Selecting Sustainable Materials

I've been in 9 month long Sustainable Building Advisor Certification program for 6 months now and just to keep something happening on this page with out taking too much time I've decided to share my latest paper about material selection - the net zero home part of it is just to tie it back to my group's project.

Material Selection for a Net Zero House: Flooring

In a net zero house, material selection can influence a home’s energy performance and indoor air quality. Great attention is paid to the material selection of the building envelope due to different isolative properties, air sealing ability and water barriers. What about everything else in the home, how do you know what products to use? There are many different values that can define a product or material “green”. And what does green really mean when it comes to materials? It is not as easy as selecting the most energy efficient one or organic. It’s much more about understanding the story behind the item and the future it holds. Depending on project goals, different values can have a higher priority then other values and vice versa. For a net zero home, however there is a hierarchy that seems to exist. Flooring options will be considered as an example of how to apply these standards to material selection.

Durability

The first value to consider for material selection of a net zero home is performance. You might think this is obvious but in the attempt to build “green” homes, this has not always been at the forefront of decisions. Durability goes hand in hand with performance. Building materials have an expected service life ranging from 10 years to 100 + years. Conditions affecting durability are moisture, heat, ultraviolet light and insects; with moisture and heat being the most detrimental and constant.

Flooring is affected by moisture in a few ways. First there is source moisture such as in a bathroom or kitchen and secondly there is interior/occupant moisture, a family of 4 producing 2-3 pounds of water vapor a day. Selecting moisture resistant flooring can help elongate service life as well as the ability to dry out. Some flooring options that are naturally moisture resistant include concrete, stone, tile, rubber, naturally decay-resistant wood subflooring like cedar with a wood finished floor (although can warp if moisture and heat conditions are unfavorable for too long).

Heat has an exponential relationship with durability; for every 20 degree reduction in heat exposure almost doubles the life span of the material and the same goes for ultraviolet light. However, exterior materials are typically the only ones exposed to high temperature extremes so for flooring options this does not need to be considered. So when selecting flooring, you want to find the ones that have high performance ability for the function desired of the space and are most durable; meaning will last a long time. Although quality made products that fit the bill may be more expensive, their long life span can actually mean you save money on replacing end of life products.

Health

The next value to consider is the health of the occupants. If product and material selections do not promote human health than the building ultimately is not sustainable. Materials affect human health in a few ways. First there is the harvesting/extracting of raw material and processing to a finished product. This process can potentially expose workers to unfavorable health environments. Secondly, products can affect the health of the occupants in the building. Occupant health is affected by indoor air quality which can be biological or chemical contaminants usually acquired through inhalation of particulates or gases.

Biological contaminants include dust, mold, dust mites, pollen, pet dander and bacteria. Biological contaminants are impossible to permanently eradicate so the best strategy is to reduce source contaminants (such as pets and dirt brought into the house) and provide conditions that are unfavorable for them to thrive. Moisture control, between 45-55% relative humidity, is effective at reducing opportunities for mold proliferation and increasing human nasal defenses. Biological contaminants effect human’s to varying degrees. Some occupants can be completely immune while others can suffer severe allergies.

Flooring strategies to reduce biological contaminants include providing a walk-off mat at the entrance to simply trap large particulates. Also, using hard surface flooring that can easily by kept clean via sweep and mop will help eliminate excessive amounts of contaminants. Area rugs that can be washed are also preferred over wall to wall carpeting.

Chemical contaminants are becoming more numerous as more and more synthetic materials make their way into buildings. There are a few chemicals that are known carcinogens found in many products that should be eliminated from the home through careful selection of building materials. Formaldehyde is one of the more common and harmful ingredients in many building supplies. It can be found in particle board (kitchen cabinets), adhesives and trim. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are characterized by vapor released at room temperature and cannot always be smelled. VOCs occur synthetically as well as naturally but it is the synthetic ones that pose chronic human health effects. VOCs can be found in, again, particleboard, glues, solvents, paints, carpet and finishes. There are many alternative products on the market that offer low or zero VOC products.

