Project Description:
The Dickson Residence, 2000 sq. feet located in New Haven, CT, was previously used as an office and contractor shop. Current resident and previous shopowner, David Dickson, decided to demolosh his shop to build a sustainable, affordable, and energy-efficient house. Through pursuance of LEED Platinum, the Dickson Residence achieved many sustainability and energy goals with use of a 10 kW solar photovoltaics array, low VOC products, and the re-use of materials, such as bluestone and doorways, from the previous building. Not only is this lot located in a desirable neighborhood, East Rock, it was also re-designed with complete drought-resistance landscaping. There was existing natural gas on-site, however the sewage, water, and electrical systems from the old building needed to be replaced. An energy recovery ventilation system provides the home with a constant flow of fresh air while drawing out old, exhaust air from the bathrooms.
Building Type Summary:
Address:
Lat. / Long.:
Location Type:
Multiple buildings?:
Historic?:
Materials:
10 kW solar photovoltaics array
Foundation wall assembly:
The foundation walls of the home include 4" EPS foam board (R28) under frost-protected shallow slab foundation with 3.5" of EPS (R24) applied to the exterior of the frost walls.
Space heating - Manufacturer & Model:
Space cooling - Manufacturer & Model:
Average window U-factor:
Air Changes per hour, ACH50:
Site conditions:
Renewable Energy Sources:
Summary of enclosure strategy/description:
Double 2x4 wall construction with 9.5" of blown cellulose, plus 1" Zip Wall sheathing (R42) with two stud corners, insulated headers, and open interior wall to exterior wall intersections to reduce thermal bridging. The sheathing joints and rough openings are taped to prevent air leakage.
Roof Assembly:
The South roof of the home is Galvalume standing-seam roofing and 12" SIPS panels (R44) that are supported by yellow pine beams and columns from the previous building. The North roof is White-granule Modified-bitumen roofing, with 2x12 rafters, filled with 11.5" of densely-packed cellulose (R44). The seams of both the roof sheathing and SIPS panels are taped.
Window Description:
Windows and doors are Ultrex fiberglass with a double glazing, argon gas fill and low E-coatings. The rough openings surrounding the doors and windows are packed with foam backer rod and Roxul insulation. Windows on the south side of the house have a U value of .29 and a solar heat gain coefficient of .45. The windows on the north, east, and west sides of the house have U values of .28 and solar heat gain coefficients of .25.