The Mobile Bay Green Inspiration Home

Malarkey Roofing® shingles utilize upcycled rubber and plastic and a proprietary 3M smog reducing granule to provide a strong, durable shingle with up to a class 4 hail impact rating (the highest there is). The smog-reducing granules harness the power of the Sun to turn roofing membranes into a pollution-fighting surface. When the Sun hits the granules, their photocatalytic coating transforms the smog pollution (nitrogen oxides) into water-soluble ions that safely wash away with rain. Each roof of these shingles diverts the equivalent of 5 tires and 3,200 plastic bags from a landfill, and provides air cleaning benefits equivalent to planting two trees!

The Sun Farm Hanwa 5.44 kW solar array consists of eight flush mounted Hanwha Q CELLS,  with a 30-year full warranty. The system will pay itself back in 17 years, and over 30 years it will save an estimated $29,179 in utility costs. The pollution avoided by using rooftop solar instead of grid power is equal to planting 2,528 trees, or taking 31.6 vehicles off the road. The rooftop array is engineered to meet Fortified Standards for high wind and hurricanes.

Open cell insulation applied to the underside of the roof deck insulates and encloses the attic area. The practice of ventilating attics began in the North to prevent ice dams from forming on the roof. In the South, attic ventilation sometimes introduces more heat and moisture into the home than it exhausts from it. The ventilation openings can become an entry point for pests, and are vulnerable to water intrusion during heavy storms. A sealed, insulated attic promotes energy efficiency and resilience by keeping all parts of the HVAC system within the conditioned building envelope, and greatly reducing the opportunity for moisture and pests to enter the home.

See what you can do to better insulate and seal your attic here.

A non-toxic Borate treatment was applied to wood framing materials, prior to insulation, in order to provide additional protection against wood destroying insects and fungi. The Gulf Coast is a high hazard area in terms of both termite risk and moisture intrusion. While our first line of defense is a well sealed building envelope, Borate treatment is a low-cost, “belt and suspenders” approach that offers additional protection and peace of mind.

Southern yellow pine (SYP) is the predominant wood harvested in Alabama. However, many houses are built with Spruce-Fir-Pine (SPF) lumber. The SPF lumber available locally tends to be sourced from Canada or the Northeastern US. It is preferred to SYP because it tends to be a bit straighter and have greater resistance to movement. We chose to use Southern Yellow Pine for the framing materials in the Inspiration Home in order to reduce environmental impacts and support our regional economy.

Many of our clients have the misconception that in order to build a strong home, you must build with concrete. While concrete is best suited for below grade applications, it has a higher cost and higher environmental impacts than wood, and is not necessary for above grade walls to achieve strength and durability. The Inspiration Home’s wood structure was engineered to withstand 157 MPH winds, assuming a high exposure similar to a beachfront home, then inspected and certified Fortified Gold for strength and durability.

People tend to think of the environmental impact of a home or building in terms of energy use and utility bills. However, building materials also create significant environmental impacts, through the pollution associated with their extraction, manufacture, and transportation to the job site. This is called “embodied carbon,” with carbon being an indicator of all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide. The environmental impacts of building materials are also front loaded in time, while a building’s energy use creates incremental impacts over a lifetime of use. Since the emissions that we produce between now and 2050 will determine whether or not we avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the embodied carbon of building materials matters a great deal.

For the greatest impact, prioritize the selection of locally produced and sustainably manufactured materials for heavy items that are needed in large quantities, like brick, concrete, framing, or drywall

The exterior walls of the Inspiration Home are filled with dense-pack cellulose insulation, achieving a R value of 19.7.  Dense-pack cellulose delivers an equivalent R value per inch to open cell spray foam insulation, with a much smaller footprint than either fiberglass or foam. Cellulose insulation is made of 80% post-consumer recycled newsprint, treated with non-toxic borate so that it resists fire, insects and mold. It requires 8 time less energy than fiberglass to manufacture.

In terms of waste reduction, the cellulose used in the Inspiration Home recycled as much newspaper as 3 individuals would consume over a 40 year period. If all new homes were insulated with cellulose this would remove 3.2 million tons of newsprint from the nation’s waste stream each year.

