Page 49 - Green Builder Jan-Feb 2022 Issue

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! Factoid
INSULATED ROOF. R-20 structural
insulated concrete roof panels Mi Casa Resistente is
help mitigate solar heat influx . They
also reduce the embodied energy of the valued at $95,000. A
structure by cutting back on the total similar home in the
amount of cement used in the roof.
U.S. would cost about
$165,000, according
to Zillow.

HIGHER GROUND. To
reduce the chance of
flooding during the heavy rain
season, the home was built
on property that is 30 inches
above street level.

TEMPERED RIGHT. Operable
jalousie windows and low-e-
glass transoms with a solar
heat gain coefficient (SHGC)
of 0.40 provide daylighting and
natural ventilation.

AFFORDABLE ENVELOPE. Walls
are built with 6-inch concrete
masonry units (CMUs) and reinforced
concrete columns. These helped
create a home that required less
raw material, time and energy to
produce.
NOTHING WASTED. An
underground greywater system
irrigates outdoor plants.

CREDIT: FERNANDO ABRUÑA

The home’s centerpiece is a portable acts as a reserve in case of system
solar power plant capable of storing failures. A 200-gallon rainwater cis- What’s next?
1.5 kilowatts (kW) per day. The product tern on the left side of the house oper- FERNANDO ABRUÑA, ARCHITECT AND CO-
enables an ENERGY STAR 1 kilowatt ates by gravity, making it usable even FOUNDER, ABRUÑA & MUSGRAVE, ARCHITECTS:
hour (kWh) per day refrigerator to during power failures. WaterSense
operate continuously in case of utility fixtures are located in the bathroom “This compact two bedroom prototype design is being
failures during catastrophic events. and a composting toilet in the powder used to develop larger two-, three-, and four-bedroom
An additional 500 watts allow for a room within the interior side patio. An units for hurricane- and earthquake-affected
microwave oven, a fan and two LED underground greywater system is also communities using the Career Academy & Technical
lamps. LEDs and anti-bug lights are provided at the back patio. School (CATS [Masonry]) Building System.”
used throughout the house. The prototype construction was
This dwelling unit has an inline sponsored by CMP Community Land participation; a third one will begin
water heater and is ready for a future Trust, the Engineers and Surveyors soon. All architectural/engineering
2 kW photovoltaic system and a solar Association and the Architects and services were pro-bono. Total cost for
water heater. A roof mounted 500-gal- Landscape Architects Association. Two the fully furnished and equipped pro-
lon, utility fed, potable water cistern units were built with the beneficiary’s totype was $95,000. GB

www.greenbuildermedia.com January/February 2022 GREEN BUILDER 47