Architecture Firm:
Opsis Architecture
Completion Date:
June 2007
Project Format (not yet built / built):
Built
Project Size (sf / site acreage):
1,346 sf
Project Location:
Salem, Oregon
Budget ($/sq Ft, optional):
$233/sf
Interior Designer:
Jessica Helgerson Designs
General Contractor:
Bilyeu Homes
Landscape Designer:
Desantis Landscaping
Structural Engineer:
Catena Consulting
Other:
GRI Geotechnical, Spectra Construction
Owner:
Sustainable Development, Inc.
Sustainable Sites:
Pringle Creek Cottage is the first home constructed in the larger Pringle Creek Community, occupying land formerly used by the Fairview Training Center. Design and planning for the community was rooted in a deep respect for the land and its history, and the desire to create a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable community. Existing buildings on the site are being renovated and reused to create a Village Center. All new homes will meet LEED Gold certification requirements at a minimum, and are sited to preserve open space, preserve view corridors and existing tree stands, and restore natural water pathways to Pringle Creek. Landscaping and hardscaping on the Cottage lot have been designed to minimize the impact on the site.
Sustainable site development for Pringle Creek Community included:
• Over 12 acres of the 32 acre development are preserved as open space.
• Natural water flows to the creek were restored.
• 80% of the existing stands of mature trees at the site have been maintained, and damaged trees and trees blown down during winter storms were milled on-site for future use within the community.
• Development on the site is clustered in order to maximize open space, and green transportation methods such as pedestrian and bike paths are prioritized.
• A green street system comprised of porous paving surfaces, rain gardens, stormwater infiltration swales, planting strips and biofiltration verges, allow over 90% of stormwater on the site to infiltrate the ground and return to natural aquifers.
• Lot sizes were minimized to preserve open space and encourage the use of community gardens and green spaces.
Sustainable site development for the Pringle Creek Cottage included:
• The 1,346 square foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom Cottage has a small building footprint of only 980 square feet.
• An Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan was developed during the project and maintained throughout construction.
• Landscaping was planned to shade hardscapes, and a cool roof with a high reflectance was used, to reduce heat island effect.
Toward Zero Energy:
Reducing energy use was one of the primary objectives for the Pringle Creek design team. High energy efficiency for each of the Community’s 179 dwellings is required in the Community’s Design Guidelines, by utilizing energy efficient design and/or generating energy on-site. Early in the planning process, the Oregon Department of Energy conducted a comprehensive solar analysis of the site, and the design team evaluated the site for geothermal potential. Based on these findings, homes have been designed to maximize the site’s solar potential by incorporating both photovoltaic and solar water heating panels. Additionally, a well designated for domestic water use and irrigation has been utilized for a neighborhood Ground Source Heat Pump System. The Cottage, along with other homes in the community, is connected to a neighborhood supply and return loop of water sourced from an underground aquifer providing a +/-58 degree water temperature. After the water passes thru the heat pump and exits the lot via a return pipe to a re-injection well it is available for use in the private street right of way within the development for irrigation.
Energy efficient aspects of the Pringle Creek Cottage include:
• The minimized floorplan of the Cottage provides less floorspace to heat, cool, light, and run appliances, and required less resource consumption in terms of materials for construction.
• Maximized daylighting and cross ventilation reduces the need for artificial lighting, heating, and cooling.
• All windows in the Cottage are high performance windows with Low-E glazing (U=.33), and are strategically oriented to maximize daylight and views to the neighborhood, and windows are located on two sides of the rooms in order to balance light and facilitate natural ventilation.
• South facing overhangs possess a trellis, designed to maximize light in the winter and filter sun in the summer.
• The Cottage was also designed with a tight building envelope with rain-screen sided exterior sheathed in a radiant barrier of foil-faced rigid insulation, minimizing heat loss and gain.
• The Cottage is connected to a neighborhood Ground Source Heat Pump System that is approximately 300% more efficient at delivering heat than a gas furnace.
• The Cottage utilizes compact fluorescent lighting fixtures and Energy Star appliances.
• 2KW photovoltaic panels are located on the roof of the Cottage, along with a solar hot water vacuum tube system with a 119 gallon hot water tank to heat water before it reaches the water heater.
Local and Sustainable Materials:
The intent of the Cottage design was to create a home that would endure for generations, stimulate the local economy through its materials selection, and minimize waste through the simplicity of its design and its construction practices.
Local and sustainable materials practices for Pringle Creek Community included:
• The cut and fill analysis for the infrastructure development allowed the redistribution of spoils on the site, and minimized the need to transport these materials to other locations.
• A recycled bridge was acquired from the State Department of Transportation and reused in the development.
Local and sustainable materials practices for Pringle Creek Cottage included:
• The simple form of the Cottage provided simplified construction details and simplified the way in which the envelope of the home was insulated, allowing the design team to maximize their resources, and minimize the energy consumption inherent in construction complex designs.
• The high performance exterior envelope of the Cottage was selected specifically to enhance the efficiency of the home, and to maximize durability.
• The locally sourced, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified 2x6 wood stud, 24-inch on center, advanced frame wall uses less lumber and allows for more dense pack cellulose insulation within the exterior wall cavity.
