Page 40 - Green Builder Magazine January 2016 Digital Edition
P. 40
T HIS TRADITIONAL-LOOKING NEW England PROJECT STATS
home was designed by homeowners Elizabeth
Wegner and Carl Benker with three goals NAME: Below Zero House, South Glastonbury, CT
in mind: durability, energy efficiency and
health. The home reflects the couple’s desire to BUILDER: Robert Dykins, Glastonbury Housesmith
substantially reduce their negative environmental impact on www.glastonburyhousesmith.com
the world. It was built by Glastonbury Housesmith, which
constructed the first LEED certified Gold house in Connecticut. ARCHITECT/DESIGNER: Elizabeth Wegner and Carl Benker
The house was constructed to meet the most up-to-date residential
building codes (2012 IRC, 2012 IECC) rather than those which are PHOTOS: Glastonbury Housesmith
required in the state. The most notable requirements of the new
codes are a stronger structure to withstand high hurricane winds The building envelope consists of a Thermomass System CIP
and exterior insulation outside of the wall sheathing to prevent foundation (R-20) and FOAMGLAS under the slab (R-17). The wall
condensation—and subsequently, mold and/or rot—within the framing is sheathed with the Huber ZIP System panels, which are
walls. An Uponor fire sprinkler system was also integrated with Structural 1 rated. Owens Corning’s PROPINK L77 blown-in fiberglass
the domestic cold water plumbing. fills the stud bays (R-24), and Roxul ComfortBoard was installed
between the sheathing and siding (R-11). The rafters are insulated to
From the Judges R-58 with 5 inches of Icynene ProSeal closed-cell foam and 6.5 inches
of Owens Corning PROPINK L77 blown-in fiberglass.
“Traditional architecture, homey
The house was built using many low-VOC, GREENGUARD-certified
interior, yet strong net-positive components, including insulation, drywall, joint compound, paints
and wood finishes. Additionally, energy recovery ventilation was
energy performance and superior installed with dedicated ducts to remove air in trouble spots (such
as bathrooms) and to supply pre-conditioned fresh air to the home.
indoor air quality.”
The house meets LEED, NGBS, Energy Star, and DOE Zero Energy
Ready standards; its performance has been verified by third-party
review and onsite testing. It achieved a HERS score of -23 and was
recognized in RESNET’s Cross-Border Challenge this year.
Thoughtful Design. This custom three-bedroom home, with its emphasis on energy efficieny and sustainable, healthy materials, was
designed by the homeowners and built by Glastonbury Housesmith, which also built the first LEED Gold-certified house in Connecticut.
38 GREEN BUILDER January/February 2016 www.greenbuildermedia.com
