“Green Notes” 2007-2008
Vail Colorado

Project Background
After living in Europe and Asia, the clients became acutely aware of environmental issues.  When interviewing architect, builder and interior designer, interest/knowledge was important in their final selection of the team members.

Green Project Goals
To build a home in a way which:
a) Respects the setting and blends in with the landscape
b) Does not cost a fortune to operate
c) Exceeds local guidelines
d) Values and incorporates the ideas of the artisans who work on the home
e) Incorporates new innovations in green building techniques and materials
f) Follows as many LEED guidelines as possible

List of “green” elements in the house (This needs to be fleshed out with specs & stats, and is definitely not exhaustive.  Refer also to interior designer’s working document. )
1. Design takes advantage of the south facing lot and the knoll it sits on.
- south orientation provides passive solar heat
- kitchen faces east and south to capture morning sun, great room & study face south
- operable windows allow cross ventilation
- courtyard on north side provides an outdoor space protected from wind and hot summer sun
- wide eaves provide sun protection during summer when sun is high in sky
- No imported soil.  In fact, soil was exported to neighbors and other building sites less than 1 mile away. 
- Most of activity on main floor of house.  Numerous heating zones.  Isolated guest wing allows far lower temperatures when not in use.

2. Materials
- Recycled materials include:  Eco shake shingles laundry, countertop is Marmoleum, tile scraps in concrete countertops, log beams from beetle kill logs in Eagle county, log scraps used for firewood by supplier, garage workbench made from hickory floor scraps, door hardware, hardware in 2 bedrooms and laundry made of 75% recycled materials.
- Concrete forms were made of steel, not wood.  Reusable. 
- Non-toxic materials: garage floor finish green flooring system (most garage flooring products are VOC emitting epoxy).  Finish on floors, non-formaldehyde-based products.
- Clay-based wall plaster in most of house: American Clay Natural Earth Plasters, natural clay, recycled aggregates, non dusting, mold and fade resistant and moisture controlling.
- Materials from renewable sources:  a. Kitchen, Pantry and Master cabinets are FSC Forest Stewardship Council and SFI Sustainable Forestry Initiative rated. Both third party certifications b.  Flagstone and slate tiles are renewable; the leftover stone from the Entry flagstone is used in the Guest Master Suite, Powder Room floor and base board.
- Glass blocks: Low E Block from Rio Grade in Denver, are new, 44% more energy-efficient than older styles.
- Insulation – The blown in insulation was used in all roof framing and exterior walls achieving an R-52 in the roof and R-23 in the walls.  Roof framing is 14” deep TJI’s to archive this.
- Timber strand for rim joints
- CDX composite wall sheathing & roof sheathing (get more detail from Todd)
- Windows are double-pane, argon-filled, low-E glazing  Energy Star Rated
- E-shades on south side to be put on electric timer to automatically close when sun reaches them.
- Concrete floors 4” thick, acts as radiant heat gain.5 ‘in the lower level but I am not sure how this is green.
- All but one fireplace are closed to prevent heat escape.
- Energy efficient hot tub. 
- Minimal snowmelt (probably will get points off for this, but was needed for safety reasons).  Snowmelt only comes on when it senses moisture and lower temperatures.
- There was very little lumber waste in framing because framing company put everything on CAD.   Framer drew entire house using Solid Builder program to determine the exact quantity of lumber needed.

3. Systems
- Air con system from Unico which is a high velocity system that installs within the existing framing which does not require the use of numerous/costly drops and chases which would have utilized more lumber. Zoned.  Would not have installed one, except client has allergy issues.  Installed only in main living & sleeping areas, smaller duct work/system, to be used minimally & only during allergy season.
- Heating system:  Triangle Tube super high efficient wall hung boilers.  Zoned.  In-floor.  During our first weeks in the house in the dead of winter – kept turning down the settings to the 50’s because house was so warm from solar gain. 
- Lighting.  Low-voltage lighting used whenever possible.  Exterior Fixtures approved by the International Dark Sky Association (down-lights that don’t contribute to nighttime light pollution).
- Ceiling fans in all high ceilings to keep air circulating.
- Plumbing:  Low water usage washer, faucets. 