For flooring options, find a floor that is ideally inert or needs little finishing and if it does, use low VOC finishes. Again concrete, stone, tile and wood are all good options. Linoleum made from linseed oil and cork harvested from living trees are also good options. Natural carpet or rug materials can eliminate synthetic VOCs, like using wool, cotton or jute but also some carpet manufacturers are starting to provide low VOC options. Products to stay away from are any plastic/petroleum based flooring like vinyl. Vinyl uses phthalates which off gases from the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and is a serious endocrine disruptor. To help understand synthetic flooring and indoor air quality, standards have emerged: GreenSeal for paint, Green Label Plus from the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) and GREENGAURD to cover everything. Even then, there are thousands of new chemicals introduced into our environment that haven’t undergone serious testing so it’s best to stick with natural materials for flooring.

Embodied Energy: Resource Content & Potential and Proximity

Resource content conveys the longevity of the resource both naturally occurring and its maximum potential. Products made with renewable materials, such plants, are preferred over non-renewable ones, fossil fuels and minerals. Rapidly renewable resources have an even higher preference. However, even non-renewable materials have a hierarchy. Non-renewable materials such as steel are highly recyclable, so a limited amount of raw input can be regenerated indefinitely into new products. Natural flooring options like concrete, tile and stone can be considered highly recyclable, never reaching an unusable phase. Wood flooring is also desirable as it is from a renewable resource and can be recycled many times. There have also been many carpet and rug manufacturers who are producing 100% recycled content synthetic products. Post-consumer recycled content is a more favorable percentage than post-industrial recycled content. Natural fiber flooring (carpet and rugs), cork and bamboo are considered rapidly renewable resources and again can be recycled many times over.

Lastly but not in the slightest the least is proximity. Local resources typically take less energy to find there way into your home and most likely fit all of the above values. So in some ways it makes sense to start with finding the most durable product that is local and go from there. By using local resources you also are usually supporting local economies as well. And for needs that are not sourced locally, at least use your local independent supplier, etc.

Embodied energy is calculations alone, calculated from many factors, should never be used as a deciding factor. It does however encompass the above two values so by selecting appropriately from them you will inherently be choosing product with a lower embodied energy amount.

Conclusion

A net zero home not only needs to articulate the building envelope materials but also must consider whole building design and the impact of material choices. The above values can be reprioritized as needed but generally are a good way to filter through options. The flooring examples are not the only materials with options but every system and material should be filtered through the lens of durability, health and embodied energy (resource content and proximity) to end with a healthy and affordable net zero home.

Resources

http://www.inspectapedia.com/Energy/Moisture_Calculations.htm

http://www.extension.org/pages/Selecting_Materials_to_Resist_Moisture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound

http://www.greenbuilding.com/knowledge-base/indoor-air-quality

3 = 1

3 Ends = 1 New Beginning

A lot has happened in the last three months and easily sums up my year


Ending #1:
Three months ago I ended my job with Green Hammer. If you've read my previous posts or know me, you might find this as a major surprise. But it's not tragic. After being there for a year and in the position of a part-time office and project coordinator, I was starting to feel a bit lost, unmotivated, not living up to my potential and most importantly I had trouble envisioning a growth path within the company. For a couple of reasons, neither of which reflect poorly on the team there or myself. First, they are a small business, they don't have the resources of a large business to offer me the experience I was after. Second, I felt like my role was developing into a receptionist/secretary with little structure or a path to higher ground. I was finding myself feeling unappreciated, not valued enough, unhappy. (In GH's defense, this was last winter when business was so low, there was not a lot going on for me to do and if I would have stuck it out long enough, I may have been able to accomplish my personal career goals - but I didn't) I quit. But with there support as you'll soon find out.


Ending #2:
Last week I was invited to the Habitat for Humanity dedication ceremony for the new Women Build house. I wasn't going to miss it. Even though I've slowly fallen off the page with the group I spent a good portion of last fall on the donation-in-kindness committee and was able to secure donations for all of the flooring in the house. Wood floors for the downstairs and Green Label Plus carpeting for the upstairs. I really wanted to see how it turned out or even if the companies actually followed through. I spent a lot of time that fall educating the other committee members about green products and how we could increase the health and comfort of the home by searching for sustainable options (this was a semi-novel idea for HfH because they weren't committed to making every home sustainable at that point, indicating that donaters wouldn't be willing to donate higher quality products) To my surprise when I showed up for the dedication, the house had been Earth Advantage Certified! All in all, it was pretty neat to see the final product look so good even though I had a minor role this year. I have a lot to owe HfH, actually I know I wouldn't be where I'm at now without the yearlong experience of building a house two years ago that I shyly endeavored.


