UPDATE: Excavation Underway at Gregorio Residence

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The mini-excavator and our crew were busy on June 18 preparing for the foundation of the green addition to the Gregorio residence. Below is a close up of the Structural Insulated Panels (or SIPs) that will be assembled to create the floors and walls of the addition. These panels consist of dense, 10" layer of foam sandwiched between large sheets of engineered wood panels. This combination creates an insulation barrier that outperforms traditional fiberglass batt insulation up to 300%.

Closeup of SIPs Onsite (Click To Enlarge)

Check back for more pictures of our progress on this exciting project!

DESIGN: Gregorio Residence

LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA

COMPLETION: Target 2007

GOAL: Adapting an existing 1950s structure to meet a growing family’s needs rather than demolishing the entire structure and building from the ground up. We will utilize sustainable materials and techniques to decrease energy costs, to create a more comfortable, healthier indoor environment, and to minimize costs associated with transporting debris to a landfill.

SCOPE: Addition of 820 square feet to an existing 1,115 square foot 2 bedroom, 2 bath single family residence. The process will involve careful “deconstruction” of the existing structure, sorting and diverting material to recycling facilities; framing with structurally insulated panels (SIP); installing a dual-flush toilet and other water-reducing plumbing fixtures; selecting materials and finishes that have minimal impact on natural resources and that expose neither the homeowner’s family nor the manufacturer/installer to toxic chemicals.

SUSTAINABLE ATTRIBUTES

• Modification of an existing structure has less impact on the environment than construction of an entirely new home because there is less material harvested, manufactured, or transported.
• Carefully deconstructing portions of the existing structure and sorting by material type enables valuable resources to be recycled, keeping them out of the landfill.
• Because they are prefabricated to exact specifications offsite, SIP panels generate less construction waste and thus save trees.
• SIP panels are more energy efficient than conventional wood-framed walls with fiberglass batt insulation because they have a higher insulating capacity, or R-value, for the same wall thickness.
• Use of sustainable materials such as bamboo flooring, which rapidly renews itself, lessens the impact on the natural environment.
• Use of materials having little to no harmful chemicals prevents those chemicals, during their manufacturing phase, from entering the waste stream or contaminating the water supply.
• Plumbing fixtures with “low-flow” features reduce household water use and thus preserve the water supply in an arid region