It is starting to take shape

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think I will let the following picture do the talking. The picture was taken by Jared Banks from Sala Architects late last week.

We still are scrambling looking for the final materials we need. We have most of it, but are still coming up short.

No real drama last week to speak of. Things are moving along as planned. Stephen has been a lifesaver as he is keeping the schedule.

Sala architects and I met with Pam Simon who is the exhibits manager at the fair. We were hoping to set up a construction tour with the public sometime around the 13th of August. We were given the green light to have a tour.

Jared Banks and Chris Meyer have been working to set that up. I will be putting a press release together today

Finally Under Construction

Wednesday was a busy day and the Eco house is in full swing.



The eco house started off without a hitch - at least for the first half day. The plywood floor has been laid in place and the truss structures that hold the entire house up are being assembled.



Much thought and effort went into planning those trusses. They are very elaborate in design and are held together with friction fit pins. Sala architects did a great job on the details, although I rather suspect the framing crew would have rather had a simpler detai.



Everyone is moving quickly, the trusses need to be completed by Tuesday as there is a class being taught by Extreme Panels on the proper use of Structural Insulated Panels - otherwise known as SIP



Well, the trusses are proving to be tougher than originally thought. First we found out we needed 5" screws. No big deal, but 5" screws are not that common. I made several phone calls to the usual suppliers of building materials and came up short. I figured I would have to call Dave Wagner (One of the project architects at Sala) and find a new way to fasten them. It so happens Dave was driving by Frattalone's Ace Hardware on Grand Avenue in St Paul.



Turns out they had about 150 in stock and were able to get the rest the next morning. We needed 1500 screws. The manager even gave us a 15% discount which was nice.



On Friday we also discovered two more problems that needed resolution. First, even with all our careful planning, some of the steel plates connecting the truss members did not work out exactly right. Dan Pederson, a fellow contractor and a very good metalworker helped solve that problem.



We also discovered that the trusses are too bulky to stand up by hand, so we need to get some heavy equipment down to the job site. Monday we will have a Pettibone (a large forklift used in construction) on site.



Some of the guys will be working over the weekend to make sure we are done by Tuesday. We are a little behind right now, but so far so good.



If anyone ever ends up following this blog, I just want to let people know the business of building is the business of solving problems

It all starts

This is the week the Eco House starts

As we get ready to start the eco house, I can't help but reflect on where we started and where we have gotten.

The concept and planning for the eco house started last December. Since then the teams have been assembled, hundreds of hours have been spend planning, meeting, and dare I day procrastinating.

Stephen and I have a few more pieces of the puzzle to put together. We need an electrician, drywaller and painter. So far we have an electrician for a day, but we really need an electrician for 3 days.

This week the materials are delivered to the fair. Thursday morning is when the fun begins. I will probably spend the morning at the job site.

I keep thinking we are missing something. You would think that with a team of 5 architects, two general contractors, one government agency and many folks donating time and materials, I wouldn't think this.

I suppose at this point if we are missing something we will just have to make due.

This years eco house will truly be a sight to behold. The home will produce all of the energy needed on site. I suspect it will draw a fairly large crowd and get lots of questions

As the project unfolds, I will post pictures and video.

The Meaning of Green - Can it be controversial?

We have 8 more business days to go before work begins.



This week we finalized our materials - or so we think we have. Dave Fanslow from ProBuild Lumber came through for us with our much needed FSC lumber. They will be donating about half of the framing lumber we need to build this project.



Stephen Roche is working on some other donations from Louisiana Pacific and is hopeful we can get the remainder of the lumber we need.



So what about this controversy I referred to?



Minnesota Greenstar discourages using any large pieces of lumber that are over 9 1/4 inches wide. The reasoning behind this has to do with the types of trees that produce large pieces of lumber. The larger the piece of lumber, the larger the tree.



Cutting old growth trees is not desirable and by avoiding the use of large pieces of wood, it stands to reason that this will avoid the market for large old growth trees.



The architect in charge of this project has created a visually interesting structural truss that requires 2 by 10 lumber.



What to do?



Many people felt that using 2 by 10's under any circumstance was not a good idea, others felt that eventually trees get old and can be cut down and if that was done using managed methods of logging, then this might be okay. Still others advocated for reclaimed materials?



What was the solution?



It was decided that the best thing to do was submit a Credit Interpretation Request to the Minnesota Greenstar Technical committee. The committee would vote on the request. After several days of debate & discussion and voting, it was decided that for this project only the Minnesota Technical committee would allow FSC 2*10's only.



