Our introductory letter was an opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to the team members, and get them comfortable with what we were looking to incoporate into the home both inside and out. Please find this letter as follows:
April 3rd, 2008
To: Project Team Members
Fm: Tim & Sarah Southwell
Re: Bunkhouse Project Overview
Over the past ten years, we have designed, redesigned, and designed again our Dream Home. We are pleased to say we feel confident in the direction this project is headed knowing we will reside in a wonderful home in the near future. This confidence is mainly due to the time we have spent refining what we see going into our Dream Home, the professional relationship we have built with Don Briggs, and the recent relationships we have made with each of you. It is only with proper planning, input from us, and working with industry professionals that we can propel this project to the level of expectation we have. In an effort to better acquaint you to our final desired product, we are taking a few minutes to briefly go over a little about us and what we look to in our future home.
We always keep a conscious eye on living a healthy, clean life. Organic food, clean water, exercise, and fresh air are aspects of our day to day we strive for. So much so that until recently we both owned / operated businesses focusing on the same; Sarah, a natural mind, body, and soul nurturing store; and Tim, an exercise facility. It is with this commitment to such a lifestyle, that we want to incorporate an equivalent of the same into our Dream Home. The following is a list of design aspects we are interested in incorporating into the home. This is not the be all, end all, but rather just a starting place so that it can be discussed, molded, and ultimately implemented by project’s end.
- Minimal disturbance to surrounding land. Working within the confines of the disturbed footprint.
- Iron-clad envelop / skin, with ultimate energy efficiency in mind. Investigate ICF’s for basement, SIP’s roof, and Cultured Log in between for high r-value.
- Climate customized window detail for various orientations.
- Non-toxic materials throughout, inclusive of furnishings upon move-in
- Locally acquired materials
- Ultimate water efficiency indoors and out
- Xeriscape landscaping (onsite forested plants, grasses, and trees) with minimal select beds / plantings.
- Greywater re-use system for toilets, irrigating, other?
- Rainwater catchment system for irrigation or other?
- Geothermal Heating / Cooling system with Duct / Radiant flooring combination
- Whole house air-exchanger.
- Select in-ground heating for patios, decks, walks, drive.
- Photovoltaic / Wind Power Station for grid-tied battery back-up system, tied into specific electrical needs in the event of grid failure.
- Solar Thermal applications
- Potential for fossil fuel independence in time
- Permeable walks and driveway for water collection / erosion control
- Smart controls / sensors for lighting, venting, other.
- Smart material estimating with minimal construction waste and recycling plan
- Perimeter forest fire sprinkler system used only in case need.
- Seasonal pond
- Conceptual plan for future work shop / shed and guest house build-out
We understand that the building industry and that of the Green movement are changing everyday. We are hopeful that the project team can bring forth new and exciting ideas above and beyond what we have listed here. Case studies of new buildings (both residential and comm’l) coming on line each week might be a place to start.
It looks to be an exciting and educational ride.
Sincerely,
Tim & Sarah Southwell
Note: for more detail on the home, please see the 'program' in the October entry last year.
We also took the time to review the LEED for Home criteria set forth by the USGBC and mark out in letter form what aspects / categories we wished to pursue / investigate for our future LEED for Home residential build. The following is a copy of this letter:
April 3rd, 2008
To: Project Team Members
Re: Bunkhouse Project
LEED for Home Criteria Review
The following booklet is the latest edition of the USGBC’s LEED for Home rating system. It is this system that we will use as a tool to direct our residential project in the direction of green building and sustainable design. I stress the word ‘tool’, as our main focus is not to simply regurgitate what is written in the following pages, but rather meld our vision of our Dream Home with the principals set forth in the following criteria.
We have taken the time to review the booklet in its entirety, while making note of particular criteria we feel confident in pursuing / discussing for implementation into our build (see below). We understand that there will be both give and take in what we are to implement from the standpoint of the LEED for Home criteria, knowing the vision of our Dream Home will not be sacrificed.
Prior to the gathering of our first charette meeting, we require each of you to read the booklet while referencing the below list of potential credits worth pursuing on the project. We will expect each of you to take special interest in the individual credits mentioned that might pertain to your individual industry knowledge and start to digest ideas for addressing such criteria at the time of the meeting.
Specific category and corresponding criteria looking to pursue on this project listed as follows:
Innovation & Design Process
ID1: Integrated Project Planning
ID2: Durability Management Process
ID3: Innovative or Regional Design
Location & Linkages
LL2: Site Selection
LL3: Preferred Locations (3.3)
LL6: Access to Open Space
Sustainable Sites
SS1: Site Stewardship
SS2: Landscaping
SS3: Local Heat Island Effects
SS4: Surface Water Management
SS5: Nontoxic Pest Control
Water Efficiency
WE1: Water Reuse
WE2: Irrigation System
WE3: Indoor Water Use
Energy & Atmosphere
EA1: Optimize Energy Performance
And/or
EA2: Insulation
EA3: Air Infiltration
EA4: Windows
EA5: Heating & Cooling Distribution System
EA6: Space Heating & Cooling Equipment
EA7: Water Heating
EA8: Lighting
EA9: Appliances
EA10: Renewable Energy
EA11: Residential Refrigerant Management
Materials & Resources
MR1: Material Efficient Framing
MR2: Environmentally Preferable Products
MR3: Waste Management
Indoor Environmental Quality
EQ1: Energy Star with Indoor Air Package
EQ2: Combustion Venting
EQ3: Moisture Control
EQ4: Outdoor Air Ventilation
EQ5: Local Exhaust
EQ6: Distribution of Space Heating and Cooling
EQ7: Air Filtering
EQ8: Contaminant Control
EQ9: Radon Protection
EQ10: Garage Pollution Protection
Awareness & Education
AE1: Education of the Homeowner
All project team members will look to Kristin Shewfelt, our contracted LEED Provider, for any updates / amendments in the LEED for Home criteria over the course of the project which may impact a particular category we are working towards.
Thank you for your attention to this LEED criteria overview. Any immediate comments can be directed to Don Briggs.
We will look forward to seeing / speaking with you all in the very near future.
Sincerely,
Tim & Sarah Southwell
To get a complete overview of the USGBC's LEED for Home criteria, please follow the link in the column on the right side of the screen. We have yet to set forth a level of desired LEED H rating for the build, but we are certainly going to entertain incorporating the highest level of sustainable / green design for a happy and healthy home.
For your visual delight, please take note of the following Southwest elevation looking at the back of the home. Design concepts are certainly open to modifications over the soon to commence Charette process (late April), but this still gets the point across about the magnitude of the project and the expertise we are counting on for a first class Dream Home build.
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Be sure to check back regularly, as I will be putting forward Project Team introductions over the next two weeks, with a comprehensive follow-up to Charette Meeting #1 at the end fo April.
Until then, an Abundant Tomorrow to all.
Tim
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