Ending #3:
Yesterday was my last day working with the Sustainable Food Coordinator at OHSU. Eecole has been the most valuable mentor through my little career journey. Not only is she a remarkable role model but she has become one of my most supportive and biggest fans. We accomplished a lot in the last two years! And I very proud and honored to have been involved in such a major transformation in waste reduction at the largest university/hospital in oregon. I will miss my time in the office with Eecole, Justin and Riikka.



=


1 New Beginning:
All of these endings have led me to where I'm now. And I'm very happy to tell you that I was offered a job, out of the blue, to work in the Design + Construction Department at OHSU! I've been there for the last three months, slowly transitioning out of the Food and Nutrition department. And so far I love it, I can't believe how lucky I am and can't seem to stop bragging - I just can hardly believe how far I've come since that spring day when I showed up at a lot in North Portland to a foundation that I eventually would build a home on and become a member of the WB committee and become a well known volunteer. And last year when I was so anxious nervous, excited to apply to GH's internship and I thought the interview went terrible because I received no call until 6PM on the day they said they'd get back to me (I had already given up and said oh well). And then the day I went to talk to the Assistant Director of D+C, I sat in my car for minutes, almost deciding not to go in and bailing. Wow, what a relief I overcame my fears and followed my dream so persistently. And as I'm realizing of all that I have accomplished in the last two years, thinking of myself as just a young student not qualified really to lead anything, I am reminded of how much I have grown. As a testimate, I was nominated to be President of the NW Ecobuilding Guild this Spring, I declined and opted for the VP position but really as all of my fellow steering committee members were encouraging me, I am qualified to be President, public speaking skills and all!


More to come about my new job . . .

terunobu fujimori

i am very impressed with this architect's work and love the use of natural materials naturally treated to maintain durability

Check out more of his work at Dwell online

kitchen table

you may not see the connection between title and photo

but let me explain . . .

i drive by this building everyday on my way to work and it recently has gone up for sale/lease and of course i started daydreaming

it's going to be a 24 hour cafe with multiple vendors selling their market niche cuisine for "grab n go" or sit and stay. there will be a random mix of kitchen tables and chairs. and, the best part, a collection of local produce, dairy and meat products. it would be a market for all the local, seasonal farms year round. the families that feel overwhelmed by the CSA bounty, could instead stop by and pick up some fresh rutabagas or grass-finished beef. basically it would be something like an all year, indoor farmer's market.

i've shared my idea with my coworker/mentor who has connections. she thought it sounded great and put me in touch with her friend looking for a music venue. i've emailed back and forth with him and we thought we could easily combine the two dreams but somewhere along the lines he found out I'm just a young dreamer . . .

. . . oh well

maybe he'll do on his own and i can shop and eat there

option 2.
i could use this site as a basis for the 2009 Cascadia Emerging Green Builders Natural Talent Design Competition:

The Program

All entries must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Transportation: The project must confront the issues posed by transportation, seeking a solution alternative to the use of single occupancy fossil-fuel vehicles.


• Public Space or Public Space Adjacency: The project must include an area of public space, or be adjacent to easily accessible public space, forming a core element of the project’s site design.


• Mixed-use: The project must incorporate both private and public space, and consider the interplay between public space and private development.


• Solar Envelope: All projects must consider the solar envelope of the site and the site’s development on adjoining properties.

I'm just going to run with this

Rooftop apartments . . .

ecotrust

On Tuesday, my "sustainable construction practices" class toured the ecotrust building located in the Pearl District in Portland. The 1895 building was donated to Ecotrust by Jean Vollum in 1998. It was renovated to meet LEED Gold criteria by Walsh Construction Company and the superintendent of the project, Carrington Barrs, enthusiastically led the tour.

Walking up to the building from the West side, it's as if you are entering a secret garden tucked away in from the showy condos and brick buildings. This secret garden has a ancient ruin brick wall sheilding the rest from the busy street life. And then you step over the damp mote and walk through the stand of young cedars. When you reach the front facade, the wearing brick is sketched in time but lifted by two magnificent steel columns on each side. As you enter the warm interior, raw and rich, the wide plank floor runs right through the center, from arch to arch, the same wooden floor that the horses pulled grain carts through. The brick rises three times, like a house of cards, and large heroic beams stretch across and support the rising atrium. Light, even in the setting sun, drenches the interior, scouring away the dim. People just keep coming and going, passing and pausing, down from the stairs and waiting for tea. This is not only my secret garden but everyone's, who find a little peace.


