy consumption and private/public space integration should be of higher importance than things like excessive trim when money is the most pressing control over a green design. You could argue that the quality of home building has declined in part because the public feels that traditional-style features like trim are mandatory for a ‘good-looking’ home, urging them to spend their limited budgets on tacked-on architectural elements like faux brick and stone, instead of things that really make a home enjoyable and healthy.

Perhaps what you are feeling is that modern prefab architecture lacks a vernacular identity (FOR ALL NON-ARCHITECTS, THAT MEANS REGIONAL STYLE). I would also agree that this is unfortunate, but there are many cases in which a standardized, affordable home gains its own identity from its inhabitants, rather than from the designer.

Last week at Boston Society of Architects’ monthly “Conversations on Architecture” Rahul Mehrotra spoke about his project located outside of Jaipur, India that will provide housing for elephants and their keepers’ families. At ten dollars a square foot, stone walls and light frame roofing shelter both people and elephants. No decorative elements were included in the design, and someone asked, “Why not?” Mehrotra answered that his hope was that each family will move in and decorate entryways and walls themselves, giving each home a unique character. The project is on hold due to lack of funding (at $10/square foot… the excavation portion of this project is more costly than the homes themselves) but I can definitely see this post-move-in decoration happening upon eventual completion of the project. This is much more reflective of the people that live there than any “traditional” architectural elements. This minimalist attitude is what would get this project built so as to make homes for the otherwise homeless. Keeping our sights on this goal of affordable green housing is important. A flexible design that can be erected almost anywhere and endure the climate is necessary to meet the goal.

Ultimately, no style of architecture is unique. It’s a style, a fad, something that we may like or hate, as a group or individually. It is something that we copy over and over until it starts to give a location or region a sort of definition; think Swiss chalet.

Swiss Chalet

The 100K home breaks down basic elements that make the indoor space of a home and tries to amplify the benefits of ceilings, walls, floors, and windows to help make the most of very little. I feel that the designers did a wonderful job of transforming a little bit of material into a high quality space with multi-functionality- something that every family with small pockets needs. Tacking on traditional elements to this home could easily bring up the cost another 50%. When this means the difference between making the mortgage, and making the mortgage and putting food on the table, you begin to see that the traditional elements are not as critical as just getting by.

At some point, designers must give up the thought that their skills will be required with each family in need of an affordable home. For some people, the need for a clean space in a sturdy structure is more important than individuality. The 100k House has perhaps a far too unique facade, that when replicated, is too recognizable as the same as the neighbors model. A change in exterior color and a simple re-arrangement of windows could fix that issue. The 100k team already about of that: facades. If you consider the beautiful light achieved inside the 100k home, which splashes down the open stairwell from the light scoop on the roof, you can see that this highly affordable home is reaching far beyond what, typically, $100,000 would get you. Since this project was also publicized, the design team must have wanted to make a splash that would get some attention as well. So that can be taken into consideration- if this exterior material had been one color and the windows were all symmetrical along the building, it would be boring and maybe even ugly. So again, I feel that this design is great and puts a little bit of material to good use, making the utmost impact on the world of uber-expensive, exclusive designs that are not feasible for the general population.

Surely, a family that can only afford to build a 100k house would be very proud of this residence, when compared to the alternative in Philadelphia. This listing is going for 100k… click the pics to see more 100k homes in Philly.

See Kelly’s post (her comment is below and her post is very relevant to this topic).

Alternative Energy Potential

If you are wondering how your location sizes up to others around the US for alternative energy use potential, check out this map put together by the Natural Resources Defense Council. I was very interested to see that New England’s solar potential is so low when compared to … everywhere else. And yet, many people invest in solar power here and still get the bang for their buck. I can’t imagine not going solar if you live in the southern or southwestern states. It is truly amazing the potential for relatively free power with very little carbon and other pullution contributions. (Note: The production and storage of solar power does contribute some carbon and pollution, so you can’t ignore this by saying it contributes none. It definitely contributes a heck of a lot less than gas, oil, and electricity, though. And researchers are working hard to improve recycling technologies for solar photovoltaic panels.)

