Advanced framing, also known as Optimum Value Engineering (OVE) is a building technique that optimizes lumber use to improve material efficiency and the energy performance of the building.

Some of the most common elements of Advanced Frame walls are the use of 2×6 studs 24″ on center instead of 2×4 studs 16″ on center, insulated corners in exterior walls, insulated headers and insulation in exterior walls behind partition intersections.

Advanced Frame ceilings are constructed to allow fulldepth attic insulation to be installed all the way to the outside wall. This framing technique eliminates the three- to four-foot strip at the building perimeter where conventional roof trusses compress attic insulation to zero. According to the Oregon Building Codes Division, this under-insulated strip commonly accounts for 25 percent of ceiling area.

One of the many advantages of Advanced Stick Framing is avoiding thermal bridging.  A thermal bridge is created when materials that are poor insulators (like the typical stud used in the wall of a home) connect the heated interior of a home with the unheated exterior, allowing heat to flow through the path created.  The offset timbers in the walls of an Advanced Frame home provide a break so you do not lose energy through the wall studs.

A second advantage is that the increased space in the wall cavity allows for more insulation, which further increases the energy efficiency of the home.  Advanced framing eliminates non-structural wood from the building envelope and replaces it with insulation.  “In this wall cavity we will use 1 ½” of spray foam insulation, put a web over the whole wall and fill with loose fill insulation that contains an acrylic binder to avoid settling.  The spray foam is very efficient at filling up the seams of the home and a joint tape on the outside further ensures minimal energy loss through gaps.  With this full insulation treatment, these walls will be in the range of R40 to R50, which is comparable to ICFs.  When all is said and done, these walls will only cost about 2% more than a track stick frame home.”  Shan explained during a Winsome Homes Building Better Buildings event, Brains and Bones of a Better Building, held in May, 2011.

Insulating (or insulated) concrete forms (ICFs) are hollow foam blocks which are stacked into the shape of the exterior walls of a building, reinforced with steel rebar and then filled with concrete. This innovative technology provides superior R-values, no mold or mildew growth, excellent sound insulation, superior strength, straighter walls, less maintenance, no pests in wall cavities, superior life cycle and many other benefits.

Carlton Cottage – A Winsome ICF Home Under Construction

Started Fall 2010

Air-Source Heat Pumps

A heat pump draws heat from the air or earth and uses that energy to heat or cool a house. The traditional air-source heat pump extracts heat from the outside air during the heating season and releases it to the outside air during the cooling season. Heating and cooling is accomplished by moving a refrigerant through the heat pump’s indoor and outdoor coils. Like in a refrigerator, a compressor, condenser, expansion valve and evaporator are used to change states of the refrigerant between a cold liquid and a hot gas. Similarly, heat pumps can also operate in a cooling mode where the cold refrigerant is moved through the indoor coils to cool the room air.

Ground-Source/Geothermal Heat Pumps

Ground-source heat pumps are similar to ordinary heat pumps, but use the ground instead of outside air to provide heating, air conditioning and, in most cases, hot water. Beneath the surface, the ground stays at a constant temperature, so a ground source heat pump can be used year-round.

A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe – called a ground loop – which is buried underground. Heat from the ground is absorbed into this fluid and is pumped through a heat exchanger in the heat pump. Low grade heat is then extracted by the refrigeration system and, after passing through the heat pump compressor, is concentrated into a higher temperature useful heat capable of heating water for the heating and hot water circuits of the house. Ground loop fluid, now cooler, passes back into the ground where it absorbs further energy from the ground in a continuous process while heating is required. The length of the ground loop depends on the size of your home and the amount of heat you need – longer loops can draw more heat from the ground.

SEER Rating

The Department of Energy requires all air-conditioning and heating equipment manufacturers to evaluate and rate the efficiency of their equipment on a seasonal basis. These ratings are known as the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) and the HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor). The higher the SEER or HSPF rating, the more efficient the heat pump. High-efficiency units cost more, but since operating costs are lower, the payback period may be shorter than you realize. A high SEER/HSPF heat pump also can add value to your home which is important to today’s energy-conscious home buyers.