4. Interior Design
- Interior lighting from Hammerton is made of 75% recycled materials.
- All carpets are wool or silk – renewable materials

Entry
- Waterfall wall in front entry for humidification. 
- Sconces are made of natural products – twigs, saplings – all in FSC certified forests
Powder Room
- Wallpaper applied with no VOC paste. 
Kitchen
- Concrete island counter top with integrated sink
- Island bar top – wedge tropical hardwood – FSC certified
- Energy Star Appliances
- FSC and SFI certified woods in cabinetry
- Recycling bins built into cabinetry
Master Bath
- Concrete countertops with integrated sinks and recycled glass randomly integrated
- Fiber optic lighting in Zen pebbles on tub deck
- Copper tub is from Diamond Spas.  Base layer of tub is recycled.  Air jet system designed, provides cleaner system not allowing water to settle in pipes.
Willow Bathroom
- Existing furnishings are used as vanities
- Concrete vessel sinks
- Sconces are made of natural products – twigs, saplings – all in FSC certified forests
- Glass tile inserts are from 3-Form, thin sliced natural materials inserted into glass
- Flooring is stone pebbles to provide reflexology feature
Willow Room
- Bed is made of 100% reclaimed fir with no “VOC” painted application
- Sconces are made of natural products – twigs, saplings-all in FSC certified forests
- Armoire is made from reclaimed carved doors from India.
Circle Room
- Bed is made of 100% reclaimed lyptus with water based stain application
Project Bathroom
- Flooring is grid stone to provide reflexology feature
- Concrete counter top and integrated sink
Landscaping
- Zeroscaping (spring 08)
- Native plantings, drought tolerant
- Drip irrigation with seasonal adjustments

Maintenance
-Exterior maintenance is minimal
-Minimal use of cans in high ceilings (hard to change bulbs)

ADA compliant on main level (Not really a ‘green’ item, but notable)
- Main level has no steps, not even from outside.
- 5’ turning radius in kitchen
- 4’ hallways
- Pocket doors in strategic locations
- Wheelchair accessible shower in Guest Master
- Levers (not knobs) on faucets and doors
- Toilet height is ADA compliant
- Guest Master Suite cabinets is are ADA compliant

8. Exceeded county/state/federal standards.  While we were into the County for the permit just prior to the ECO Build going into effect, I still filled out the paper work and we exceeded the required points for a home of this size by 20% (+/- 85 req. we had +/- 105)

Things we wish we could have done and why we didn’t:
1. Rainwater collection –in many locales, it is collected in a large scupper above an underground retention basin.  But in Colorado it is illegal to collect rain water.
2. Gray water system – discussed, but illegal to collect any runoff water.
3. Active solar – we looked at solar shingles, but they were blue.  We felt that, aesthetically, it would have been a sore thumb in a neighborhood w/ strict guidelines.  DRB cannot stop a homeowner from installing energy-efficient devices, but the house has such a prominent location, it would possibly have been an affront to the neighbors.   Just in the time since we selected roofing materials attractive solar shingles have come on the market (brown). 
4. Geothermal – we were told the pay back is 40+ years.
5. Save the sagebrush plants – we discussed it and were told they couldn’t guarantee that they would survive offsite for 19 months.  It would have been an expensive experiment.  Wish now that we had planted them on the eroding hill below the house.
6. Use the juniper wood for something in the house.  Only had to cut down two trees, but still wish we had recycled the wood.
7. On-demand hot water heaters.  Tried hard to convince everyone this was the right thing to do, but not successful.  Still don’t know the cost savings analysis on power and on water.  Difficult to calculate.  Not sure it would be a big savings due to our in-floor system. 
8. Reclaimed wood floors – too expensive!  In fact, many “green” options are more expensive, making it a challenge for those on a tight budget.