Carrington started in the atrium, led us outside, down into the basement, up to the rooftop and down into the conference hall. There were stories for every landing both from his experience with his crew and the previous lives the building has lived. The most stunning form of sustainability is the sheer rawness of the interior and exterior but somehow it encompasses warmth and freedom. The moose head is a simple reminder that we belong in the circle of life.


One thing I learned on the tour is that UV rays are the primary reason roofs fail, this is why green roofs have such a long life span, 50 plus years, because the roof is actually never exposed to the sun. Other benefits of ecoroofs include, reduced storm water runoff, cooler ambient and storm water temperatures, greater ceiling insulation and
water filtration. All of these benefits paired with semi-permeable pavement and bioswales, rainwater slowly meanders it's way back to the Willamette River at it's historic pace, free and clear of contaminants and just as cold as the river it feeds.


For more information about the Ecotrust, check out their site

For information on the building, The Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, go here

wish me luck

i've applied for an administrative internship position with green hammer construction, the best darn green builders in portland today! so i'll make some personal sacrifices for the next four months if they'll just give me a chance

i have an interview tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed x

UPDATE: I was offered the position and I gladly accepted :)

i know how to dream

$110,000

i found this property and can't stop thinking about it

what it has:
new high efficiency gas furnace, tankless hot water heater and a R-401A air conditioner
(if you know anything about green building, you will be familiar with all of these components, which are smart additions to an energy efficient, healthy home)
someone started this project four years ago with a sustainable home in mind and must have run out of money

on original discovery, i only had the front elevation picture to gaze at
i assumed that big picture frame window was for a living room
i had plans to take that window and stick in the back for a living room that faced southwest
this way i could have a kitchen with the morning light and an eye on the neighborhood
to my surprise, i was delighted to see the back of the house (which i snuck around with my camera)
what it needs:
insulation, sheet rock, updated electrical, plumbing, electrical fixtures, kitchen, bath and windows!

So apparently FHA loans, about the only loan i could ever qualify for, does not lend for fixers
so this is a CASH only home :(
hasn't stopped me from dreaming about the 1000 people who could donate $100
or writing a grant proposal to finish this home as a green remodel case study

a little information on HUD's 203K Rehab program

it's been hot

and i've been thinking . . .

how have civilizations stayed cool before the air conditioner or fans for that matter?
(all i have are fans - you leave all the windows open all night to let the cool breeze in and before 10 am you close all the windows and shades to keep cool and then when the cool evening breeze starts, you open all the windows and get the fans blowing the cool air in)

well, i remember hearing about ancient arab cooling chimneys, keeping interiors cool in 120 degree F summers. and this is what i found out:
these tall chimney like structures are called wind catchers or wind towers and the basic principle is that they capture the prevailing breeze above the house and since cool air is denser than warm, it subsequently falls in the chimney which is then ventilated to the house. this kept interiors cool, paired with thick walls enhancing the trombe wall effect.

there are many variations of the design, one being a solar chimney, that fit a specific microclimate's needs
i got really excited about incorporating wind towers

and then i found this project - man oh man, someone beat me to it, not just with the wind tower but the whole layout and concept - oh well . . . but the 99k house is really cool and hopefully it's being built

and then i was thinking well, how come you don't harness the convective energy with localized windmills? i surely will

hey! someone's thought of that already too and i thought this ancient technology had fallen off the grid, almost

solar updraft tower

it's just nice to know that there is a movement out there, no matter how small it is now, i know it will be obvious in the near future

home in a hill

my most recent visual obsession:

sean bell's home in seattle, an article i found in an old copy of nw home. he is an unlicensed architect who builds his own homes.

i love his methodology in choosing sustainable materials, ones that last long and require little up-keep.

i also like his window placements which creates a dynamic atmosphere of a snug den and a lofty barn. the downstairs has the north end tucked against a hillside with little windows if any at all and at the south end it opens up with floor-to-ceiling natural light.

the room placement in the narrow lot also feels very livable, with the family room positioned at the entrance which is also the cozy enclosed end of the home (perfect for movie nights).

and having the living room on the opposite side as the dining but set right off the kitchen gives it more "livable" location and the opening view and light draws relaxation.

i also like the staircase

and the loftiness of the upstairs with the long open hall