Federal Tax Credit

Through December 31, 2016 homeowners who install ENERGY STAR qualified geothermal heat pumps may be eligible for a 30% federal tax credit.

The Briar Rose Creamery is a small, artisan cheese production facility in Dundee, Oregon. The facility was constructed with advanced stick framing, spray foam insulation, radiant heat and urethane floor systems, a loading dock, a commercial chiller, tasting room, two cheese aging rooms, metro recycling paint, extensive hard pipe stainless steel, as well as stainless steel appliances and fixtures.

• Advanced Stick Frame
• Spray foam insulation
• Radiant heat
• Loading dock
• Tasting room
• Commercial chiller
• Two aging rooms
• Urethane floor systems
• HDA (Handicapped Disability Act) approved structure
• Packaging and shipping room
• Metro recycling paint
• Abundant natural light
• Extensive hard pipe stainless steel
• Stainless steel appliances and fixtures

Applications:

• Commercial and residential insulation in walls, ceilings, attics and basements
• Roofing
• Air barriers
• Industrial insulation for pipes and tanks, cold storage facilities, freezers, walk-in coolers, and climate controlled buildings such as produce storage and clean rooms
• Flotation for boats, ships, barges, floating docks, etc.
• Higher density spray polyurethane foam has been used to increase the structural strength of wings in airplanes

Benefits of Spray Foam:

• Saves our clients money by dramatically reducing heating and cooling usage
• Contains no formaldehyde or ozone-depleting chemicals
• Maintains a consistent temperature throughout the building, from room to room and floor to floor
• Helps control moisture and condensation
• Reduces drafts, outside pollutants, allergens and noise to help maintain comfortable indoor air quality
• Proven as an effective application, in use for over 25 years in commercial, industrial and residential buildings
• Environmental durable; maintains its physical properties over time, a single product can take the place of three other products including insulation, air barriers, sealants, vapor retarders, and weather barriers (depending on the formula and project)

How do Solatube Dalylighting Systems work?

Solatubes capture light through a dome on the roof and channel it to interior rooms by refracting, reflecting and concentrating solar light into a small tube using mirrors and lenses. The tubing fits between rafters and installs without structural modification. At the ceiling level, a diffuser that resembles a recessed light fixture spreads the light evenly throughout the room.

• Solatubes can be installed in places where a traditional skylight wouldn’t be an option, such as rooms without direct roof access or small areas like bathrooms, closets and hallways.

• Instead of lighting only the space directly below the skylight, Solatubes use optics to spread the light out, often lighting the entire room.

• Units are compact in design (as small as 10 in/250 mm in diameter) and feature adjustable tubing with angle adapters that allow for installation around attic obstructions.

• Circular one-piece, seamless flashing design allows rain and debris to bypass the skylight naturally. Solatube flashings do not have joints or weak points that may separate and allow water to enter.

• Installation requires no structural reframing, tunneling, drywalling or painting.

• You may switch off electric lights during the day, which provides extra savings on energy usage.

HardiePlank® siding is fiber cement board siding recognized for its durability and reputation. Produced by the James Hardie company, HardiePlank® lap siding is considered a lifetime product and comes with a 30-year nonprorated, transferable, limited warranty.

Benefits of HardiePlank® siding:

• Resists mold, mildew, fungus, and damage from humidity, heat, salt spray, and hail
• Resists rotting, warping, cracking, buckling, and swelling
• Holds paint without peeling or chipping
• Long-lasting and fade-resistant
• Less expensive than wood
• Requires very low maintenance
• Hardiplank offers longer fire rating; noncombustible and resists the spread of flames
• Resistant to termites and other wood eating insects

The Eola HIlls remodel consisted of rehabilitating an old farm house and constructing a second story addition. Cedar siding, slate flooring, reclaimed beams, and stone materials bring a new character and texture to the existing property. An exciting transformation!