See? Like a tomato.

A home is like a tomato. When seeking one out, you just can’t go for size, you’ve got to go for taste.  There is not much that excites me as the topic of green homes does.  I mean green like quality, endurance, longevity, and functionality. If something does not do its job well, it will not be used for long.  A home that is not comfortable, useful, and affordable is a home in the landfill.  Quite possibly the only topic that could get me going more than the topic of green homes is the topic of America embracing a more thorough definition of what a green home actually is.  For a home with solar panels, geothermal heat, FSC certified wood and no-VOC furniture is not green if it has 8,000 square feet of living space for two people and a dog.  And a cat.  And four children.  It is just too big to be considered green due to the exorbitant rate of consumption of materials during construction and energy throughout its lifespan.

Getting back to me being excited, this is why I flipped over the recent article in Trim Tab, a new quarterly e-magazine that highlights green building trends published by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. The article talks about Sarah Susanka’s book series, from which one of my favorite books comes; The Not So Big House: A Blueprint For the Way We Really Live. If you are interested in these two things, you will thoroughly enjoy this read:

1) how the design of your home effects your health and well-being

2) how the size of your home effects your health, well-being, and wallet

It conceptualizes how “The American Dream Home” has transformed over the last several decades and reveals blunt truths about McMansions, over-sized, empty boxes that are built using cheap materials and are poorly designed. In other words, a large investment that does not give a fraction of the satisfaction or longevity you expect of it and, to top it off, grossly increases your carbon footprint and energy bills. Not So Big gives solutions to many of the obstacles we encounter in the quest for a dream home, like how to get good design on a budget and how to figure out what size home works for you. It also plunges into detail about how subtle design moves are the ones that create the most treasured nuances in a home and how you can achieve them with very little space.

Trim Tab’s article gives so many great pieces of information that make your Green Home IQ sky-rocket. Not only does it steer you towards one of the most useful books regarding home design, it sums up how the issue of wanting ‘too much house’ has become grossly out of control and unnecessary. It gives statistics that show the trend in increasing square footage in single family homes and underlines the need for quality design and materials to create homes that are comfortable and long-lasting and work with our lifestyles without energy-gorging. The idea is to build smaller and smarter. It’s kind of like going with that organic, medium sized farm-stand tomato instead of the colossal, wan, peaked hybrid that was grown using chemical fertilizers and contains one tenth of the vitamins and flavor of the former.

You can find the article here in Trim Tab. It is free.

photo source: http://www.worth1000.com/emailthis.asp?entry=251912

Okay, this is the first quote of the week, but I’m going to try to keep it up. Traditions gotta start sometime, right? It’s a chance for me to be relatively informal, not that formal informational posts aren’t fun, too. This quote reinforces the theory that monetary incentives help us go green.

Drum roll, please…

Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d  >>”CHING”<<

“I’m not a tree hugger, I’m an electric bill freak.” -My boyfriend

The Dreaded Meter

I’m always looking for simple ways to cut down on the non-green things that send me for a little guilt trip now and then. I’ve listed ten things I do during the week that help cut down on car trips or reduce my carbon footprint in various ways. They’re easy enough for anyone to do, so I thought I’d share:

1. Take a walk or jog around the neighborhood
   instead of driving to the gym.
   
2. Plan recipes with ingredients that are in-season
   (cuts down on the need to ship food far distances).
   
3. Tune up the car, fill the tires with air (eliminate
   excess forces working against your engine’s fuel
   efficiency).
   
4. Open the windows and shut off the a/c when
   bearable, like early morning and later in the
   evening. Or keep the temp at something more
   moderate, like 70 degrees, and wear less
   clothing. On the other hand, if it’s cold outside,
   bulk up on the sweaters and fleece pants/socks
   and set your thermostat to 65.
5. Buy a Brita filter pitcher or screw-on tap filter
   to reduce the amount of water bottle containers
   you throw away.

