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Design Science
Contents: Solar Energy>Passive Solar Design>Finding Plans and Sites>Springtime Cottage>Asheville NC Green Communities
Design as a science?
The design of a new home has huge impacts on Energy, Water and Materials.
The challenge of design is creating a good balance of aesthetics, budget and performance on a given building site. The following methods can be used by architects, design-builders, and incorporated into existing homes. First we explore Passive Solar Design and then look at other ways design can be used to ones advantage with an example of our own passive solar home plan the Springtime Cottage. We end with the best Green Communities in Asheville NC.
Size plays a big role in how green and energy efficient new homes are. There are several design strategies beyond the building envelope that can be used to increase efficiency and sustainability at all size levels. The ones that have the biggest impact are also those that are the most cost effective.
Science studies the laws of nature and few forces in nature are as powerful as the Sun. It is a travesty that most Asheville builders and NC new homes continue to ignore the most powerful yet cleanest sources of energy available to us. Designing with the sun is an incredible opportunity.
The three forms of Solar Energy being used in Asheville NC new homes:
1. Passive Solar Design. The most cost effective and simple way to implement Solar Energy. Stretching a building's shape from East to West and using an appropriate amount of Southern windows, the sun shines into the windows during Winter, but is shaded out during Summer. Its very easy to be a positive financial investment from the first month of occupancy. Other benefits include daylighting, passive survivability, and a better connection to the outdoors.
2. Solar Hot Water SHW (Solar Thermal). Most "solar panels" visible in Western North Carolina are actually solar water "collectors" which can provide 60-90% of the energy needed for a home's water heater; the 2nd biggest energy user in most homes. They are also capable of assisting with space heating. SHW is arguably the most efficient way to heat water but not necessarily space, especially if passive solar is available.
3. Photovoltaics (PV). PV panels (arrays) produce electricity from light. These tend to be the least affordable up-front but are increasingly capable of fast paybacks. Incentives are making them a good investment. The level of complication, cost and environmental damage is reduced significantly with Net-Metering or Grid tied systems. Grid tied PV offsets the negative impacts of other neighborhood homes dirty energy usage. Systems are much more affordable and effective when matched with a high performance building envelope, the most important component of energy efficient new homes and especially green homes.
Passive Solar Design is among the best strategies available for energy efficient homes and green builders.
The Sun provides free, clean heating (even through power outages), healthy-natural lighting, and a better connection to our outdoor environment. Its tough to beat its affordability. Depending on design, it can be done with zero extra up-front costs. Passive Solar Designs only maintenance need is to keep the windows relatively clean.
Most Asheville green builders, designers and architects are not educated enough in passive solar design or stringent enough in their thermal envelopes, resulting in new homes and buildings that overheat at the wrong times, but are usually underheated. A passive solar design home that is not airtight and continuously insulated will lose its heat soon after the sun goes down.
Good Passive Solar Design most importantly relies on a great building envelope.
It is only with a well designed and executed building envelope, that we can reduce our heating costs 40 - 90% with passive solar design.
Top 4 Passive Solar Design criteria after building envelope:
1. Type and amount of South facing glass per square foot of floor area. 7% or less is considered "Sun Tempered" while a strong design has 9% - 12%. Glass should be High solar heat gain (HSGC), Low E.
2. Shape & Orientation. Stretched longer from East to West with minimal interference on the South and facing within 20 degrees of True South.
3. Overhang design. Southern glass on all stories should be fully shaded on June 21 and have full sunlight on December 21.
4. Thermal Mass. Un-carpeted, concrete slabs on grade are usually the most affordable and effective way of achieving good mass. Other options include interior masonry walls, double layers of drywall, lightweight concrete on upper levels, tile, and thicker stone or concrete countertops.
A great building envelope combined with good passive solar design is capable of reducing home heating costs 40-90% and having a new home that would never drop below 50 degrees during a winter power outage.
