High Performance Building
Principals
High performance homes aim to manage everything the natural world sends our way including: bulk water, unclimatized air, vapor (humidity), thermal transfer and solar gain.
Utilizing best practice flashing methods, sill pains and rain screens we aim to prevent water from ever entering the structure.
Rain-screens allow vapor drive and any moisture behind cladding a chance to dry extending the life of the building and cladding.
Air Sealing prevents unclimatized outdoor air, pollutants and insects from entering your home.
When air sealing we need to look at HVAC systems holistically. Bringing in fresh, filtered & tempered air while exhausting stale humid air. Equipment is determined by detailed calculations based on the wall assembly and sq footage of the home. Dehumidification sized appropriately to keep moisture levels and comfort at an appropriate level.
Insulation & wall assemblies must also be looked at holistically and depending on the choice of interior & exterior insulation in conjunction with R-values we can create an assembly that keeps your home comfortable and performing as intended in all seasons.
Creating wall & roof assemblies that are vapor open in our climate zone to provide a path for vapor to exit your home and prevent mold growth within your walls and ceiling.
Design
Constructing a home with performance in mind requires planning and forethought in the design phase well before any construction begins.
Starting with design we want to keep the architectural intent while simplifying shapes and planning for water, vapor, and air management. We also need to ensure we are designing space to accommodate all of the equipment needed to run the home.
This can be done in many ways depending on the design intent.
Utilizing longer overhangs.
Accommodating taller rafter seat heights for required insulation.
Appropriate roof pitches.
Planning window locations in concert with solar gain potential that is dependent on the geographic location of your home and its position to the sun.
Creating a conditioned crawl space or attic space to house equipment. This is dependent upon building site and architectural design.
Execution
Building for performance does require higher input cost in the structure of a home vs standard building practices. Knowing this means we have to optimize our pre construction planning and create assemblies that minimize additional labor input.
Using products that are readily available.
Installation practices that can be standardized.
Planning and forethought into assemblies that meet your comfort expectation and budget.
Working and coordinating with trade partners to determine the most efficient and cost effective way to complete each scope of work.
Contact
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