Update on the custom home in Old Town Harrisonburg under construction. Previous updates here, here, and here. The home is being built by Beck Builders. It features high performance windows, doors, insulation, and HVAC. It also has a roof terrace that feels like a treehouse with incredible views. The pictures don’t do it justice.
From the roof Deck
Your energy bills depend on having a complete thermal envelope. This home owner added insulation to the attic stair which is a good thing. However, there are still problems. The type of insulation used behind the stair only works when it is not compressed and if it creates an air tight seal. Since it is smashed to fit behind the stairs it is not performing as intended and without other measures it is not air tight. There is no air sealing around the stair opening to prevent air leaks into the attic such as weather-stripping. The access itself does not fit tight to the opening when closed adding to the leak. All of these problems hurt the energy efficiency of your home and it impacts your indoor air quality. Make sure all the gaps and cracks in your thermal envelope are tight, complete, and well insulated for the best performance possible.
Biophilic design is possibly the most exciting thing that has happened to building design in my lifetime. This term suggests there is an inherit need for humans to connect to other living systems. We hear it on every home design we do – “we want lots of light, connection to the outside, capture the views.”
Biophilic design is the premise that we can learn from nature to create better buildings and build better buildings by connecting to nature. The term “biophilia” means “love of life or living systems.” Biophilic design connects us to nature.If we design buildings that are inspired by nature, they will be healthy, durable, and energy efficient, they may also be biodegradable, non-toxic, and perhaps restorative. According to an article by Fernando Pages Ruiz on EcoBuilding Pulse there are six elements of biophilic design:
1. environmental features
2. natural shapes and forms
3. natural patterns and processes
4. light and space
5. place-based relationships
6. evolved human relationship to nature
Here is an update of our Magnolia Ridge Home that is under construction. I have posted about it in the past here and here. Let us know what you think.
I had the privilege of visiting a past client last week. Here are a couple of images.
