Having lived in Knoxville for four years, I have a pretty firm understanding of what most Tennessee residences look like.  Most have undeniable character and many years of living have been seen in them.  The newer construction typically follows with most of southern America with cookie cutter designs and upgrades to select from.  This is not the case however with the Wheeler Residence (a/k/a Bluff Creek Residence) designed by TWH Architects in Chattanooga.  This home tallies a $50 – $100/month average energy bill… and its 3,200 square feet is lived in by a family of 6.  That is truly revolutionary!

The homeowner Trey Wheeler, Vice President of TWH Architects worked with Ethan Collier, President of Collier Construction, to design his family’s new home and wondered, “what if I could design a highly energy efficient, low-maintenance and financially practical home in a kid-friendly location using all traditional materials?”  Well, the results were nothing short of spectacular.  Here’s how they did it:

• Integrated Project Team {a paradigm shift from start to finish}

“Contrary to what has been a paradigm architect/contractor relationship is that they approached this as a team effort with input from Ethan, from Ethan’s employees, even the subcontractors. They consulted with the insulation crew, with the masons and certainly the heating and air folks. They all worked together and it’s was a team approach.”

• 5 goals {from livability to sustainability}

1. That the design effectively respond to the numerous livability and efficiency issues that the Wheeler family experienced in their previous home.

2. That the home be situated (in terms of location and design) to accommodate an active family of 6.

3. That every aspect of the design and construction make energy sense (from the locally manufactured metal roof to the house color).

4. That the design promote low maintenance and durability.

5. That the finished home be financially practical.

SO LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

… and zero in on the 3 primary design elements that make this home highly energy efficient – livability, durability and sustainability.

Livability
{putting space to work}

Livability means your home is designed to fit you, your family, and your lifestyle. Space that works with you – not against you – over the long term. Because it’s designed around your priorities, from cooking meals to accommodating guests. Livability means you can stay put without remodeling, adding on or going crazy.

THE TANGIBLES

Go with the flow: Space flows from room to room. Open rooms flooded with natural light welcome crowds, yet there are clear lines between public and private space… and without spatial interruptions.

Park it, not breath it: The detached garage means no VOC (gas fumes) transfer into the home. And with the dark-paneled garage doors facing west, natural heating and cooling completely eliminate the need for additional energy use to heat and cool the garage.

THE INTANGIBLES

Feels like home: the Wheeler residence is designed to reflect the family’s priorities. On the outside, a private mountain bike trail/skills area, replete with dirt jumps, is carved through the woods around the home. On the inside, rooms are designed to optimize space – a kitchen big enough for the whole family and multi-use rooms for out of town guests.

OVERVIEW

Forget excess: Wheeler’s design makes practical use of space and excludes excess so that the family is not heating and cooling unused, unlived in rooms – which goes a long way toward reducing energy consumption, without compromising on comfort and functionality.

So where livability addresses the interaction of people with the built-environment, durability accounts for the interaction of external conditions with the structure itself.

Durability
{simple. solid. strong.}

Just keeping things simple can eliminate a lot of problems – like rot, mold and bugs in your crawl space because you don’t have… well, a crawl space. And a solid design using strong building materials helps the house stand up against the elements. 

SIMPLE

The home’s single story design and minimal height allows for easy maintenance.

The home sits on a concrete slab which means no crawl space – and none of the rot, mold, bugs, air leakage or energy loss usually associated with a crawl space in the southeast.

Easy, long term accessibility is accomplished by eliminating steps from the design. It also means that the Wheelers won’t need maintenance, repair or replacement of steps… ever.

SOLID

Shed roof has no valleys or intersections. In other words, no roof leaks.

Concrete floors are extremely durable and eliminate the costs associated with typical maintenance and repair.

STRONG

Boral Brick has protective pastel coating and a 30-year warranty; is especially designed to accommodate a rain screen siding system which prevents moisture infiltration.

Hardie Siding is a fiber-cement product made with recycled content (wood pulp, cement, sand and water) and resists moisture damage, insects and fire.