We are the authors of Cost-Effective Passive Solar Design. This article in Green Building Advisor.com expands upon the above information.
Passive Solar Design Home Plans
For those enlightened individuals seeking a passive solar design, architects and stock plan choices are limited. Things are changing rapidly but it is still difficult to find existing passive solar plans that are well designed and aesthetically pleasing. It is tough to take existing plans and modify them to be passive solar, although it is possible.
The best selection of passive solar plans is on a website started by architect Debra Rucker Coleman.
Solar Home Plans Website Sun Plans
If you are in the market for existing passive solar plans, this is a great place to find them. From our experience with the Midnite Sun, the plans are richly detailed and customer service is excellent.
Hire an Architect or use Existing Plans?
When designing or redesigning, it is tough to beat the assistance of an architect. The right services from the right architect can be invaluable. If you know how to use an architect's services, they can save you more than they will cost you.
Many people are willing to sacrifice some service to save money. This can make more sense with small, affordable homes on simple lots. Finding a stock plan or existing plan is the next option. Often a good compromise is to have an architect, design professional or design-builder alter an existing plan to suit one's needs. Keep in mind its better to know your site or lot before falling in love with a specific design.
For All Home Designs: Know your building site and if possible, your Builder.
Its a good idea to involve a knowledgable builder as early as possible in the building and design process. With existing designs, a good builder can change or adapt them for different site conditions like foundations with minimal extra costs.
Builders involved in the design process can keep a budget in check. Both Architects and clients tend to design past the construction budget. A builder can can act as a third party and another set of eyes to point out other options and opportunities. Having someone who knows the costs associated with construction details and sitework is invaluable in most situations.
Most experienced builders can figure out the best ways to site and orient a home on a given lot. Do a little more research if there is passive solar elements or no-step thresholds/entrances. Most builders offer these design and site consultation services for free but a little compensation can go a long way to building trust in an important relationship.
The Springtime Cottage A Small, Affordable Passive Solar Home Plan
Using this simple plan as a starting point, its easy to add square footage, basements, covered porches and make other changes to fit your needs.
One of the more efficient and functional 3 Bedroom 2 Bath plans ever created.
This home plan was featured in an EcoHome magazine online case study.
Small and affordable passive solar plans are hard to find.
This is what inspired us to create the Springtime Cottage. This plan is a masterpiece in small and affordable, passive solar design.
The biggest challenge facing existing passive solar designs is they are usually site specific. They must be oriented to the South and there are four, main directions to approach the entrance from. One of Springtime Cottage's greatest strengths is its ability to be easily adapted to entrances from other directions.
This may be one of the most efficient 3 bedroom 2 bath home plans created for the modern American family. The main reason is its shape and design. Surface area is minimized by a small footprint with only four corners. There are two stories, but the second level wall area is a fraction of most two story homes. With the giant windows and vaulted ceilings upstairs, the bedrooms feel much bigger.
The simple shape combined with our connection details and panelized construction, makes a structure that is simple to build airtight and thermal-bridge-free. This plan should get great blower door test results and HERs ratings which are the most revealing numbers behind a home's energy performance.
The first and second Springtime Cottages broke the record for Blower Door Tests in our region!
Take away the passive solar aspect of this design and you still have a great, small home plan.
- The master is on the main level with a generous walk in closet.
- The entire first floor is universally designed for ADA accessibility.
- The hardworking kitchen is open to the living and features a Pantry and bar counter option.
- The Mudroom/Entry features room for a bench and personal storage or could be used as a dining area.
Not So Big and Feng Shui principles are strong. Almost every room entrance has a sight line to the outside. Most small plans can't compete functionally, while keeping disabled accessibility.
The Springtime Cottage House Plan is copyrighted with all rights reserved.
The Original Springtime Cottage 1433sqft
Main 816sqft Upper: 617sqft
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Springtime Cottage 38: 1544 sqft
Main: 912 sqft Upper:706sqft
An extra 4' to the length with an added powder room could also be reconfigured to create a mudroom/laundry room.
