Section c livin' green section 2

Livin’ Green

A Special Publication of the Addison Independent

Gettin ead For Spri

n

&

PAGE 2C — Livin’ Green

Livin’ Green & Getting Ready for Spring

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By CHRISTY LYNNMIDDLEBURY — Beginning

with its avant-garde, Frank Lloyd Wrightian architectural design in 1955 and following through to a re-

home in Middlebury — at 17 Chip-man Heights — continues to lead the way for new developments in resi-dential construction and design.The house sits atop Chipman Hill

facing west overlooking the Ex-change Street area and Wright Park, with stunning sunset views of the Adirondacks. The house was originally com-

missioned by William Rog-ers, an area fuel oil distributor. The architect was Benjamin Stein, whose goal was to pioneer un-t r a d i t i o n a l , modern design trends to create

structure that cascaded down the slope of the hill, but was u n a s s um i n g from the uphill side.

The original building used con-crete block and brick cavity wall construction, with twist-turn slider windows on the south and west fac-

-dows that were intended to offset the boxy exterior design, according to a Burlington Free Press article written in October 1955.

design trends was incorporated into the design, originally made of tar and gravel.Insulation and energy usage were

hardly a focus in the design at this time, which led to a home without

roof. The original roof was replaced

around 2004 with a rubber mem-brane roof, which quickly showed

signs of cracking and rotting, with soft spots and signs of damage to the framing. The only insulation in the roof

was the thin Homasote board used to secure the rubber membrane, which

-tion due to heat being lost through the ceiling.MODERN UPGRADESThe home changed hands in 2012

Builder updates 1955 homeModern upgradeson heating, design

(See Cambium, Page 3C)

“While it may not have been a terrible issue for someone who was in the oil busi-ness, it was hard to escape the fact that the home was an energy pig beyond com-prehension.”

— ChrisStackhouse

Livin’ Green


for only the second time since it was built. The new owners hired Chris Stackhouse of Cambium Construc-tion in Middlebury and together they worked on a plan to perform a major

“While it may not have been a ter-rible issue for someone who was in the oil business, it was hard to escape the fact that the home was an energy pig beyond comprehension,” said Stackhouse, whose small design and

-cient construction. The design process was complicat-

ed and Stackhouse considered several

of the home without abandoning the original character and architecture.

the original roof was so poorly insu-lated, snow loads were relatively mi-nor, Stackhouse said. “The snow melted quickly and eas-

ily because the heat from inside the house was escaping right through the ceiling,” a common problem with poorly insulated homes, he said.Adding more insulation to the roof

therefore meant that snow loads

created a problem that would need to be addressed with additional struc-tural support to the frame. Interior space was already at a

premium. With only 7-foot, 6-3/4- inch ceilings there wasn’t an oppor-tunity to reinforce the structure from the inside, so improvements had to be made from the outside.Not only would that have been

expensive, but two-foot thick metal fascia, which stuck three feet out from the walls on the original de-sign, would have made the new roof appear disproportionately thick if

-

cant depth to the roof for insulation.Therefore, Cambium’s team pro-

posed an alternative option for the roof, which included a multi-lay-ered pitched roof — a solution that added adequate structure and insula-tion without compromising interior space.Cambium’s team added rigid foam

insulation and 2-by-4 walls to the original structure, insulating them with dense packed cellulose. After removing moldy and dam-

aged material from the roof, they sealed the old rubber membrane with spray foam insulation and added 18 inches of loose packed cellulose to the new roof. New trusses were incorporated

with new bearing points to lower maintenance costs and should last two to three times longer than an-other rubber membrane roof would have, Stackhouse said.The pitch of the roof is the lowest

that standing seam panels can ac-commodate and was built to be able to support solar panels if that deci-

sion were to be made in the future. Water runoff from the roof was

also carefully considered and “splash

drains to avoid erosion of the down-hill slope as well as splatter on the building’s walls.

option,” Stackhouse says, “but we wanted to make sure it was done cor-rectly and the pitched roof seemed like more of a guaranteed option. In the end, it worked out very well and we’re happy with that decision.”In renovations, one thing always

leads to another, which is why it’s also smart to consider a wide scope of options when launching into any spe-