Standing seam metal roof is locally manufactured and has a 40 year warranty.

TPO (the practically indestructible thermoplastic polyolefin roof membrane) has a 30 year warranty.

OVERVIEW

From livability to durability, Wheeler’s design incorporates specific methods and materials that extend his home’s life-span – preempting the waste, embedded energy, and costs caused by renovation, repair and maintenance.

Along with a host of energy efficiency measures, these design elements play a leading role in the home’s sustainability.

Sustainability
{& home (eco)nomics}

So what is sustainable design? It is design that values our ecosystem and our economy. Design that conserves energy and resources. Design that halts unnecessary production of building materials. Design that prolongs the home’s life cycle and prevents future waste. Design that asks “what if?” and answers “why not!”

LIVABILITY AND DURABILITY REVISITED

• Livability {without remodeling, adding on or going crazy}

Over 100 million pounds of construction waste and debris is generated every year in the U.S. – the majority of that waste is the result of demolition and renovation. That’s why designing livable homes matters from a sustainability standpoint.

Wheeler’s design makes practical use of space. The large kitchen and multi-use rooms, outdoor recreational space and detached garage resist obsolescence – which means that, unlike many, the Wheelers won’t be remodeling, adding on or going crazy living in the same home over the long term. Simply put, there living space is sustainable.

• Durability {100-year home}

Durable building materials are not only made of recycled content (i.e. metal roof and fiber-cement siding); they are also highly durable – which means the Wheelers will never send their metal roof or fiber-cement siding to the landfill so that it can be replaced by new materials. The home’s concrete floor will never need to be replaced, and because there is no crawl space, they will never need to repair or perform maintenance underneath the house.

They call this a 100-year home – one whose components and systems are designed, built and implemented to last 100 years before needing to be replaced (2 – 4 times the average life expectancy of a conventional home). A 100-year home aims to reduce future landfill waste as well as lessen manufacturing, production and the embedded energy associated with product lifecycle.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Passive solar design allows for full-on natural day lighting.

Existing trees permit direct light in the winter and diffused light in the summer.

Standing seam metal roof reflects radiant heat.

Single story design prevents excessive heating/cooling.

Floor system with no crawl space means no energy loss or air leakage.

High efficiency plumbing fixtures conserve water.

Compact florescent lights (CFL’s) consume 75% less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs.

LED lamps used for outdoor fixtures as well as all under-cabinet lighting consume 75% less energy than CFL’s.

OVERVIEW

From livability and durability to energy efficiency, sustainable design not only aims to reduce a home’s regular energy consumption, but also prevent the use of energy to extract, manufacture, distribute and implement building materials in the future, and thus seeks to decrease waste generated by remodeling, maintenance and repair.

What Was Learned
{simple math}

Fact: The average American household spends $1 per square foot per year on energy. Not the Wheelers.

This home’s design and construction save the Wheelers $166/month on energy costs – that’s nearly $2,000/year and $20,000 over the next 10 years (without calculating rate increases).

Related posts:

1. Tennessee Modern LEED Platinum Certified Homes
2. Austin’s Ramp House Challenges Coventional Notions
3. The Conservatory: Florida’s First LEED Platinum Building

• Passive solar design;
• Locally manufactured and harvested materials;
• Renewable and durable cork, concrete, and bamboo materials;
• Durable fiber cement, larch, and aluminum shingles;
• Metal roof made of recycled and recyclable materials;
• Efficient, argon filled, insulated windows;
• Native, non-invasive ground cover;
• Pervious paving materials for the hardscapes;
• Water-efficient plumbing and dual-flush toilets; and
• Energy-efficient HVAC and Energy Star appliances.

Although Rushing is living in one of the homes, the other two certified homes are for sale for $242,500 (1,540 square feet) and $249,500 (1,604 square feet).  That’s a pretty decent price for LEED Platinum living.  These rightly sized homes sit on a tight footprint and front Jefferson Heights Park, which includes two acres of open space and playgrounds.  Check them out, if you’re in the area.

Source: Jetson Green

Related posts:

1. Concourse E – Atlanta Going Green