• Rehabilitation of old farm house with addition
• Cedar siding
• Wrap-around porches
• Energy efficient windows
• Masonry fireplace
• Slate floors
• Reclaimed beams used for millwork countertops
• Walk-in shower
• Whole home audio

Before & After Gallery

This large custom home is located on the gorgeous vineyard property, Big Cheese Vineyard.  It is constructed with an advanced stick frame with spray foam insulation, and features custom woodwork, staircase, and cabinetry. Triple-glazed windows contribute to the home’s efficiency and provide remarkable views of the property, embodying both efficient and gracious country living.

• Vineyard home
• Advanced Stick Framing
• Spray foam insulation
• Triple glazed windows
• AdvanTex- Advanced septic system
• Zoned heating system
• Rainscreen siding
• Mold and mildew abatement
• Custom cabinetry
• Custom staircase and extensive woodwork
• Energy Star fixtures and appliances
• Water-based paints and finishes

Nathan Good, AIA, Architect, LEED AP

Nathan Good is a renowned and award-winning green architect located in Portland, Oregon.  He is recognized by NW Home Magazine as one of the Top 50 Architects in The Northwest, and Fine Homebuilding Magazine featured one of Nathan’s projects on the cover of the August/September 2011 issue.  Nathan specializes in a collaborative process in home design that engages his clients, consultants and other key stakeholders in the design process.

Winsome Construction is fortunate to have the opportunity to work collaboratively with Nathan.  His kind and engaging demeanor, creative and innovative designs, extensive experience with a broad spectrum of projects and ability to engage stakeholders in the design process make him an exceptional choice for the design of any project, residential or commercial.  Winsome is currently collaborating with Nathan on a beautiful vineyard home under construction slated to be a Net Zero, LEED Platinum home.  You can learn more about this project by following the blog, Nathan Good Vineyard Estate and check out the Nathan Good Vineyard Estate page on our website.

We sat down with Nathan to ask him some questions about his vast experience in green building and architectural design.

Interview with Nathan Good

Winsome:  How did you get started as an architect?

Nathan:  Architecture and I, we go way back!  My parents were in the process of designing a home when I was in 2^nd or 3^rd grade and they brought home magazines and books on floor plans.  It was really interesting to listen to them talk about the pros and cons and I discovered that they didn’t agree.  I felt like I could help them.  I went crazy designing floor plans.  I found one floor plan by a Los Angeles Architect called the Hemisphere Home.  It was an octagon home on a steep slope designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright architect, John Lautner, who worked with Wright for most of his career.  I thought it was the coolest thing.  I was really charged up about that.  Of course, I was also always playing with blocks and legos and building forts and tree houses.  I started my formal study of architecture in High School drafting and continued my studies in college at California State Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. 

Winsome:  What peaked your interest in green building?

Nathan:  There was not just one event that peaked my interest in green building.  It was really a combination of things starting with my summers on my uncle’s farm as a kid.  During most of my childhood I lived in small communities in the Midwest.  From 6^th grade through high school and college I spent every summer working on my uncle’s farm in Oklahoma.  That is when I really learned the meaning of the saying, “You don’t eat your seed corn” on a deep level.  What I liked the most about the farm life was the skies, land, smells and living, working and experiencing the outdoors.  Things were constantly changing.  Nightlife on the farm allowed me time to be alone and think.  I learned frugality from this time on the farm.  I learned to fix things yourself and save everything.  Growing up on a farm was my foundation in green.  I would return home after these summers with my batteries charged and with a little money in my pocket to boot.

I also went to Denmark for one year in college.  In Denmark, they practice very sensible design.  Denmark is an island and they are very conscientious about their resources and waste.  They did not want to rely on others for their resources or export waste.

The final big event that I can point to that drove home the importance of green design for me was the energy crisis in 1974.  It was a wakeup call for most who experienced it.  Following that crisis there was a real movement towards energy independence for national security.  How we design is an integral part of that independence.

Winsome:  What would you say has been the most important breakthrough in green technologies and design in your career?

Nathan:   It would be easiest to separate types of technological innovations.  There are design process advances and innovations in supporting or building technologies.

