Home Headquarters, the Center of Excellence and Syracuse University sponsored the “From the Ground Up” home design competition to obtain cutting edge eco-friendly building designs. Architects from across the country as well as international firms submitted plans. The three best designs were selected and built. Today these homes are unique and prominent features of the Near Westside neighborhood in Syracuse.
R-House
The R-House goes above and beyond when it comes to an efficient heating system. It is designed in “Passive Haus” style, which means it is nearly airtight and extremely well insulated. Warmth is kept in with smart ventilation, slashing energy costs during cold Syracuse winters. The R-House uses these technologies to make it as energy efficient as it is:
- 16” thick walls with Owens Corning Energy complete sealing, Blown in Blanket (BIB) of fiberglass insulation.
- Concrete floor to function as a thermal mass, which absorbs solar heat from windows and releases warmth slowly, even after the sun has gone down.
- Thermotech fiberglass windows, which are longer lasting and have a tighter seal than traditional vinyl, wood, or metal windows.
- Zehnder Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) recycles heat from the hot water heater to warm fresh air from the outside before it brings it into the house.
- Steel siding is extremely renewable when made from recycled materials.
- No VOC paint contains no “Volatile Organic Compounds” which are contained in many regular paints, and have been found to be harmful to human health and the environment.
- Bathrooms are equipped with low flow toilets and shower heads to reduce overall water usage.
- Slabs were poured with concrete containing fly ash. Fly ash is a coal-fired by-product. When added as a filler to concrete, it reduces fly ash waste in landfills.
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