   

6. Buy cereal in bags not boxes (further reduce
   packaging waste).
   
7. Keep a few extra canvas grocery shopping
   bags tucked away in your car for unexpected
   trips to the market.

   

8. Time your showers and try to spend less
   time in there (minimize the time you leave
   it running to heat up).

   

9. Extra room in your freezer/fridge?
   (Especially an extra freezer - those are
   sometimes pretty empty.) Fill the excess
   room with old milk jugs filled with water.
   This helps keep the fridge a constant
   temperature and will minimize the demand
   for electricity to continuouslykeep it cold.
10. Turn off your computer at night! I know,
    it’s hard to remember. It’s hard for me. At the
    very least, you can assure you are saving
    energy every time you leave your computer
    running by downloading Verdiem’s free
    PC energy-saving software. It tells you
    how much money you save relevant to the
    time settings you choose to put your
    screen and hard drive to sleep.

    Reader comment: Damjan suggests using
    Green Pulse instead of Verdiem’s Edison
    because it “doesn’t just set your computer’s
    power schemes”. Thanks!

Q: I have looked into installing solar panels on my house but the price is not within my current budget. Is there an alternative to the common big name companies I have contacted that offers solar panels at an affordable price?  LynneMarie

affordable energypeak solar system

A: While at the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Convention 2008, I visited a vendor that represented EnergyPeak Solar Systems for standing seam roofs. This product is a solar energy collector that is manufactured as a dark woven material that can be easily installed between seams on standing seam roofs. The rep told me that the product is 80-90% as efficient as traditional glass solar panels but can be purchased at 50% of the price. This product is my suggestion for an affordable solar solution. I like that the product adheres to a surface, eliminating the awkward look that solar panels can give to a home’s roof. These solar mats are durable enough be walked on, so if you have a deck that receives a lot of direct sunlight, that may be a good location to install. Of course, the angle of the sun is a huge factor when installing traditional solar panels, and I’m not exactly sure what how this effects the return rate for EnergyPeak’s system. It’s worth checking them out! You can do so at EnergyPeak.com .

Q: I’ve seen "LEED" all over the place but none of the articles I’ve found directly address what it is. Can you go into some detail about what exactly LEED is for me? Sorry- I’m a newbie. Thanks! Allison

A: Allison, no apologies needed. LEED is quickly becoming a well known word in the building industry, but for people who do not work in this industry, it is likely to be unfamiliar. Good for you though, seeking knowledge about green building practices! This page has your answer, plus gives you great reasons why people should choose to get their home design LEED Certified, including energy savings and tax incentives. Visit the page here .

Q: I’m in Arizona. My living room has four large windows and the sun just pours in. The place is like an oven. I’ve tried to put an AC unit in a window but it is getting expensive and looks awkward (it looks pretty ugly smack in the middle of my nice view). Any suggestions on what I might do instead of the AC unit? Thank you!

Bart L., AZ

A: Hi Bart,

Instead of trying to counteract the heat gain you are experiencing from the sun through your windows, you might want to try a few things that are more pro-active and will give you better results. Here’s what I suggest:

-External shading devices over windows (such as louvres or canvas awnings)
-Install UV-blocking film on windows: more info
-Mitsubishi Electric’s Mr. Slim ductless A/C unit : if you still require cooling, this is the way to go without having to place a unit in your window

Hope you can use this info! -Suzy

Q: These green affordable ideas sound great. What can one expect to pay for say a 3bed 2bath 2000 square foot abode?
Adam W.

A: Adam, studies have shown that the cost of green homes is around 3-5% more than homes that are not green, which is pretty negligible. The cost of building varies from location to location and the type of construction and some other factors play a huge role in how much the end product will cost.  The factors that affect home cost include the price of your materials, appliances, finishes, fixtures, lighting, hardware, etc. Bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms that require fixtures and appliances use a large portion of the budget. Therefore, adding additional rooms of this type will drive up your cost. For instance, the more bathrooms you want, the more your home will cost.