• The exterior is wrapped with a 1-inch layer of rigid insulation to reduce heat loss, eliminate thermal bridging, and keep the exterior structure warm and dry.
• The exterior vented rain screen finish is comprised of a house wrap with a 12-inch on center vertical strapping and +/- ½-inch battens that attach the fiber-cement lap siding. The small air gap between the building wrap and the exterior cladding will keep the wall cool during the summer, substantially extending the life of paint and reducing air conditioning loads.
• The concrete foundation of the Cottage contains 30% fly-ash
• Over 60% of the construction waste generated during the project was recycled.
Sustainable Water:
Restoring and protecting natural water pathways on the site was a high priority for the planning and design of the Pringle Creek Development. Pringle Creek Community currently showcases the largest installation of porous paving and pervious concrete within a single development in the country. While traditional gray infrastructure captures and conveys stormwater underground in pipes, concentrating toxins before they reach a pond or waterway, green infrastructure allows 90 % of stormwater to infiltrate the ground, thereby allowing the microbial action of the soil to filter the stormwater as it returns to local groundwater aquifers. By combining porous paving surfaces, rain gardens, stormwater infiltration swales, planting strips, and biofiltration verges, Pringle Creek maximizes healthy water infiltration at the site. Additional measures have been taken on the Cottage lot to both conserve water and protect water quality at the site.
Sustainable water practices for Pringle Creek Community included:
• Pringle Creek Community currently showcases the largest installation of porous paving and pervious concrete within a single development in the country, allowing 90 % of stormwater to infiltrate the ground and return to local groundwater aquifers.
• By combining porous paving surfaces, rain gardens, stormwater infiltration swales, planting strips, and biofiltration verges, Pringle Creek maximizes healthy water infiltration at the site.
Sustainable water practices for Pringle Creek Cottage included:
• All gutters and downspouts at the Cottage collect water into a 1500 gallon underground cistern, limiting the use of potable for irrigation, and increasing the lag time of stormwater run-off into the porous street system at Pringle Creek.
• In keeping with the Design Guidelines for Pringle Creek, the lawn for the Cottage comprises less than 10% of the available lot landscaped area, minimizing the need for irrigation and promoting social interaction with neighbors and the community at large where there is over 12 acres of open space with walking and running paths.
• Native landscaping was employed around the Cottage to reduce water consumption and the need for fertilizers and herbicides.
• Limited lawn areas are irrigated with a highly efficient drip irrigation system.
• Bathrooms in the Cottage are equipped with low-flow faucets and showerheads, and dual flush toilets.
• Plumbing fittings in the kitchen are also low-flow, at 1GPM.
IEQ and Comfort:
Operable windows allowing natural ventilation, extensive daylighting, and non-toxic finishes provide a healthy and comfortable indoor environment for Cottage residents.
Measures to enhance indoor environmental quality and comfort for residents of Pringle Creek Cottage included:
• The Cottage design maintains a high level of indoor environmental quality and comfort by providing an open floorplan with high ceiling, long views, extensive daylighting, and natural ventilation.
• The design team analyzed sun angles in order to determine overhangs that would allow the ideal amount of light into the home. The resulting trellised overhangs provide shade on the window during the summer, and allow light into the home during the winter.
• All paints, sealants, adhesives, materials, and cabinetry used inside the Cottage are non-urea formaldehyde products and low-VOC, to reduce the presence of harmful off-gassing and improve the indoor air quality.
• The home’s entry, expansive windows, and porches were also designed to form a strong connection to the street and the neighborhood.
• The Cottage’s mechanical system is a geothermal water to air heat pump, incorporating energy recovery ventilation to provide fresh air into the home, while minimizing heat loss.
• The blown-in insulation within the walls and ceilings aid the thermal performance of the home, and enhance its acoustic performance.
Collective Wisdom and Feedback:
In order achieve a high level of sustainability, practicality, and usability, the design for both the Cottage Home and the larger Pringle Creek Community drew upon numerous resources, including:
• The design process included extensive pre-building and value engineering meetings with local builders in order to understand the nuances of the local construction marketing.
• LEED for Neighborhood Development
• New urbanist planning methodology
• Living Building Challenge
• LEED for Homes Pilot Rating System – the Cottage ultimately achieved LEED-H Platinum certification
Regional/Community Design:
The Pringle Creek Community employs a variety of resources to encourage community interaction and outreach to surrounding communities. During the planning and design process, numerous open houses and charettes were held in order to begin community-building early.
• Collaborative activities continued with a series of community gatherings throughout the planning process and the construction of the infrastructure, centered around stewardship, craft, culture, and community, allowing bonds to form among neighbors and future residents even as the project developed.
• The Sustainable Living Center, a non-profit organization created by the Pringle Creek Community, provides patrons with an education center for sustainable living, conducting hands-on learning workshops and classes, along with social and educational events, providing individuals with the tools necessary to lead happier, healthier, and more sustainable lives.
• Community orchards and gardens, located throughout the Pringle Creek Community site, encourage residents to work together to produce food and flowers without the use of harmful chemicals.
• Following the principles of sustainability that informed the planning process for the community, water conservation and composting techniques are also key practices at the gardens.
• Gardeners have the opportunity to donate a portion of the produce to the Marion/Polk Food Share.
