Breathtaking San Pedro “Green” Home Unites Stunning Architecture,
Earth-First Sustainability
San Pedro, California, April 23, 2009
The visionary owners of
this San Pedro home first turned to Conduit Development less than
a year ago with their construction plans already more than 75% complete. While the original plans called for a traditional wood-frame structure, the owners soon realized that they had a remarkable opportunity to create not just a house, but a fully sustainable dream home that would withstand the test of time and realize thousands of dollars in long-terms savings.
After meeting with Conduit—well-known experts in the growing field of eco-friendly building practices–the owners altered their architectural plans to accommodate Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) construction. Made of energy-saving expanded polystyrene (EPS), these igloo-like blocks are stacked like Legos, then filled with concrete to create stable, durable and sustainable walls and foundations. By incorporating ICF technology at the very core of their new home, the San Pedro project will require 30-50% less energy to heat and cool, will feature superior sound insulation and will be wind, fire, insect and rodent resistant. Collectively, these benefits will help create a safe, quiet and comfortable living environment for many, many years—four times longer than traditional wood frame construction, according to industry experts.
Working with the team at Conduit to chart a new ICF course was only one of the first eco-forward steps taken by the homeowners. Relying heavily on Conduit’s knowledge and expertise in sustainable green building, the demolition and re-building process has continued to showcase a myriad of Earth-friendly practices designed to minimize wasteful energy use, maximize efficiency, enhance property value and conserve vital natural resources. Here are a few examples:
Eco-Friendly Building Practices for the San Pedro “Green” Home:
- 70% of all demolition material recycled for re-use
- 75% on-site waste reduction during construction
- Strategic orientation of home to take advantage of abundant natural light
- Foundation and walls constructed using innovative ICF technology for maximum insulation and efficiency
- Minimum waste from foundation and wall construction—leftover ICF materials are recycled and used as insulation
- Energy-efficient kitchen and bath fixtures throughout home to promote water conservation
- Solar energy panels that serve as an alternative energy source
- Drought-tolerant gardens to minimize water use and soil run-off
- Energy Star-qualified roof products to reduce peak cooking demand by 10% to 15%
- Use of overhanging solar shades
- Installation of energy-efficient windows with dual-glaze
- Use of low-emitting materials whenever possible to reduce toxicity, including zero-VOC paints and sealants, and strawboard for sub-flooring
- nstallation of green HVAC (heating, venting and air conditioning) systems to filter incoming air and venting stale air outside while using minimal energy
- And more!
Thanks to these eco-friendly, energy-saving steps undertaken by Conduit Development in partnership with homeowners who have an eye on the future, this stunning San Pedro home promises to be as Earth-friendly as it is architecturally appealing, setting a new building standard throughout Southern California.
Currently under construction, this landmark project is estimated to be complete by October of this year. To tour the construction site, attend a workshop and learn more about the sustainable building practices implemented by Conduit, including ICF construction, call 562.430.3727 or go to www.conduitdevelopment.com.
Radiant heating systems are considered by many as the ultimate form of comfort heating. In addition to the advantages of hydronic heating in general, warm floors provide benefits that virtually no other system can match. Any one of these bene
fits can become the “hot button” that convinces a discriminating customer to install a radiant heat system. Here’s a summary of these key benefits.
Thermal Comfort: Buildings equipped with radiant heat systems have interior environments that are highly favorable to human thermal comfort. Unlike many systems that directly heat the air, radiant floor heating gently warms the surfaces of objects in the room as well as the air itself. The warm surfaces significantly reduce the rate of heat loss from the occupants, allowing most to feel
comfortable at room temperatures 3 to 5 deg. F. lower than with other methods of heating.
The air temperature at floor level is slightly higher than the average room temperature.
This significantly reduces the rate of heat loss from the feet and legs. Several feet above the floor, the air temperature begins to decrease. Most people tend to feel more alert with slightly lower air temperatures at head level. The lowest air temperatures in the room typically occur just below the ceiling. The result is reduced heat loss through the ceiling insulation and hence lower heating costs.
A system that’s out of sight: Most people realize that just about every occupied building in North America needs a heating system. However, few enjoy looking at the heat emitters that are a necessary part of that system. The fact that such heat emitters often restrict furniture placement further adds to their invasiveness. With a radiant heat system, the floor surface is the heat emitter. There’s no need to compromise the aesthetics of the space or restrict furniture placement. It’s a system that gives your clients a building interior that’s as thermally luxurious as it is aesthetically elegant.
A quiet system: One of the strengths of a radiant heating system is its ability to deliver heat without delivering noise. A properly designed radiant heat system is the epitome of silence. The gas or oil burner on the boiler is often the only component that makes any detectable noise, and it’s usually located in the mechanical room away from the occupied spaces.