Other than windows and doors, the two major contributors to overall enclosure energy loss are air leakage and thermal bridging. Dense-pack cellulose is much more effective than fiberglass at stopping air leakage through a wall.  Even if you aren’t starting from scratch with a new home, sealing air leaks around your home and adding insulation can help your home be more comfortable and energy efficient and provide up to a 10% savings on your annual energy bills. See what you can do to improve your home’s insulation and air sealing.

Or hire a professional to assess the performance of your home, and recommend cost effective improvements. Keen Living LLC performed performance testing and inspections for the Inspiration Home to insure that installation was installed to a Grade 1 level of quality and that the air sealing of the home met performance targets.

Advantek sheathing was used for the exterior walls, roof, and interior floors of the Inspiration Home. The sheathing uses Sustainable Forestry Initiative certified wood from sustainably managed forests, and an advanced resin technology that helps panels resist moisture and grip fasteners in place.

Our Indoor Air Plus certification requires that all engineered wood materials be certified as formaldehyde free or ultra low emitting: NAUF (no added urea formaldehyde) or ULEF (ultra low emitting formaldehyde). Huber Woods Advantech products meet these low emitting standards.

Marvin Elevate windows and doors use a fiberglass exterior and wood interior to provide exceptional durability and energy efficiency. The design of the window frame reduces thermal bridging for superior thermal performance. The dual glazed, argon filled double glazed panes have a strong loE coating to reflect heat while still allowing as much daylight as possible. Fiberglass expands and contracts at the same rate as glass, which makes seals more resilient. The windows and doors are tested under simulated hurricane conditions to prove that they can withstand high winds and impacts.  The sealed pine interior of the Elevate windows and doors provides a warm accent against monochromatic walls and trim and supports the biophilic interior design.

Search for Energy Efficient windows and doors.

This home was sealed against the elements with a liquid applied weather barrier by Sto, instead of house “wrap” which is frequently improperly installed, or damaged post installation by weather or subsequent trades (Who hasn’t seen house wrap flapping in the breeze on a construction site?). The liquid applied barrier is painted on, with fiberglass reinforcement and additional layers of coatings at seams and window and door openings. The coating provides an air barrier and continuous draining plane for any moisture that might seep being the stucco or brick. The bright yellow color of the weather barrier is quite distinctive. During construction quite a few curious onlookers mistook it for paint, and inquired about our bold color choices.

The Rockwool continuous insulation boards used on the Inspiration Home are recycled, non-combustible, pest resistant, and hydrophobic. Rockwool is made from a recycled byproduct of steel production, which means it has a much smaller carbon footprint than petrochemical based foam insulation.

Continuous insulation wrapping both the wood framed and concrete walls of the Inspiration Home prevents heat from “bridging” through the structure. Wood studs allow heat to flow through a wall assembly at a rate that is 3 times faster than the heat flow through the surrounding insulation. These thermal bridges short circuit the insulation in the wall cavity, so that a wall insulated with R19 insulation has an effective R value of 16.

Other than windows and doors, the two major contributors to overall enclosure energy loss are air leakage and thermal bridging. Thermal bridging mitigation is an important part of a high performance building envelope, and is required for Zero Energy Ready certification.

The Sto CI Mineral stucco system was selected for the Inspiration Home because it delivers the solidity and character of stucco with superior resilience and durability. The system consists of a liquid applied water resistant barrier, continuous mineral wool insulation, stucco and Lotusan. The Lotusan coating was developed using the lotus plant for inspiration. Lotus leaves are covered with an array of tiny dimples that cause water to run off their surface, washing away fine dirt particles in the process. By mimicking the lotus leaf, Lotusan prevents dirt particles in the air and moisture from settling on the surface of the stucco, leaving the facade looking clean and pristine.

We wanted the Inspiration Home to use materials that would age gracefully over time, gaining character and patina, but still be durable and easy to maintain. We also wanted a material that was of this place, rooted in Alabama. South Alabama Brick company suggested this beautiful “Eutaw Brown” salvaged brick from Selma. Local sourcing greatly reduces the pollution associated with transporting the materials from manufacture to the site, and because the brick is re-used, the energy use and pollution associated with manufacturing are eliminated altogether. It also supports our regional economy.

