LEED Info: Bunker Hill Townhomes

		303 and 305 Bunker Hill Way: Home HeadQuarters constructed two new townhomes on Bunker Hill Way in Syracuse to both fit in with the existing neighborhood architecture and meet high energy efficiency standards. In the planning stages, Home HeadQuarters decided to seek LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design) certification through the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Opportunity HeadQuarters, an apprentice training program of Home HeadQuarters, was charged with building the homes, utilizing certain technologies for the first time. In an effort to construct the most efficient and quality homes possible, the following strategies were employed in the construction of 303 and 305 Bunker Hill Way: Structurally Insulated Sheathing (SIS) Panels – 1” SIS panels provide exterior insulation with an R-value of 5.5 as well as sheathing; dense packed BIBS (blown-in blanket system) were also used, with an R-value of 21, bringing the total R-value to 26.5.  (Typical construction using 2 x 6 walls with fiberglass batt has an R-value of 19.)  Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) – An HRV brings fresh air into the building and also recovers the heat from exhaust air leaving the building Low flow toilets – 1.28 Gallons per flush toilets were installed to reduce water use (vs. traditional new toilets with 1.6 gallon flush) Low flow shower heads and faucets – 1.5 Gallons per minute faucets and low flow shower heads were installed to reduce water use No-VOC (volatile organic compound) Paint – Traditional paint, when applied, “off-gases”, releasing VOCs into the air which have negative health effects.  For this project, Opportunity HeadQuarters used No-VOC paints and wood floor finishes used were latex-based rather than acrylic, thereby reducing “off-gases” dramatically.  Air Sealing – Owens Corning ‘Energy Complete’ air sealing material was used to seal all openings in order to prevent air flow, tightening the building envelope and ultimately reducing heating and cooling costs overall. Recycled Content Concrete – Both the basement and garage slabs were poured with concrete containing fly ash.  Fly ash is a coal-fired by-product, and by adding as a filler for concrete, reducing fly ash in landfills.  301 and 5303 Bunker Hill Way are still underway. More details to come soon.