For design processes, formulating a quantifiable definition of what constitutes green in the form of rating systems has been the breakthrough with the most far reaching impact.  It has provided criteria that we can reference and design and build toward.  It provides a framework for everyone on the project team and facilitates a more integrated design process, opening up to include client’s builders and consultants in the design.   In the process of designing and building a project, I find that it works best to temper the ego and ask others for advice.  It produces a superior result when I suspend having to be right and ask others to contribute genius to the project.  Early on I wanted to be a “Starchitect”, a term used to describe architects whose celebrity and critical acclaim have transformed them into idols of the architecture world and possibly even amongst the general population.  When I discovered “Integrated Design” or “Collaborative Design”, I knew that it was a better way to go.

For building technologies in the last 5-10 years the new insulated products have enabled tremendous advances in the efficiency of the structures that we can build.  The Closed Cell Spray Foam is very efficient and more environmentally designed.  There has also been a radical increase in the efficiency of Heat Pumps in the last 7 years.  In our climate in the Pacific Northwest, it may be more cost effective to use Heat Pump technologies to heat water than using solar.  Window technology has improved dramatically in the last 10 years, as well and the current day Heat Recovery Ventilators are super efficient and provide increased opportunities for maximizing healthy indoor air quality in buildings.  Total building envelope insulation and thermal restrictions of the whole building envelope have been a fantastic breakthrough in the last 5 years, as well.

Winsome:  If you were to say that you had a specialty, what would it be?

Nathan:  I guess it would be kind of like the blind pigmies that find an elephant and touch each part, it depends on your perspective of what I do on a project.  I think design of energy efficient luxury homes is my specialty.  If you were to ask my clients, they would say that negotiating win/win design agreements among couples is my greatest strength.  I guess I’m continuing to help people find the common ground today, just like I did with my parents when I was 8.

Winsome:  What are some of the challenges or obstacles to overcome in designing a green/resource efficient home?

Nathan:  Builders that do not have the mindset or the open mindedness to be willing to learn how to build energy efficient or ultra energy efficient green homes.  A lot of it has to do with risk avoidance.  Most of the resistance is from older builders who have experience building the same home using the same technologies for most of their years.  Some of them have been building using the same building technologies for 15-30 years.  In one experience that I had with a client who lived in the Midwest, my client’s had hired their builder because he had such a good reputation.  As it turned out, he was pretty resistant to the technologies that we had used in the design of their home.  With this project, and others where we have met this resistance, we have found that being patient and spending the time to educate and train pays off.  With one client’s project at Cannon Beach in Oregon there was a lot of resistance from the subcontractors.  For that project we hosted an all day training.  The builder lined up the local Homebuilders Association and the local lumber yard sponsored it.  We had 30 people come. The owner of the home stood up and talked about why she wanted to build this home using advanced green technologies, Green Depot gave a great presentation on the materials and I gave a presentation on the design process and the Earth Advantage rating system.  It was very well received.

Winsome:  How has the state of the economy and the real estate and construction market impacted green building?

Nathan:  There are fewer homes being built and that has a big impact.  What homes there are, the client’s are scrutinizing their budgets so much that it makes it challenging.  You can prioritize green technologies and amenities in a home, but indoor air quality is crucial.  We do not compromise on that.  Energy efficiency remains high in our projects, but it is hard for client’s to decide whether to spend more for the triple pane windows, for example.  Things that are falling off of projects are rainwater harvesting, more expensive green materials and landscaping.  We are seeing houses being designed smaller and are taking into account building systems that make the design more efficient, which is great as far as green design goes.  There is also more remodeling, which is really good from the green standpoint, as well.

Winsome:  What do you see in the future of green building?

Nathan:  I would like to see no distinction between a green home and a “regular” home.  Green needs to be the building standard.

Winsome:  If you were to offer someone who is interested in building a “green” home, commercial/industrial building or winery advice that would help them to get the most from their project, what would it be (in addition to having you design it, of course)?

Nathan:  The importance of education and understanding of high quality, green building.  They should read, attend seminars and learn about the characteristics and qualities of green buildings to help them understand what is different and why.  Self education is huge.  Another one is to hire the architect and the builder as a team and think about the compatibility of the team together.  Set up the time upfront for team building so that everyone spends time together getting to know each other and their expectations for the building project.  Investments made in getting to know people really pays off throughout the project.