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EcoVillage Cleveland

A premise of the Building America program is that high performance homes must be sustainable both environmentally and economically. EcoVillage Cleveland takes this premise to a new level. From location to lumber to lighting - energy efficiency, resource efficiency, and durability rule at EcoVillage Cleveland, but not without affordability. EcoVillage Cleveland is about local and individual sustainability.

Location and Layout

The urban infill site was chosen for EcoVillage in large part because it is within a 5-minute walk of a newly renovated rail station. Where formerly 10 single-family houses stood in disrepair, there will now be 20 state-of-the-art town homes. The 3-story units have stepped down, walk-in basements with natural light, thermal envelope, and layout ideal for a separate quality rental unit or extended family living. The 2-story units are slab-on-grade and designed to be more accessible. Each of these design features gives value to the owner, to the community, and to the environment.

Energy Efficiency and Occupant Comfort/Health

Building a home that costs little to heat and cool that also safeguards its occupants requires integration of engineering and architecture. At EcoVillage, the wall assemblies, controlled mechanical ventilation, sealed combustion furnace and water heater, sealed ducts in conditioned space, interior finishes, and even detached garage work together to provide comfort and reduce the health hazards associated with mold, soil gases (including radon), combustion byproducts, volatile organic compounds, and occupant activities (See the Houses That Work - Cold Climates for more details). Do some of these features cost more initially? Yes, but some cost less, keeping high performance affordable.

Material efficiency

Resource efficiency starts with use less - EcoVillage employs every advanced framing technique available. And the multi-family design inherently uses less material overall. Resource efficiency also means select the right stuff. The two most used materials at EcoVillage, as with most buildings, re wood and concrete. EcoVillage calls for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified lumber or salvaged wood for everything from framing lumber to trim and cabinets. Concrete and concrete block at EcoVillage are specced for high content blast furnace slag or flyash, both waste materials that can replace up to 50% of the very energy-intensive Portland cement used in concrete. Lastly, from land clearing to packaging - wood, drywall, and cardboard waste will be recycled or processed for use on site. Once again, some of these features come with a small cost premium while others produce savings, making material efficiency overall economical.

Durability

When a home and its components are built for the long haul, maintenance costs are lower and the home maintains its value. The environment benefits from less use of material. Durability must be designed and engineered into a home. Much of the building science detailed in Designs That Work - Cold Climates and the Builder's Guide - Cold Climates results in foundation, wall, and roof assemblies that perform as finely-tuned systems that safeguard building components from degrading forces such as liquid water, water vapor, extreme temperatures, and ultra-violet light.

Quality

Quality is a three-legged stool involving design, materials, and installation. You need all three to achieve superior quality. Quality gives you superior economic and environmental performance as well. At EcoVillage, quality is driven by highly detailed architectural drawings and construction details, and project specifications that include environmental considerations.

The drawings and construction details for the EcoVillage project run more than 60 pages. They include complete framing layout and detailed cross sections for every wall assembly (and there are many different types). The drawings were designed to be used at the job site by the site superintendent and all of the trades. The EcoVillage set of drawings is complemented by the project specifications. Throughout the project specs are specific references to building principles and detailed graphics from the Builder's Guide - Cold Climates. The general contractor and each subcontractor at EcoVillage will receive a copy of this Builder's Guide.

How do you add new specs related to environmental performance and still get in the standard language contractors will need? Since we could not find specifications for resource-efficiency to "plug into" the EcoVillage Cleveland project - we wrote our own. To develop our own "green" specification language, we did draw on resources such as GreenSpec. This language was weaved into existing standard spec language. And wherever we could anticipate that obtaining or locating less-familiar materials could be a hardship for the contractor or sub, we included complete distributor/manufacturer information within the specs. (See EcoVillage Sample Spec Language).

It can be difficult to find the information you need for alternative materials and methods, or to convince contractors, distributors, and even building inspectors that they are acceptable or even preferable. Alternative materials are often unfamiliar to both suppliers and the trades, resulting in a price or labor premium, or both. FSC-certified lumber and high content slag/flyash concrete are two prime examples. But resources are available (click here for more information on suppliers of FSC-certified wood products and here for "Some Basics About Substituting Pozzolans for Portland Cement in Concrete"). And as more projects such as EcoVillage Cleveland forge the way, the learning curve and ready supply of materials for other builders and clients will improve.

In planning, design, and specifications, EcoVillage is set up to be an exemplary science-smart, green, affordable project. Detroit Shoreway project manager, Michael Bier puts it this way:

"The EcoVillage townhomes are proving to be a huge success. BSC has designed and DAS Construction has built a housing development like no other in Cleveland. BSC's energy-efficient, durable and attractive design has created a strong demand for the townhomes, which are 80% sold - before completion of construction. The Building America team of DSCDO, EcoCity Cleveland, DAS Construction, and BSC has demonstrated the value of green building while simultaneously invigorating one of Cleveland's aging inner-city neighborhoods."

And the real proof of the project's impact comes from townhome owner Frank Fitzgerald, an electrical engineer by training:

"I was initially drawn to the townhomes for their environmental design, energy efficiency, and the PV systems. But the homes are also appealing in design and comfortable to live in. Now if we could just build more versatility in, particularly in terms of electrical controls and systems..."

See the EcoVillage Energy Analysis for more information about energy savings. See the EcoVillage Homeowner Handbook as an example of a high performance home "operator's manual".