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.

Harriman Associates Leaves Hollywood A Winner

I just returned from the SMPS conference, Build Business, held in Hollywood California.  In addition to the educational sessions jam packed with fellow marketers and business development professionals, the conference hosted a black tie gala to honor recipients of the Marketing Communications Awards. 

Lisa Stevens of Harriman Associates, based in Auburn Maine, took home second place in the holiday piece category.  She came up with the idea to have each firm principal share their favorite recipe and then placed them into a round tin.  Congratulations to Lisa and Harriman Associates on the achievement.

Join the Maine chapter of SMPS at our annual social on September 13th at 4-7pm at UNA in Portland.  Check out the website for 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!

Site Work Specifics

Sustainable Sites, simply put, is planned to minimize impact on the natural site.  The category includes minimizing demand for water and synthetic chemicals and to reduce heat island effects.  Here are some ways that the Cranberry Ridge home addressed sustainable sites:

-Installed silt fencing around entire site to prevent erosion control.  Erosion is found to cause pollution in our waterways by carrying contaminates to them.
-We left 50% of the previously undeveloped lot undisturbed.  We delineated these areas with flagging and silt fencing and made sure no one parked/worked in these areas. By disturbing the site, it is thought that natural drainage flows can be disturbed and harmfully affect adjacent areas.
-For landscaping we will plant drought-tolerant plantings that don't require irrigation and constant use of water for health.  We will also use indigenous plants from local cooperatives minimizing transportation. 
-Using permeable paving materials for the driveway.  Currently we are carrying a gravel driveway for cost reasons, but may end up using a more resilient materials such as permeable asphalt or concrete.  We are constructing the patio/walkways out of concrete pavers that are spaced at least 1/2" apart to aid in permeability.  Permeability of surface materials assist in reducing runoff and erosion (see first item this list).
-We are limiting turf (grass) to 50-20% of the landscaping.  By doing this, we are reducing the need for water use and runoff.
-We are applying 3-4 inches of mulch around all plantings to improve soil structure and provide natural nutrients around plantings as it decomposes.

Architect and Builder Speak Up

Great news readers!  Ian Parlin, project architect for Richard Renner Architects, and Ben MacDonald, project engineer for Wright-Ryan, will be contributing to this blog about the LEED pilot home project on a regular basis.  Now there will be a greater opportunity to learn from the professionals about the process, the challenges and what they might do differently next time.  You can post comments and questions to this blog so feel free to use it as an educational tool.

Commute Another Way Day

For the third year we are participating as a company in the State's Commute Another Way Day.  It's suprising how challenging it is to convince people to try ride sharing or biking to work for even a day.  The good news is that each year we are able to sign up more and more participants. 

With the perpetual high cost of gas and the obvious impact on our climate, driving "smartly" should be encouraged.  We are thinking about an incentive program to reduce the number of cars that drive our employees to work every day and clog up our streets and limited parking.

Carbon Collaborations

I came across another blog that contains contains commentary about carbon and the quest for reduction.  Check out the terrablog.  It is hosted by TerraPass, a non-profit founded by a UPenn professor, that finances projects utilizing solar, wind and biomass projects.  Impressive collaberations include their recent partnership with the Ford Motor Company.  Ford will now calculate the amount of CO2 produced by the consumer and suggest an amount to invest in renewable energy sources in order to offset their vehicle's carbon.  Businesses being proactive is a good step in the right direction.
On that note, I attended the Governor's Carbon Challenge reception this week with many other businesses leaders and individuals with sincere concern for the well-being of future generations.  I was impressed with their aggressive commitments to reduce their carbon footprint and emissions.  There are more than 50 businesses in the State, large and small, committed to this challenge.  It's a solid start by our State to address a global concern.

LEED Home Breaks Ground

The LEED home is approximately 3,200 square feet and will include 4 bedrooms and a two-car garage.  The house will be framed with FSC Certified lumber and will incorporate Cold Climate framing techniques as taught by Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.Eng. 

More features include Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and Warmboard which is a one step application for the radiant flooring system.  The drywall is recycled and we will use low VOC paints and adhesives and a cellulose insulation.  The tile is made from recycled glass and doors from strawboard.  Our Millwork Division will be making the kitchen and trim.  I can't wait to see what interesting products they use!

Currently, the road is being made to the site and foundation work will begin next week.  Construction is expected to be complete by September 2006.  My plan is to keep a running progress report of this project.  Visit this site often!

Shaping the LEED Standards

Wright-Ryan will be participating in the USGBC's National LEED for Homes Pilot Program.  This means once the project is complete we will have the opportunity to share our thoughts and feedback to help shape the final national program! 

The design of the home is traditional with a contemporary flare.  Additionally, the features in the home will make it more efficient than an Energy Star home.  The jobsite is off of Wolf's Neck Road in Freeport and groundbreaking is scheduled for next week.  Soon there will be a 3-D "walk through" of the home that I will post for your enjoyment.  Don't forget to check back frequently for progress reports.

Meeting with the DEP

Yesterday was our first time meeting with the Maine DEP and other participants of the STEP-UP Program.  We had signed our contract with the Governor last December but began our record keeping the first day of January 2006. 

Luckily we only had to give an introduction to our company and the environmental commitments we made in our contract.  The other companies have made real significant progress in going beyond environmental regulations.  I will say that when our time comes to give our report, I think we will shine because we are doing some exciting, progressive, and innovative things in the industry of construction and how it relates to the world. 

Incorporating these sustainability commitments into our culture makes working for WR that much more meaningful.  I think the best way to clarify this statement is to quote Ray Anderson from his book Mid-Course Correction.  "Abraham Maslow, describing the hierarchy of human needs, says a higher cause is important, and I agree.  After compensation to meet their needs, according to Maslow, people want the opportunity to develop and grow personally and professionally.  When compensation is sufficient and growth opportunity is satisfied, people want to work for a company that makes a difference, that serves a higher cause."

Stay tuned for our public STEP-UP progress reports!