In this case, Stackhouse also lev-

which he said is another way to re-duce excessive energy usage. “If the

but your house stays at 72, you’re go-ing to spend a fair amount of money offsetting that difference.”A heat recovery ventilator was in-

stalled in the basement as well, which exchanges stale used air for fresh air and in the process pre-warms that new air.

that’s almost critical in an airtight house,” Stackhouse says.The home is heated using an energy

combination of hot water baseboard heaters and radiant heating is used. A small “mini-split” wall unit was

to heat as well as cool the space, us-ing far less electricity to operate than standard units. PAYBACK MATH

According to the new homeown-ers, their oil consumption is on track to be less than a third of what it had

“What this means to me is the ‘above minimum code’ costs will be paid back, at current oil prices, in sev-

Cambium(Continued from Page 2C)

(See New era, 5C)

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CleaningsApril 1st thru June 30th

Livin’ Green

covers takes a backseat to lounging

around the house as fresh air washes

into the home. The following are a

clean a home while also

protecting the envi-

ronment.

enemy to home-

owners and the

environment alike. That’s

because addressing clutter

which homeowners methodically go

through items that have accumulated

over the years, individually choosing

which items to keep and which items

to discard.

with clutter tend to collect dust, re-

ducing air quality and leading to

more indoor air pollution that can

prove harmful to human health.

When sifting through clutter in


en years,” says Stackhouse.

In general, Stackhouse says it is

getting easier and easier to convince

homeowners that the value of building

to higher energy standards reaps long-

With energy prices relatively high

and people’s attention to greenhouse

gases and environmental awareness

increasing, it’s generally pretty easy to

make the case, he said.

“I’d say I’m blessed with about 50

percent of people who are already on

board with higher than code energy

standards,” he says. “For the other 50

percent, it starts with education and

some simple math. In the end, most

people are willing to trade oil and elec-

tricity costs for better insulation and

thoughtful plans, giving their money

to local tradespeople instead of big in-

dustries hurting the planet.”

NEW ERA FOR HOUSEAs for the “Rogers House” at 17

new era of “modern design,” perhaps

details than it was once known for,

standards for progressive building

science.

“While I understand the impor-

tance of protecting the architecture

and artistic quality of buildings, I

also value the importance of the en-

vironment in my design and that hap-

pens to be a priority for me,” Stack-

house says.

Those two things certainly are not

always in opposition, he continues.

“Many current trends in modern

architectural design are by their na-

building smaller homes to more open

spaces, using natural light and intel-

-

citing time to be in the industry and

I’m trying to stay open minded and

recognize those possibilities.”

New era(Continued from Page 3C)

Expo helps us think aboutlevels of sustainabilityBy EVAN JOHNSON

discuss new sustainable approaches

to everyday life at the Sustainable

29 at the Middlebury Union High

School. The event, organized by the

-

run from 9 a.m. to 4

p.m. and will feature

workshops, including

student presentations,

off-site tours, live mu-

sic and local food sam-

plings.

Elizabeth Golden-

director for the event,

said the concept for the

of 2010 and 2011.

“They started us

thinking beyond en-

ergy,” she said. “It was

a good start and it was

valuable and impor-

tant, but the issue is

much more than that. I think people

are ready to look at all the different

levels of sustainability.”

With that in mind, the Sustainable

-

-

nesses and private citizens. Golden-

is to emphasize developing and pro-

moting resources for the community

from many perspectives.

-

munity resources that people can

tap into so they can be more a part

of the community,” she said. “The

workshops will make things hap-

pen, they’ll help people go out and

make changes in their lives and in

the community.”

A sampling of activities at the

-

water-heating measures, charcoal

and compost demonstrations, and

House.

The event will also feature Kathryn

Blume, a writer, environmental activ-

ist and inspirational speaker, who will

give the keynote address. Blume’s

speech is titled, “Radical Sustainabil-

ity: A Fierce and Spunky Revolution.”

Golden-Pidgeon said the purpose of

the event is to educate

and discuss solutions,

not to debate current

problems.

