Wishcamper Center has Grand Opening on October 16

Over 200 people, including Maine politicians, helped to open the new Wishcamper Center at USM on October 16, 2008.  The new center houses the Muskie School of Public Policy and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The Wishcamper building is one of the projects that Wright-Ryan is doing for USM’s University Commons in addition to the Osher Map Library expansion and renovation, Glickman Library renovations and significant sitework in order to create a cohesive campus community. The building has been submitted for approval as a LEED Gold building.  The four-story, 59,000 square feet facility incorporates a curtainwall system and state of the art, energy efficient mechanical systems and geothermal in addition to a green roof. The architect was Koetter Kim & Associates, Inc.

Wright-Ryan recognized at 2008 Governor's Carbon Challenge

On Monday, March 17th Wright-Ryan Construction was recognized at the 2008 Governor's Carbon Challenge , for it's efforts in reducing greenhouse gases. W-R was 1 of 20 companies, organizations and institutions honored for the continued effort to reduce engergy costs and lower carbon emissions.

Learn How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

 Tour a LEED home, a platinum-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design pilot home in Freeport. The energy efficient, resource friendly house is decorated by 12 local designers featuring environmentally friendly, occupant healthy products. Attend a lecture series to learn more about ways to go green by experts in the field of energy conservation and environmental choices and shop at the on-site green boutique. The event benefits Freeport Community Services. $15 for tour, and $5 per lecture. For directions and more information, call Kim Knowlen at 865-3985. House open Wednesdays through Sundays, 28 March -  19 April, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

LEED for Homes Platinum- First in Northeast!

Cranberry Ridge, the LEED pilot home we completed in fall 2006, has received the highest rating allowable by the US Green Building Council.  The platinum rating was awarded to the project in April.  There are only two other projects in the country that have been awarded the platinum rating and this is quite an accomplishment.

LEED for Homes encourages buildings with small footprints and therefore gives additional points for little spaces.  We knew that Cranberry Ridge would lose points for having 3200 square feet.  Summary of points received:

Innovation and Design (9 points) We received points for having a third- party durability inspection and innovative, regional design. 

Location and Linkage (3 points) The project avoided an environmentally sensitive site.

Sustainable Sites (15 points) The landscaping was native and remained permeable.

Water Efficiency (10 points) The fixtures used in the home were of the highest efficiency.

Energy and Atmosphere (27 points) The project exceeded Energy Star requirements with third-party testing.

Materials and Resources (14 points) WR selected environmentally preferable products and used advanced framing techniques.

Indoor Environmental Quality (15 points) The project featured a high performance fireplace, a dedicated outdoor air system with heat recovery, sophisticated timing controls and a blower door test rating of 0.12.

Awareness and Education (2 points) A comprehensive homeowners manual was created and the home received public attention.

Updated Comments

Nu-Wool Wallseal insulation installed by WarmTech Solutions was used in the exterior walls and roof of the house. Wallseal cellulose insulation is a low moisture spray on densepack application. Wallseal cellulose has an effective
R-Value, which provides up to 40% savings to heating and cooling costs over traditional insulation while providing comfort and sound control for the home.
Nu-Wool cellulose is manufactured from 85% recycled newsprint and 15% borate making it a safe fire retardant. It’s also an EPA registered fungicide prohibiting the growth of mold and mildew and is pest and rodent resistant

Between floors we used batt insulation that has low formaldehyde content.  Formaldehyde is thought to cause cancer. 

By using WarmTech Solutions insulation system, we created a very tight envelope at a reasonable cost while using a very sustainable product.  The insulator will perform a blower door test prior to drywall and at the end of the project to ensure tightness of the building envelope.

Sustainable Flooring

According to the Project Manager, this project contains:

-Ceramic tile floors that are made with recycled glass.  We picked this product because it is resilient and the glass has been recycled from old car windshields, and other post-consumer glass products.  Carpet was not used due to it ability to hold particulates and "cheapen" the air quality in the house. 

-Wood flooring is a local wood product.  FSC was not used due to the thousands of dollars it would have added to the project.  Low VOC finish will be used on the wood flooring.

-We are using cocomats (walkoff mats) at all the entries to reduce contaminants entering the house.  This will assist in better indoor air quality in the home.

Subcontractor Appreciation

Wright-Ryan Construction would like to extend a special thanks to our subcontractors and suppliers that went above and beyond to set a standard in the green building industry. To get more information about any of these companies or products, please feel free to contact Wright-Ryan.

• Darling Roofing- roofing
• Dirigo Drywall- drywall
• Hadlock Hardscaping- landscaping and patios
• John Perry Electric- electrical
• Pine State Plumbing and Heating- plumbing and ventilation
• Tebisa- plumbing suppplies
• Thermotech- window supplier
• Van De Graff Painting- painting
• Warmtech- insulation installer

Blower Door Test Secures 2 LEED Points

The LEED home on Cranberry Ridge Road in Freeport had its first blower door test completed this week.  A blower door test is done to determine the air leakage in a building.  In order to receive LEED Certification, a home must receive a rating of 0.35 ACH (Air Changes Per Hour) or better.  The way that LEED is currently set up is that projects receive the following points:

0.35 ACH= Mandatory

0.25 ACH or less= 1 point

0.15 ACH or less= 2 points

Our project received a 0.12 which afford us 2 LEED points.  Once the interior trim is installed, our ACH is apt to decrease which is outstanding! 

Building a LEED Home

Interested in hearing the architect for the LEED home speak in depth about his design?  Ian Parlin, of Richard Renner Architects, is giving a a talk next week on September 14th at 7pm.  Contact FW Horch, a sustainable supply store in Brunswick, for more details. 

FSC Lumber Makes It To Maine

Here are a few facts about the carpentry and lumber for Cranberry Ridge:

-Forest Stewardship Certification (FSC) lumber was used to frame the exterior and interior walls of the house.  This lumber is harvested from well-managed forests and can be used towards one LEED point.
-The use of framing lumber was minimized by spacing floor joists, rafters, wall studs at 24" o.c. instead of the industry standard 16". 
-We used a peel and stick sill seal material at the PT plate and low-voc caulk at all potential air infiltration susceptible locations.
-Siding and trim was purchased from a local supplier and harvested within 500 miles of the jobsite, minimizing pollution and consumption caused by excess transportation.  The siding and trim was installed in a rain-screen system (1" air space between siding and exterior wall sheathing.)  This is a very durable construction in that it minimizes the potential for water to rot the structure or enter the house and cause mold harming people within. 
-Interior trim and cabinetry materials are a combination of FSC wood and dakota-burl products which is made from recycled materials and sustainable resources.

Hancock Lumber is now carrying FSC products to supply the demand of this project.  Owners, Architects and Builders are encouraged to use this new resource in the State of Maine!