Meanwhile I did some research on reclaimed wood and found out this was above our budget.



After the CIR was approved, there were still those that felt using 2*10's was not a good idea.



However, the province of British Columbia is currently facing the largest pine beetle infestation in its history. Native to western North America, this tiny black insect burrows into lodge pole pines and transmits blue stain fungi that can destroy the connective tissues within a tree. In addition, the blue stain left on the tree after the beetle's attack lowers the grade of the lumber, reducing its market value. If these dead and dying trees are not harvested they will either fall down or burn.



Efforts were made to obtain some of this Lumber to use in place of the 2 by 10's. but at this late hour it seems unlikely that a truck could be sent in time from Canada



In any event, this controversy highlights some of the aspects of behind green. An aesthetic idea and best green building practices.



Where do I sit on this controversy?

I have to admit I am fairly divided on my feelings. Does building something as green as it can be drive the aesthetic look, or should there be some consideration about what the aesthetic look should be and then figure out the greenest way build it?

I think it depends on the individual. In the case of the Eco-House, I suspect we could have gotten away with unconventional aesthetics in the name of Green

In the Beginning

July is here!



While that may not be news to anyone, it definitely is a reminder that the next two months are going to be lively.



Last January I agreed to build the eco-house out at the Minnesota state fair this year. This house is the prototype for a net zero energy house that can be used in an urban or rural setting.



http://www.ecoexperience.org/



I am approaching this project with a great deal of interest, yet also a healthy dose of trepidation. The entire project is a volunteer effort with donated materials and labor. I understand the pitfalls of capitalism, but also realize that once one takes money out of the picture, it changes the dynamics of how a project might work.



As a general contractor it is my job to assemble all these volunteers and materials and get a whole house built in a little over a month.



On the bright side of things, I am not doing this alone. Sala Architects has donated the design and I might say has also pitched in with helping find donated materials. I have done quite a bit of work with them in the past - they are a great bunch to work with, but I fear they will be making tweaks to the plan right up to the day the fair opens - But in all fairness, this has to look just right


I also can't forget about Stephen Roche - He is also a general contractor and build last years eco -house. He is the voice of reason. I am a sucker for a nice architectural detail and have a hard time saying no to something architectually interesting, but as I said before we only have one month to build this - and let's not forget we are supposed to be in a recession which has made getting donations a bit harder to come by.



In case anyone ever does follow this blog, I want to also acknowledge the fact that there are many other volunteers and firms donating materials and labor. I promise I will acknowledge everyone after the fair is over.



Anyway, where was I?



Oh. I remember, this house needs to be built in one month with volunteer labor and materials

Naked House

Most green projects are presented to people after the home is all painted and decorated. But what really goes into a green project?



What goes on inside the walls and roof? What has the biggest impact on the building?



Often folks look at a home and ooh and aah over the painting, the flooring, the cabinets, and the counter tops. While all these are important parts of the house and should not be overlooked, the way a house is built will have the biggest influence over how green a house is.



A well constructed green home or a well remodeled green home can be constructed many ways using many different methods and materials, but the focus of a green home no matter what methods are used should focus on the following. Resource efficiency, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, site and community impact and energy efficiency.



These five concepts should all be given an equal share in a truly green project



So why bring this up?



I have graciously been given an opportunity to show folks what a green home might look like before it is finished.



How are the walls being constructed? What kind of insulation was used and why? How does green construction differ from standard construction? What does a geothermal system look like?



These materials and techniques can be seen on display for one evening at this home. It is a great opportunity to find out what a green home looks like before it is finished

So much going on - where to start

The stimulus package has had an incredible effect on the housing and remodeling industry. For example there is a tax credit for renewable energy systems equal to 30% of the cost of the system. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits


This has prompted a fair amount of interest in solar hot water systems and geothermal heating and cooling. But, does it make sense to spend money on these systems if the home they are being installed in is insulated poorly or perhaps is leaky?


If a homeowner can reduce the demand for heat or air conditioning in a house by insulating it and sealing it up first, then smaller heating or air conditioning systems can be used. This can, in turn cut the total cost of the system and increase the payback time substantially.


For expample if a homeowener is installing a geothermal system in a home, and the home is sealed up tight, it will take less energy to heat the home and likely less cost for the system. On the other hand if the home is not tight and leaks air, the heating or cooling load may have to be increased to accomodate the leaks in the house. If that results in another well having to be drilled or another solar panel being added or the backup furnace coming on more often, where is the savings?


Wouldn't it first make sense to spend a substantially lesser amount of money on sealing a home up tight?