Presenters will hold

topics:

Being

-

ness

-

tion and Renewable En-

ergy

All workshops will

be entirely interactive

with speakers giving a

brief introduction and

to participants. The result, Golden-

Pidgeon said, will be a democratic

discussion that will keep people

talking.

“The wonderful thing beyond all

of that is the buzz that is created,”

she said. “The term ‘networking’

of people who are interacting with

each other. It’s a series of very real

personal interactions with others

who are also looking to be sustain-

able. That’s the wonderful thing

you’re a part of it.”

Food will be provided by Stone-

leaf Tea House, American Flat-

bus will make continuous fare-free

carpooling sign-ups are available

on the event’s website, acornvt.org/

to volunteer at the events or suggest

workshops.

“We’re bringing in specific community resources that people can tap into so they can be more a part of the community. The workshops will make things happen, they’ll help people go out and make changes in their lives and in the community.”

— ElizabethGolden-Pidgeon

Keep spring cleaning safe foryou and your environmentwhen many people resolve to give

their homes or apartments a thorough

cleaning.

Spring cleaning proj-

ects help people revitalize

their homes for the

warm months ahead,

when windows are

once again opened,

fresh air pervades

homes and items that

might have accumulated

over a dark and dreary winter

have become a distant memory.

Many families have spring cleaning

clean their homes in a single weekend.

But it’s just as important for spring

cleaners to place as great an emphasis

on the environment as they do on ef-

Eco-friendly spring cleaning prac-

tices produce less waste and rely

on less chemicals to rejuvenate

a home and get it ready for those sea-

sons when huddling inside under the (See Spring Cleaning, 10C)

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CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION

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Sustainable buildings savemoney and the planetBy ANDREA MURRAY

By now, we all realize our planet is ailing and that climate change is real. Greenhouse gas emissions as the result of energy con-sumption (primarily fossil fuels) are the largest culprits of global warming. What we don’t often articulate is that buildings are the

greatest source of energy consumption and greenhouse emissions in the world. Approximately 76 percent of all electricity generated by power plants goes toward operating buildings. Buildings also account for an estimated 48 percent of all greenhouse emissions, compared to 27 percent for transportation and 25 percent for industry, according to the U.S. Ener-gy Information Administration. As architects, our profession is

uniquely positioned to address these concerns through building design;; however, as owners of existing build-

greater. Improving sustainability and en-

achieved at many levels. This article focuses on strategies at three levels, or degrees, of building sustainability: low-cost to no-cost strategies;; quick payback strategies;; and active and experimental strategies. 1. LOW-COST OR NO-COST

STRATEGIES

Some green building strategies easily can be, and should be, imple-mented within any budget, timeframe or scope. These basic strategies, if considered properly, should not add

they will certainly make a difference.

Carefully consider the building site, location on that site and solar orientation.Locate your building on the site

in such a way to maximize exposure and natural light while minimiz-ing impact on that site. Align the building along an east-west axis so most windows face either north or south. In northern climates such as Vermont, we design smaller, better-insulated windows for the north fa-çade, while the south façade glazing may be expansive to maximize solar heat gain. The reverse is true for hot, southern climates. Use building

overhangs and/or sunscreens to help regulate natural light and heat gain.

More space isn’t always better. Focus on quality of space, not quan-tity. Share functions wherever pos-sible. Design an open layout where users feel a more expansive space, but their dedicated work area can be smaller. (Open planning also allows for improved daylighting and natu-

ral ventila-tion, while minimiz-ing material use.)

Protect and design around mature trees and plantings wherever pos-sible. Let such trees help shade ar-eas of your building and protect it from sound, harsh winds, smell and visual distractions. Aesthetically this

save money, and conserve energy re-quired to transport and replant trees and shrubs. Add new plantings to

A little bit of site planning goes a long way. Paved areas are often ex-pensive to install and maintain. They create heat islands and also require

stormwater run-off.

-

lighting and appliances are also com-petitively priced.

