Proud Green Home

by Jonathan McGaha | August 31, 2015 12:00 am

Multiple attributes make this a sustainable house for the future

Custom homebuilder Luis Imery, owner of Imery Group, Athens, Ga., likes to challenge every aspect of the home construction processes to maximize consumer value in his projects. He feels builders are too often content to build homes that just meet minimum code standards. He worries that builders mistakenly think consumers are primarily focused on short-term benefits: low acquisition, cost and cosmetics. So he strives to build every home according to what he calls the three Ps: people, profit and planet. His three Ps have never been more exemplified than in his Serenbe, Ga., home-based residence called the Proud Green Home at Serenbe.

In mid-2012, ProudGreenHome.com[1], an online publisher of green home information, asked Imery to construct its first “Proud Green Home” in one of the nation’s leading sustainable community, Serenbe. Understanding the projects goal, he set out to put a team of consultants, designers and subcontractors together that understood the concepts of building science and spoke the same language. He turned to architects, interior designers and building science consultants Jodi and Chris Laumer-Giddens of Atlanta-based LG Squared ARCHI+TECHS. ProudGreenHome.com brought in a dozen building products manufacturers as project partners. These partners supplied some of the high-performance and resource-efficient products used to construct the 2,811-square-foot modern home. Completed in August 2013, this was the first U.S. Department of Energy-certified DOE Zero Energy Ready Home in Georgia.

The house meets the energy efficiency requirements of Energy Star Version 3, as well as the indoor air quality and moisture management requirements of EPA Indoor airPlus, the water conservation criteria outlined in the EPA’s WaterSense guidelines. Insulation levels meet or exceed those stated in the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and additional DOE Zero Energy Ready Home criteria for building airtightness, HVAC, lighting and window performance. Imery says these performance criteria have helped the home reduce energy consumption by 60 percent when compared to a similar home built to the current energy code before renewables.

Metal Attributes

LG Squared ARCHI+TECHS accomplished these building performance goals by focusing on The Proud Green Home’s building enclosure, site orientation, efficient mechanical systems design and installation, lighting, appliances and efficient floor plan layout. The net annual cost of electricity for the owner is $0. In fact, the house produces more energy than the homeowners use. Rooftop photovoltaic panels from LG Electronics Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., produce more than 13 kW of electricity, which exceeds the net demand in the home. A solar thermal water heating system with an 80-gallon tank provides the majority of the domestic hot water for the house.

The home’s solar shades were custom designed by LG Squared ARCHI+TECHS and built by Imery Group. Suspended from metal cables, or as a standalone pergola on the exterior west, south and east sides, the solar shades are, “Strategically placed to provide shading for the interior and exterior living spaces, while allowing for an abundance of natural light,” says Jodi Laumer-Giddens, architect and president of LG Squared ARCHI+TECHS. “The two-story metal-and brick-clad foyer and stair tower is functional while giving the exterior a distinctive look from the street. A low-slope roof (from Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp., Louisville, Ky.) was appropriate for the placement of photovoltaic panels and to achieve solar thermal benefits.” Additionally, Imery says the flat roof keeps the roof line simple, and reduces the roof penetrations to reduce the risk of water intrusion and heat loss transfer.

“The Metal Sales roof and wall panels integrate well with the other materials used on the home,” says Chris Laumer-Giddens. “The stunning vertical metal wall panels create a balanced symmetry on the home’s exterior. I’m a big fan of the durability and aesthetics of metal roofs.” The metal panels improve the home’s energy efficiency, further reducing the amount of energy needed for cooling. “Not only are metal roofs durable, they also keep the house cooler,” says Imery. “The unique blend of materials-fiber cement siding, brick and metal-give it a unique character and enhanced curb appeal.”Metal Sales also supplied the house’s metal wall panels. The house features 2,466 square-feet of 12-inch vertical seam metal roof panels and 1,064 square-feet of 7/8-inch corrugated wall panels, both in Dark Bronze. The 24-gauge metal panels are durable, 100 percent recyclable and contain a high percentage of recycled content.

 

Additional Design Specifications:

 

• Integrated design approach-house functions as a system
• High-efficiency ducted mini-split heat pump system for heating and cooling
• Continuous slab edge insulation (R-5) from Tremco Barrier Solutions, Beachwood, Ohio, to minimize heat loss
• ZIP System R-Sheathing on the exterior walls and ZIP System roof sheathing products from Huber Engineered Woods, Charlotte, N.C., provide structural integrity, and air, water and heat control for a durable, air-tight and wellinsulated building enclosure
• Open-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation in walls and roofline cavities for a well-insulated building enclosure
• Insulation values of R-19 cavity, with R-6.6 continuous in all exterior walls, and R-28 in roofline cavities, respectively
• High-performance, low-E windows and doors from Ply Gem, Cary, N.C., with low U-Factor and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) to minimize unwanted heat loss and gain
• Continuous rainscreen from Benjamin Obdyke Inc., Horsham, Pa., behind exterior cladding for increased durability and thermal performance
• Solar thermal water heating that is 2.5 times more efficient than conventional electric or gas water heater
• Whole-house fresh air ventilation with energy recovery system
• Advanced framing techniques throughout home to reduce material waste and heat loss
• Low-flow, WaterSense-labeled plumbing fixtures installed and PEX tubing, with centralized manifold distribution, used for water and energy conservation
• Energy Star advance lighting package that includes compact fluorescent and LED fixtures
• Energy Star appliances
• Low- or no-VOC emitting paints and materials
• Continuous foundation drainage system from Tremco Barrier Solutions prevents water intrusion to the interior of the home
• Programmable thermostats
• Engineered lumber for roof, floor and other structural members
• 29-foot-high foyer with operable windows to promote air circulation
• Covered entry and front porch with slate tile finish
• Durable, non-rot, low maintenance fascia, soffit and trim
• Rain gutters and downspouts connected to below-grade drain system
• Professional landscaping using native and drought-tolerant plants and shrubs

 

The home has been recognized with several major awards: the 2014 Project of the Year: Single Family Small Volume from the National Association of Home Builders Green Awards; the 2013 Earth- Craft Project of the Year from the Southface Energy Institute; and the DOE Housing Innovation Award for 2014.

 

Sidebar: Proud Green Home at Serenbe, Serenbe, Ga.

Completed: August 2013
Total square feet: 2,811 square feet
Building owner: Private residence
Architects: LG Squared ARCH+TECHS, Atlanta
General contractor/installer: Imery Group, Athens, Ga.
Metal panel installer: Athens Metal Roofing & Siding, Athens
Exterior wall sheathing/roof sheathing: Huber Engineered Woods, Charlotte, N.C., www.huberwood.com[2]
Metal roof/wall panels: Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp., Louisville, Ky., www.metalsales.us.com[3]
Photovoltaic panels: LG Electronics Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., www.lg.com[4]
Rainscreen: Benjamin Obdyke Inc., Horsham, Pa.,
www.benjaminobdyke.com[5]
Windows and doors: Ply Gem, Cary, N.C., www.plygem.com[6]

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/proud-green-home/

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