BPC Green Builders

This new home, which is seeking certification within the LEED for Homes program at the gold or platinum level, has been designed around an existing, older, cape-style home. The home will have approximately 3,700 sq ft of finished living space. Green features include the following:

• The home is located within walking distance of the downtown, with comprehensive shopping and service options.
• Existing foundation walls have been recycled and are field stone below and concrete block above. New crawl space walls are poured concrete. Framing has been installed to the interior to permit the installation of spray foam insulation.
• Existing stick-framed walls have been recycled and strapped horizontally to create thicker cavities for insulation and to reduce thermal bridging. New walls are framed with 2x6's at 24" OC, using FSC lumber, and also strapped.
• Existing floor framing has been recycled and reinforced with resource efficient engineered beams. New floor framing consists of engineered beams.
• Existing roof framing has been recycled and consists of 2x4 and 2x6 rafters. New roof framing consists of 2x12's spaced at 24" OC, strapped horizontally to reduce thermal bridging and conductive heat loss.
• All windows and French doors are new, ENERGY STAR® rated, and double insulated, with triple glazing in the library and breakfast room.
• New crawl space slabs have been thermally isolated from the ground below using 2" of XPS foam board insulation (R10)
• Foundation and crawl space wall insulation is 3" of 2lb spray foam (R20)
• Existing exterior wall insulation is 4.5" of 2lb spray foam (R29). New exterior wall insulation is 7" of 0.8lb spray foam (R32).
• Existing roof insulation is 2" of 2 lb. spray foam (R13) plus 10" of 0.8 lb. spray foam (R45) [R58 total]. New roof insulation is 13" of 0.8 lb. spray foam (R58 total)
• White cedar shingle siding is FSC certified and installed over a rain screen drainage plane.
• Exterior trim and railings are highly durable, cellular PVC which will require minimal maintenance.
• Exterior porch is composite decking made from recycled wood and plastic.
• Interior floors are FSC certified rustic cherry.
• Interior trim is resource efficient, finger-jointed pine.
• Cabinetry is made with FSC certified plywood and maple for the face frames and doors.
• Space heating and cooling is provided by a geothermal heat pump tied to two 300 ft. wells. Delivery of conditioned air is via a variable-speed air handler and mastic-sealed, sheet-metal ducting located entirely within the conditioned envelope. The home's design heating load is a low 48 MBH and its cooling load an even lower 18 MBH.
• Ventilation is provided by an energy recovery ventilator
• Domestic hot water is provided by two condensing, tankless water heaters. Waste heat from the geothermal heat pump's desuperheater feeds a storage tank that tempers cold water piped to the tankless water heaters.
• The refrigerator, dishwasher, and clothes washer will all be ENERGY STAR® rated.
• Landscaping features include rain water harvesting for irrigation, rain garden for storm water management, drought tolerant native plantings, and limited turf area.