-

Locate habitable spaces at build-ing perimeters and storage or me-chanical spaces at the core or in

basements. Where this is not possible, use sky-lights, light tubes, and light shelves to bring light deeper into the building. Paint interior surfaces

Use standard or stock materials to minimize waste. Use local products to help stimulate the local economy and reduce transportation. Reuse whatever you can, or specify mate-rials with a high post-consumer or post-industrial recycled content. Fi-nally, use low- or no-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) content prod-ucts to minimize indoor air contami-nants.

before you cover a slab with carpet or linoleum. Think about whether ceilings are really required in a space — would it be acceptable to expose structure, ductwork?

Design buildings to promote good cross-ventilation and “stack

effect” air circulation. This means using operable windows and learn-ing how to coordinate opening such windows at appropriate times.2. QUICK PAYBACK

STRATEGIES

Many green building strategies require an upfront cost. Here are some strategies that seem to be very worthwhile and are easily measured in terms of their return on investment:

The most important energy-sav-ing measure for a building is to de-sign a tight, well-insulated build-ing envelope (foundation, walls, roof, windows and doors), espe-cially in climates that experience extreme cold or heat like Vermont. All gaps and penetrations should

should be negligible. This allows for a reduc-

tion in the size and capacity of the mechanical equipment nec-essary to maintain a comfortable interior climate. It will also mini-mize the amount of fuel needed to operate such systems.

Do your modeling. Carefully consider upfront, lifecycle, operat-ing and maintenance costs for each system. Also, don’t over-design building mechanical systems, or

Use heat or energy recovery units wherever possible to ventilate spaces and minimize energy re-quired to heat or cool air being brought into the building from out-side.

-derful resource for systems mod-eling and determining payback. For an existing building, have an energy audit performed by an Ef-

10C)

Livin’ Green

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123

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4.

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11C)

Home’s efficiency features

keep operating costs down By JOHN S. MCCRIGHTVERGENNES — When build-

ing a new home it is important that

new home in

Ve r g e n n e s

has been hon-

ored).

said the found-

er and owner

of the North

F e r r i s bu rgh

des ign/bui ld

-

dlehead Con-

pays for itself

The three-sto-

-

gennes features a

features that result

in it having an an-

“I intended to

build this house

for a buyer wheth-

the environment

The three-

last summer

and on the mar-

“Best of the

for energy ef-

-

-

with a relatively small heating sys-

-

The house has earned the highest

home-energy rating of 5+ stars and

home.

Ruddy said the home would not

-

the long run.

-

es the durability of the buildings and

said.

Ruddy explained that a super-insu-

in the winter without letting the heat

only is it important for the people

health of the building itself.

“You need to make sure there is not

-

indoor air before sending

it outside and bringing in

fresh air.

HERS SCORE OF 30

-

-

as HERS — the lower the

number the more energy

built in a traditional way

-

ergy from a utility) would rate a zero.

-

-

dy said.

building the home. It starts

with siting it on the lot in

windows on the south side

gets a great amount of sun

-

light to overheat the house

in the summer.

it goes way beyond that.

“This house is a differ-

-

-

ond wall on the inside that is painted

if the homeowner later wants to add

the outer wall.

-

-

through the bottom of the walls to

guard against vapor build up.

purpose is that it limits water diffu-

“Some say you should put as much (photo voltaic) on the roof as possible, I say conservation measures should come first.”

— Ken Ruddy

HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION

A per-bulb nominal fee applies for more than 10 non-CFL bulbs.

Bring it to the

The HazWaste Center is open to residents from any of the District’s 19 member towns. Most items are accepted free of charge.

Not accepted: laboratory chemicals, pharmaceuticals,

NOTE: Businesses must pay for disposal and must call 388-2333 for an appointment time.

DISTRICT TRANSFER STATION1223 ROUTE 7 SOUTH, MIDDLEBURY

Questions? Call us at 388-2333 or visit www.AddisonCountyRecycles.org

HazWaste Center Hours of Operation:Mon.- Fri., 8 a.m. to noon and Sat. 9 a.m. to noon

Closed major holidays.