People tend to think of the environmental impact of a home or building in terms of energy use and utility bills. However, building materials also create significant environmental impacts, through the pollution associated with their extraction, manufacture, and transportation to the job site. This is called “embodied carbon,” with carbon being an indicator of all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide. The environmental impacts of building materials are also front loaded in time, while a building’s energy use creates incremental impacts over a lifetime of use. Since the emissions that we produce between now and 2050 will determine whether or not we avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the embodied carbon of building materials matters a great deal.

For the greatest impact, prioritize the selection of locally produced and sustainably manufactured materials for heavy items that are needed in large quantities, like brick, concrete, framing, or drywall.

People tend to think of the environmental impact of a home or building in terms of energy use and utility bills. However, building materials also create significant environmental impacts, through the pollution associated with their extraction, manufacture, and transportation to the job site. This is called “embodied carbon,” with carbon being an indicator of all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide. The environmental impacts of building materials are also front loaded in time, while a building’s energy use creates incremental impacts over a lifetime of use. Since the emissions that we produce between now and 2050 will determine whether or not we avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the embodied carbon of building materials matters a great deal.

For the greatest impact, prioritize the selection of locally produced and sustainably manufactured materials for heavy items that are needed in large quantities, like brick, concrete, framing, or drywall. The southeast has an abundance of clay, and a wide variety of colors, and styles of locally locally sourced brick. It’s just a matter of shifting perspective and making location a priority.

The Inspiration Home was originally designed with a salvaged brick in mind from Selma Alabama. Difficulties arose with the deconstruction operation, and much less brick was salvaged than anticipated, so we needed to find a new brick for the remainder of the home. We turned to brick companies with manufacturing sites in Alabama, rather than Texas, North Carolina, or even further afield. Next to transportation, the manufacture of brick is the second biggest environmental impact of the material, due to the tremendous amount of energy used in the firing process. Several manufacturers in Alabama have used methane captured from landfills to fire their kilns in the past, but unfortunately at the time of our brick selection, they were no longer using this process.

Our final selection was a local brick from Bessemer, Alabama, Meridian Brick company’s Shadow Stone, selected because of its resemblance to the salvaged brick used on the front of the home. It’s impossible to match the character of a handmade historic brick, so we aimed to complement rather than imitate. To allow both bricks to be enjoyed on their own merits, much of the new brick along the driveway and side yard received a slurry coat of stucco. The new brick was exposed in the covered parking area, where it adds color and character to the ground floor entry to the home.

Concrete is the most widely used man-made material in existence. It is second only to water as the most-consumed resource on the planet. But, while cement – the key ingredient in concrete – has shaped much of our built environment, it also has a massive carbon footprint. In order to reduce the carbon impact of the cement in the foundation and walls of the Inspiration Home, we used a low carbon mix that substitutes a recycled pozzolon for 40% of the portland cement, greatly reducing the carbon footprint of the concrete.

Unlike most concrete buildings in our area, the concrete walls on the ground floor of the Inspiration Home are insulated on the exterior only.  On the interior, they are simply covered in drywall. This allows their significant mass to serve as a thermal “sink” holding heat in reserve and slowly releasing it, and moderating the temperature of the ground floor.

In several rooms,  the structural concrete slab has been polished and sealed as a finished floor. This helps to conserve materials by eliminating the need for an additional floor finish.

People tend to think of the environmental impact of a home or building in terms of energy use and utility bills. However, building materials also create significant environmental impacts, through the pollution associated with their extraction, manufacture, and transportation to the job site. This is called “embodied carbon,” with carbon being an indicator of all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide. The environmental impacts of building materials are also front loaded in time, while a building’s energy use creates incremental impacts over a lifetime of use. Since the emissions that we produce between now and 2050 will determine whether or not we avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the embodied carbon of building materials matters a great deal.

For the greatest impact, prioritize the selection of locally produced and sustainably manufactured materials for heavy items that are needed in large quantities, like brick, concrete, framing, or drywall.

