Grand Rapids Magazine reviews our 335 Freyling Place project in the Critic's Choice

Check-out the April 2012 issue of Grand Rapids Magazine, they reviews our 335 Freyling Place project built by Habitat for Humanity of Kent County in the Critic's Choice article called "A new, green-living paradigm". It's a nice article written about how a new LEED for Homes "Platinum" project can fit into a traditional historical neighborhood like Wealthy Heights. We have also designed two other new LEED certified homes to be built in the same neighborhood later this year.

We are excited to see Grand Rapids Magazine covering Green and LEED certified home within their April issue and hope to see more of it in issues to come.

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335 Freyling Place SE, Project Receives LEED for Homes "Platinum" Certification

It's official our Habitat for Humanity of Kent County project at "335 Freyling Place SE" in Grand Rapids achieved LEED for Homes "Platinum" certification. This was Habitat's 300th home built in Kent County and most radical and energy efficient project they ever built! The goal was to reduce the amount of energy needed to power the home, then to produce enough energy to heat itself. This small affordable home is was built in partnership with GRCC Tassell M-TEC New Construction students in the revitalized, historic Wealthy Heights neighborhood near the corner of Wealthy and Diamond on the southeast side of the City of Grand Rapids.

Besides the LEED certification the home was GreenBuilt Michigan "Gold" certified and also received ZeroStep certification and was featured on the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Tour and in World Habitat Day 2011. Some of the unique feature of this Habitat home are

Super Insulated 18" Thick Exterior Wall.

Logix ICF Exterior walls.

SIP Panel Roof.

Advanced Framing.

Jeld-Wen Energy Star Windows.

Passive Solar Design.

Solar Hot-water.

Pre-Wired for Photovoltaic's

Passive Cooling.

Prison Built Cabinetry.

Pre-Cast Concrete Counter-tops.

CertainTeed Fiber Cement Board Siding.

Radiant Heat Floors.

Whirlpool CEE Tier III Energy Star Washer.

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310 Indiana NW Project Receives LEED for Homes "Platinum" Certification

It's official our Habitat for Humanity of Kent County project at "310 Indiana NW" in Grand Rapids achieved LEED for Homes "Platinum" certification. Although it's their first LEED for Homes "Platinum" project, they have built over 68 LEED certified home in the Grand Rapids area. It was built by student volunteers from Grand Rapids Public School Academy for Design and Construction which offered a tremendous opportunity for the students to learn cutting-edge green building and design. Not many students their age can say they help built a LEED Platinum Home!

Besides the LEED certification the home also received ZeroStep certification and was featured in the 2011 Spring Parade of Homes. Some of the unique feature of this Habitat home are

Logix ICF Foundation.

Advanced Framing.

SIP Panel Roof.

Energy Star Windows.

Cellulose Insulation.

Passive Solar Design.

Passive Cooling.

Prison Built Cabinetry.

Rain Barrels.

Food Garden.

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Come Tour the "River Escape" Project on 11.11.11

On 11.11.11 come see our "River Escape" project a truly affordable home that was built to be 88% more energy efficient than and standard new code built home. This home is a Zero-Energy home that is projected to be a LEED for Homes “Platinum” project. The home is also a finalist for Green Builder Magazines "2011 Home of the Years". And is ZeroStep “Silver” Certified (Lifetime Design or Barrier Free) from Disability Advocates of Kent County Michigan.

Key Sustainable/Green Features

• Rain Permeable Gravel Driveway.
• Lifetime Design (Barrier Free)
• Zero step entries.
• Energy Star North Star Triple Pane Windows.
• Energy Star LED & CFL lighting.
• Energy Star Ceiling Fans.
• Energy Star Appliances by Frigidaire.
• SIP Panel Roof
• Frost Protected Shallow Foundation (with R-20 Dow Insulation beneath it.)
• BuildBlock ICF Construction (with 40% Fly-Ash)
• Advanced Framing (Studs @ 24” o.c.)
• James Hardie FiberCement siding (with recycled content)
• MiraTec Trim (formaldehyde free, SCS Certified)
• Central Vacuum System (Greatly reduces in-door air pollutants)
• Concrete Floors through-out main floor. (Colored in the concrete mix)
• FSC certified Bamboo Flooring on second story.
• FSC certified stud interior walls.
• No-VOC Paints and primers.
• Low-VOC caulks and sealants.
• Amish Built Kitchen Cabinets from wood within 5 miles from the project site.
• Dual-Flush toilet by American Standard.
• Low flow shower heads and faucets.
• Pex Plumbing.
• Radon Venting.
• Radiant Heat Through-out Home.
• Life breath HRV (heat recovery ventilator)
• Passive Solar Design.
• Solar Hot Water. (30% Tax Rebate)
• 4.1kW of Photovoltaic (30% Tax Rebate)
• Pellet Stove (Back up Heat System)
• Pre-wired for a future Wind Generator.
• Pre-wired for future battery backup.

Please RSVP with us at 616.957.LEED (5333) or at ehughes@imagedesignarch.com

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Habitat for Humanity of Kent County builds its 300th Home

Since 1983 Habitat for Humanity of Kent County has built 300 homes and 68 of those homes were LEED certified. We are proud to have designed their 300th Home and their most energy efficient home to date. Grand Rapids Community Collage's Building Trades program has partnered again with Habitat for Humanity as they build its 300th home in Kent County. this will be Habitat's first zero-energy home and will be their second  LEED for for Homes "Platinum" project. Please take a minute to watch the video below.

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Affordable LEED for Homes project being built by Students

A affordable Near Zero Energy, projected LEED for Homes "Platinum" project called the "Genesis Project" designed by Image Design is now under construction in Grand Rapids and will be built by Students from Grand Rapids Public Schools Academy of Design & Construction and Habitat for Humanity of Kent County. This home is a Passive Solar home and will have concrete floors and a trombe wall for Thermal Mass. The homes foundation will be constructed with a Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) from Logix , installed by our friends from R-Value Conctrete Structures, LLC and the rest of the home will be Advanced Framed @ 24" O.C. with 2" of Dow foam to stop the studs from Thermal Bridging. The roof will be R-Control SIP panels from TEAM Industries with Energy Star Landmark Solaris roof shingles that reflect the sun from CertainTeed. The home will have Solar Hot Water panels tied into to a Radiant Heating system and it will be pre-wired for future Photovoltaic panels (Unless some solar company out there would like to donate some panel to this project!!!!). The Genesis Home plan is the most energy efficient design that Habitat for Humanity of Kent county has ever built and offers a tremendous opportunity for students to learn cutting-edge green building and Design techniques.

Come visit this home on the 2011 Spring Parade of Homes.

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Grand Traverse Green 2010

If you get a chance I will be speaking at Grand Traverse Green 2010 Conference in Traverse City Michigan on Saturday February 6th from 10:00am to 11:30am at the Hagerty Center. We were invite by the Grand Traverse Home Builders Association to speak at this conference. Traverse City  Home Builders Association (HBAGTA) and Traverse Area Association of Realtors (TAAR) are both Pioneers in the Green Building movement  TAAR, with the with the technological support from the HBAGTA Green Build Grand Traverse Committee, has developed additions to its MLS (Green MLS). These additions allow sellers to list homes, commercial buildings and developments that have been certified or rated by one or more of the major Green Building Programs, including LEED, NAHB Green, Energy Star, and HERs.  HBAGTA was the first in Michigan to have a nationally recognized local Green Building Certification Program which was recently retired in May, 2009 to partner with the NAHB Green Build Program. We are excited to be speaking in one of the Pioneering Green Communities in our State.

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