The miracle floor plan

I am calling this the miracle floor plan because of all of the amazing things packed into it at a miraculous 1,306 square feet (well below the asking median for LEED-H 3-bedroom criteria!). It meets everything the community is asking for, including "universal design" principles (design elements that can sustain many different ages and needs). Now... what will the price be to construct it?

Here are the features of the LEED-H home in Greenbush:

• 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
• 1,306 sq.ft.
• One level open floor plan (universal design)
  
• Front porch that faces the corner of Minnesota St. and Silver Spruce Ct.
• Sealed front entryway to minimize energy loss
• In-floor radiant heat system
• Central Boiler fireplace (local company)
  
• Passive solar site orientation
• Sun room on the south side to maximize passive solar heating, with door toward yard or optional deck area
• Large overhangs on the south side for passive cooling in the summer
• Marvin windows in each room for daylighting
• Solartube in the interior bathroom
• Cross-ventilation
• 36” doors (universal design)
  
• Recycling storage
• Mudroom for extra storage, and to keep particles from entering the house
• Detached garage to keep chemicals from entering the house
• Garage-connecting breezeway connecting located west of the home
• Fresh air intake system
• On-demand water heaters
• Advanced framing techniques, ie. the house is designed in 4’ increments to match plywood sheet sizes
• His and hers closets in the master bedroom
• Built-in desks in some bedrooms (built by a local contractor)
• Built-in computer desk in the main living space for the family to share
• Local materials as much as possible, FSC-certified wood when possible
• LEED-Home certification
• Energy Star Home certification

This list doesn't include half of the criteria that is included for LEED-H, but is more an advertising tool for the house. Don't forget, we have to sell it after it's built!

Credit ID 2.4, Third party durability inspection

The LEED provider has given me a durability inspection checklist to complete prior to construction.

The builder will complete the durability inspection checklist, which the provider will use to verify durable construction implementation.

The LEED-H Provider is going to go over this durability checklist with me shortly. At first glance, it seems a little bit confusing but he assures me that once we've gone through it, it's a piece of cake. I think this is a great attribute to the LEED program in general, because what good is going green if it is not a durable product in the end?

When we go through the checklist, I'll repost. Until then, I've included it as part of the architectural specs as a mandatory requirement and attached the durability pages (pages 36-39 in the LEED-H manual) for further reference.

Credit ID 2.3, prerequisite, Quality management plan

Prior to construction, the builder will have a quality management program in place to address durability issues.

This quality management program will address any issues we find with the durability evaluation. I have added this quality management program into the architectural specs. I'll repost once the program is actually completed.

Credit ID 2.2, prerequisite, Indoor moisture control

Incorporate the following for indoor moisture control for all wet rooms.

Indoor moisture control specifications for this credit have been integrated into the construction plans through the following language:

• Use non-paper faced backer board on walls of shower, bathtub, and spa areas
• Use water resistant flooring in all bathrooms, kitchens, and spa areas, and within 3 feet of exterior doors; no carpet in these areas.
• For any water heater installed, install a drain and a drain pan. Tankless water heaters exempt.
• For any washer installed, install a drain and a drain pan or an accessible, single-throw supply valve.

Because of the open floor plan, hardwood floors usually continue from the living/dining area into the kitchen. I confirmed with our LEED Provider that treated hardwood fulfills this "water resistant" criteria. This credit is mainly to keep carpet out of these moisture-prone places.

Credit ID 2.1, prerequisite, Durability planning-Preconstruction.

Complete durability evaluation to identify moderate to high risk durability issues, determine strategies to these challenges, incorporate these strategies into project documentation and implementation.

I've included this as part of the pre-construction requirements in the architectural specs.

Credit ID 1.3, Design Charrette

Conduct a full day design meeting, preferably in the preliminary design phase, with project team members, with a goal to optimize green performance of the building as a whole, drawing upon the expertise of the whole project team.

I anticipate this to be both one of the most difficult and most fun parts of the LEED-H process. Sometimes people love it because their opinions are never asked, and they feel valued and incorporated instead of being just another link of the chain. Sometimes people feel insulted when asked to change the way they currently do something, but the team can work together . The first time someone attends a design "charrette", they may think it's weird, but generally people really warm up to the idea.

This credit is not mandatory, but it is important as part of the integrated design process, so I am including it in the language for the project specs. It's also worth one LEED point. I copied the language from above and pasted it into the project specifications to make it a pre-construction requirement.