If you can find good deals on these products/materials then you can greatly decrease the final price tag of a green home. This is very possible but takes a lot of time for research. If you or someone in your family can do most of the research, then you don’t have to pay your designer to do it for you, cutting the design fee and keeping your money in your own wallet. Other aspects of home design that have a significant impact on the cost of the project are the structure of your home and the level of difficulty for constructing it. If your home has a very elaborate structure then it will undoubtedly take longer to build and be very frustrating for the builder. I can assure you that they will make you pay for their time and frustration. If you work with your builder through the design process, then you can use his excellent knowledge for structural ideas that will help you best reach your project goals and tailor the design to match his skill set. This will help make sure that the construction goes smoothly, takes less time (so labor cost are less) and also heighten the quality of the craftsmanship because your builder gets to build in a way he is most comfortable. He will also appreciate your ability to hear his opinions as well as your acknowledgment of his expertise. All too many construction projects end up in arguments between the designer/builder/owner because there is a lack of respect for what the construction crew does: they deserve respect and should have good communication with everyone on the project team.

Some modern affordable homes are being built with very little addition of traditional home features on both the interior and exterior, like molding around doors/windows and roof/eave decoration. These details cost money, and by omitting them, you can leave more room in your budget for things you would like to upgrade. This may be a deluxe stove/range because you love cooking, better quality lighting that uses less energy, or solar panels to heat water or generate electricity. In general, building green adds an average of 3-5% to your overall costs, but like I said, if you  are careful to avoid excess space and details that you do not need, you can reach your goals effectively well within your budget.

Your designer can help minimize budget waste on the most costly part of home building : doors and windows. It is important when designing for a strict budget that windows are placed in the most strategic places to get the best quality daylight in your home and to maximize the effect you want, such as framing a special view or to allow plenty of fresh air in living spaces.

Your best bet for finding out exactly what your home will cost is to get in touch with a designer and discuss your goals and expectations of your home project. That way, they can help you determine which parts will be the most costly or best deal and prioritize (cut out what you don’t need/add more of what you do need) until a solution can be reached within your budget.

The average cost for US home construction is $100-200 per square foot. The more expensive options you choose (cherry cabinets, marble floors…) the higher the cost per square foot of your green home. Material costs differ from place to place. A little piece of information to get you thinking about how location affects construction price: in Panama, the cost per square foot to build a home is around $40-50 dollars.

US 2000 sq ft home: $200,000 - $400,000
Panama 2000 sq ft home: $80,000 - $100,000

In general, this is due to wages in Panama being a LOT less than what we take to the bank. I don’t want to give the impression that they are getting more for less. It all evens out- unless you work here and build in Panama!

Raise your hand if public transportation is not available along your commute.

Maybe you live really far from your office or maybe you live AND work in the suburbs… not so shocking. Or maybe public transportation is available and the thought of taking the bus to work makes you cringe. It is of growing awareness that some people’s standards argue that comfortable sterile air-conditioned car rides are the only way to get to and from work. Since this IS the United States of America and people CAN make their own decisions about the way they WANT to get to work and back home again… there is luckily a comfortable alternative to public transportation out there. It’s nothing new.

It’s called car-pooling. It’s what you used to do back when you needed a DD to get to the bar and back, for cub scout field trips, family camping voyages, vacations, etc. That, of course, was when driving to your vacation five states away was less expensive than flying. Anyway, today, this service is being organized on a much larger scale. Check out these sites that offer searches for carpools along your route. You can also start your own pool so others can join in later. Not only will you be reducing your carbon footprint, you will be saving mucho dinero (a lot of money, for the non-Spanish speakers) on gas. And who knows, you might make a friend or two as well.

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