To conserve both energy and water, the Inspiration Home uses an Energy Star certified, on demand, water heater and a compact plumbing layout. Fixtures are located within 90 feet of the water heaters, to minimize both the “wait time” for hot water to reach the faucet and the water wasted during that wait. We prefer to design with compact plumbing layouts instead of using a recirculating loop to provide a continuous flow of hot water to the faucets, because we can achieve a similar outcome with less energy consumption.

A water heater can be certified as ENERGY STAR by meeting Energy Factor (EF), Standby Loss, and/or Thermal Efficiency criteria or by meeting Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) criteria. Although these performance metrics are different, certification as ENERGY STAR by either method requires equivalent efficiency. Consumers should not directly compare EF values to UEF values. This water heater has a Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) of .95. A minimum UEF of .87 is required for Energy Star. The higher the UEF, the higher the energy efficiency and the greater the savings on utility bills.

US Gypsum USG Sheetrock® Brand UltraLight Panels are Greenguard Gold certified, low emitting materials. Sheetrock is ubiquitous in construction, it is a heavy material used in large quantities.  Using light weight drywall is a simple step that greatly reduces the pollution associated with transporting the materials from manufacture to the site.

USG Sheetrock® Brand UltraLight Panels are 1/2 in. (12.7 mm) gypsum panels that feature proprietary core and paper technologies, resulting in a high strength-to-weight ratio composite design. These lightweight panels are also engineered to have superior sag resistance, eliminating the need for traditional 1/2 in. (12.7 mm) sag-resistant ceiling panels. The noncombustible gypsum core is encased in 100% recycled face and back papers, The light weight design is easier for installers to work with, and can improve construction speed and safety.

People tend to think of the environmental impact of a home or building in terms of energy use and utility bills. However, building materials also create significant environmental impacts, through the pollution associated with their extraction, manufacture, and transportation to the job site. This is called “embodied carbon,” with carbon being an indicator of all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide. The environmental impacts of building materials are also front loaded in time, while a building’s energy use creates incremental impacts over a lifetime of use. Since the emissions that we produce between now and 2050 will determine whether or not we avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the embodied carbon of building materials matters a great deal.

For the greatest impact, prioritize the selection of locally produced and sustainably manufactured materials for heavy items that are needed in large quantities, like brick, concrete, framing, or drywall.

The interior paint is Greenguard Gold certified as a low emitting material, or has an equivalent certification with small chamber testing. This means that the paint has been tested in a sealed chamber where any off gassing can be analyzed and measured for compliance with health standards. This is not the same as being labeled “low emitting”. Many products are labeled “low emitting” that simply meet legal requirements for the volatile organic compounds in their ingredients. They may only be “low” compared to materials that are no longer legal to use, hardly something to brag about.

Indoor Air Plus certification requires that 90% of all paints, stains, and coatings applied inside the home meet GreenGuard Gold or an equivalent certification. Not only the paint, but also all of the stains, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and caulks in this home were carefully screened to prevent emissions that could contaminate the interior of this home.

All of the paint colors used in the Inspiration Home contain no black or grey pigment, which make them extremely dynamic and responsive to differing conditions of daylight. This mimics the dynamic appearance of colors found in nature and is one of our biophilic design strategies.

Solid wood doors and finger jointed molding use wood sourced from Koetter’s own managed forests that were planted from vacant land. Keotter has won multiple awards for forest management Including the “Good Steward” award from the Arbor Day foundation and the Forestry Award from the Indiana Wildlife Federation. Solid wood doors are naturally low emitting materials. Finger jointed molding conserves materials by utilizing smaller pieces of wood joined together.

The curved shapes of moldings and door panels balance the strong lines of the cabinets. and reinforce the biophilic interior design, by echoing organic forms, like the curve of a wave or a seashell.

The wood flooring used throughout the Inspiration home is a pale white oak with distinctive graining and a matte finish that gives it the appearance of unfinished wood. Using visibly identifiable natural materials is a biophilic design strategy that has been proven to provide  emotional and cognitive benefits, including decreased blood pressure, increased creativity, and increased comfort. Learn more by reading The 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design by Terrapin Bright Green.

The adhesives and sealants used in its installation, are GreenGuard certified for low emissions. Products with GREENGUARD Certification are compliant with stringent emission levels for over 360 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), plus a limit on the total of all chemical emissions combined (TVOC).