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Shrinkable, Expandable, and easy to fit one's site and needs. Re-design is simple and affordable. Wrap-around porches, decks, basements or any other modification can be done by us or the design profesional of your choice.
The Springtime Cottage
Passive Solar Simple Building Envelope Attractive Cottage Design
Strong Passive Solar Design with Energy Efficient Constuction details
With a great envelope and proper orientation this home can provide half it's own heat for free. The large South windows limit the window, trim, and maintenance costs, but more importantly they reduce air infiltration. The lack of dividers and spaces between windows lets in more light, reduces thermal bridging, and is less obtrusive to views outside. Operable windows are positioned for ventilation and sized for orientation which reduces the price of the window package.
Compact plumbing footprint
This saves a lot of water and energy needed to heat the water. It has been shown that eliminating the "lag time" for hot water to arrive at taps can have a dramatic impact on water usage and water heating. This also makes it easier for waste heat recovery, lowers the overall cost of the plumbing system and minimizes opportunities for leaks and problems. It has been designed with two possibile locations for solar water storage.
Eliminate the floor band
Another great detail for both energy efficiency and aesthetics is our ability to eliminate the "floor band" and move the main level South windows to the top of the ceiling. This dramatically reduces air infiltration and the interruption of insulation at typical floor framing. Having the windows at the top of the ceiling provides a dramatically open effect, letting light further into the home and saving money on windows by getting them far enough off the ground to not require tempered glass. Our section drawings show this detail and the overhang sizing.
South walls of passive solar designs have so much glass that they sometimes require extra engineering and strength to compensate for the lack of solid wall area. We have designed with this in mind, matching the windowless part of the Southern elevations with the interior floor plan. This eliminates the extra expenses of engineering, materials, labor and energy costs of needing structrual members where your insulation should be.
The most important energy independent feature of this home is that the envelope is easy to build airtight and continuously insulated.
Flexible and Easily Customized Home plan
This plan's greatest attribute is its simplicity, which makes changes and additions very easy. As pictured, the Springtime Cottage works best for East and West entry situations. The plan is shown with a West main entrance, but can be easily mirror reversed for an East entrance. It is also well suited to North and South entrances with minor changes. Interior floor plans are very simple to rearrange. Wrap around covered porches, decks and bump outs are easily added to this home plan. The North roof will accommodate shed, dog house or gabled dormers in many variations.
An angled garage can be built partially attached, connected with a covered walk or completely detached. Additional storage spaces attached but outside of the conditioned space are easily added to the rear (East) of the plan as pictured.
No other plan combines strong passive solar design with such a cost effective and flexible nature.
Lets get together and customize your very own Springtime Cottage.
Green, Eco Friendly Communities
Good design grows out of the intended building site. Its usually best to know the site before falling in love with a particular design. Once a site is selected, design can be done from scratch or an exisiting design like the Springtime Cottage can be adapted to fit the site and one's other needs. Below is an expanding list of communities that would be a great place to build a green home. We are proud to be preferred builders in these communities.
Villages at Crest Mountain
www.villagesatcrestmountain.com Website for Villages at Crest Mountain. This is a new, eco-friendly community in Asheville NC.
Site Map of Villages at Crest Mountain an Eco-Friendly community in Asheville. A rendering of Asheville NC Eco friendly communities Villages at Crest Mountain
Hickory Nut Forest
www.hickorynutforest.ecofriendlycommunities.com Hickory Nut Forest website. Hickory Nut Forest is a new eco-community in Gerton NC.
Site Map of Hickory Nut Forest, a North Carolina Eco Community Fall in the Hickory Nut Gorge
This creek flows through Asheville NC Eco Community Hickory Nut Forest. Eco communities offset impact by putting other land into permanent conservation.
We hope this information helps in promoting cost effective green building. Please visit our Asheville Custom Builders page to see our building services. Feel free to contact us about anything at all.
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