District Transfer Station Regular Hours: M-F, 7am to 3pm & Sat 9am to 1pm

Livin’ Green

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a home, discard those items that have gone ignored for years, as they likely

-

-card items once they no longer serve

-

-

-

also cost more money, and those

-

-

-

Spring cleaning(Continued from Page 5C)

-

---

-

-chanical systems, lighting controls,

--

-

-

--

grated

Water collection, retention, and

Geothermal heating systemsBasically, these active strategies

-

vestment and are often limited in -

--

--

-

--

-

limit the off-gassing of materials and

-

-

--

--

Note: Andrea Murray, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, is a resident of Middlebury and principal architect at Vermont Integrated Architecture P.C. in Middlebury.

Energy efficiency(Continued from Page 6C)

--

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

notes that most hydronic heaters are -

-

smoke that can nega-

-

--

-

-

-

make the next generation of -

-

cleaner air and -

lic health across

-fect stoves and hydronic heat-

homes or those

EPA updating woodstove standards

--

--

-

-

-

Tips to maximize energy efficiency of your wood stove

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Efficient(Continued from Page 8C)

sion through walls.

The triple-pane windows not only

have a high R-value, but the casings

are super-sealed (“In most houses,

most of the heat lost is here, through

the casings,” Ruddy said.) and the

glass is treated for a high solar-heat

gain.

“These windows gain more heat

than they lose,” he added.

lighting, Ruddy chose LED models

over CFL in many cases.

“When you get them on sale they

cost same as CFL, and they last a lot

longer,” he said.

Ruddy acknowledged that all the

upfront cost of a home by as much as

10 to 15 percent. But by keeping that

in mind and knowing that the mar-

ket he was building in would not pay

much of a premium, he managed to

keep the cost per square foot in line

with what he thought other new homes

in the neighborhood might go for.

“This is a demonstration home,

and you can only charge so much,”

Ruddy said.

He’s asking $307,000 for the

the home uses 66 percent less energy

compared with a new home simply

built to code, it will actually cost less

to own and thus have a lighter effect

on the buyer’s monthly outlay.

“Saving $300 a month (on energy

expenditures) is like buying a house

for $250,000,” Ruddy said. “This is a

fantastic value for that neighborhood.”

The house was designed to meet the

-

ing standards that were created in Ger-

the Passive House standards pretty

easily, but actually going through the

-

ple thousand dollars, which he didn’t

want to pass on to the buyer.

WHAT, NO SOLAR?The yellow house at 39 School

has many features that enable it use

came to adding features that produce

electricity for the home, Ruddy held

off, though he envisions a way to add

renewable electricity production.

“I decided not to do renewables,”

he said. “You could go net-zero for

$8,000 with solar panels on back.

“Some say you should put as much

PV (photo voltaic energy-producing

panels) on the roof as possible, I say

conservation measures should come

“PV is dropping in price, I like to

set my houses up to do PV if home-

owners want to do it.”

Ruddy, 48, founded Fiddlehead

Construction eight years ago, but he

says he began working in construc-

tion years before that, as his family

business was in the building trades.

“I’ve been building since I could

swing a hammer,” he said.

He’s built other spec houses —

ones that don’t have an up-front buy-

er — in the past, but he feels that for

wanted to in this house. As the de-

signer, he also included nice details

— like a limestone countertop, cus-

tom cherry cabinets, tilt windows and

an attractive main stairway — that

make the home truly beautiful.

Some who have seen his work

agree.

“I’ve been building for a long time

said we should move into it,” Ruddy

said.

Ken Ruddy of Fiddlehead Con-

struction is at 802-425-7019 or 802-

233-8642 or [email protected]. He

will provide tours of the home at 39

School St. in Vergennes and explain

on March 30 as part of the Sustain-

able Living Expo organized by the

Addison County Relocalization Net-

work. For more information on the

expo visit http://acornvt.org/sle2014.


Vermont Homeowners Recommend

-‐

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Chris Goodrich – Bridport, VT

802 . 453 . 2500BristolElectronicsVT.com

Gerry & Claire Tetrault – Bristol, VT

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Michelle Lass – Bristol, VT

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Karen – New Haven, VT

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Section c livin' green section 2