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.
TED House
The TED House uses the stack effect, or the fact that warm air rises, and cold air falls, to circulate heat throughout the house while minimizing energy consumption. Designing a structure that takes advantage of these air motions makes for a more energy efficient structure in terms of heating and cooling.
- Radiant floor heating uses hot water-filled tubes inlaid in a concrete floor to heat the entire mass of the concrete floor. Once the concrete is warmed, it gives off heat even after the hot water producing device has been shut off, efficiently keeping the living space warm.
- Heat Recovering Ventilator (HRV) brings in fresh air and distributes it throughout the house, improving air quality.
- A combination boiler heats living space and hot water at the same time. This wastes far less energy than a traditional hot water heater.
- Two layers of 2” foam board (approx. R16) added to exterior and 2x6 Blown in Blanket (R23) insulation system keep the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
- Insulated Concrete Forms create a double-polystyrene insulated layer in basements. This process is quick and energy efficient.
- 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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