A clean system: One of the biggest complaints associated with forced air heating is its tendency to distribute dust, odors and germs throughout a house. In contrast to whole house air movement, radiant flooring heating creates very gentle (imperceptible) room air circulation. Many people who suffer from allergies have found that radiant heat doesn’t aggravate the symptoms the way a forced air system often does.
A durable system: A concrete slab type radiant floor heating system is nearly as indestructible as the slab itself. It’s the ideal way to heat garage facilities, industrial buildings, recreation rooms, basements, or other buildings with high interior traffic. You must always insulate the concrete slab from the earth.
A system that reduces fuel usage: Radiant heat systems have a proven record of reduced energy usage relative to other forms of heating, both in residential and commercial / industrial buildings. The savings result from several factors such as the ability to sustain comfort at lower indoor air temperatures, reduced air temperature stratification, non-pressurization of rooms (which leads to higher rates of air leakage), and the ability to operate with lower water temperatures. Savings vary from one building to the next. Although some projects have shown savings in excess of 50%, a more conservative estimate is 10 to 20% in savings.
As energy costs continue to escalate, the ability to reduce fuel consumption will play an increasingly important role in how heating systems are selected. Radiant heat Systems can keep energy costs to a minimum while also delivering exceptional comfort. It’s truly the benchmark system against which all other methods of heating will be compared.
Article By Radiant Heat Products LLC
Although the majority of American homeowners, a full 76% of us, live in wood frame structures, we ‘re more interested and impressed with qualities concrete offers.
The top things we look for in a home are durability and energy efficiency, accordi
ng to a survey conducted by the Portland Cement Association(PCA), with low maintenance and mold resistance also scoring high points. For those of us paying attention to the group compiling this information, it should come as no surprise that concrete beats wood in all these categories. So what does that mean for the furture of home construction?
Unfortunately, the numbers are murky on this, conveying a much less than direct association between homeowners acknowledged feelings and their actions. Thirty percent believe that concrete is the environmentally friendly material, compared to wood or steel. And, again 76% felt that energy efficiency was a top concern, but still, a full 54% report that if building a home, they would choose wood.
This number is down from 63% in 2005, good news for concrete interests, environmentalists, and trees, but why aren’t the numbers tracking more directly?
That we don’t know. But Jim Niehoff, PCA director, low-rise building markets, chooses to note the positive trend, saying, ““The awareness of concrete homes and their advantages is at an all time high since we began surveying homeowners more than a decade ago. With limited dollars and concerns about energy efficiency, weather-resistance and indoor air quality more and more homeowners are considering concrete for their next new home.”
Beyond the survey and what people may believe about concrete, here are somethings we know for sure:
* Homes built with insulating concrete forms , where concrete is sandwiched between two insulating layers of foam, require significantly less
energy to heat and cool, which can save the homeowner of an average-sized house hundreds of dollars per year in utility costs.
* Concrete wall systems significantly reduce the risk of building
in hurricane zones and are well-known for creating a quieter, more comfortable indoor environment.
Article posted on : purecontemporary.blogs.com
ARXX® BRINGS UNISCAFFOLD ON BOARD,
FURTHERING ITS INSULATING CONCRETE FORMS (ICF) SOLUTION FOR TALL WALL PROJECTS
Portland, Oregon – September 15, 2008 – ARXX Corporation, a leading provider of green building envelope solutions,
announced today its acquisition of Uniscaffold, LLC.
With the addition of Uniscaffold tall-wall scaffold system, ARXX is able to deliver an efficient and highly cost-effective solution for larger commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. The state-of-the-art Uniscaffold system has been in the market for over three years, is transportable globally and has been used to build ICF walls up to 63 ft. in height.
“There is no doubt that Uniscaffold system is recognized as the undisputed leader in the ICF building industry. As a result, we knew that it would be the best system to add to our current scaffolding/bracing product line-up.” said Frank O’Dea, President and CEO of ARXX Corporation. “Now we can fully service the needs for our commercial projects and offer cost efficiencies for tall-wall commercial construction.”
"Uniscaffold was poised for growth and was in the midst of deciding what our next steps were going to be," comments Al Peterson, former President and Owner of Uniscaffold, LLC. "As a leader in the ICF industry, ARXX will provide our customers with a true envelope solution for tall-wall projects. As part of the ARXX team, I look forward to continuing to develop products and services for the commercial market."
Al Peterson will move into the role of Director of Technical Services for ARXX Corporation; managing the technical services team. In addition to Al Peterson, ARXX will retain three Uniscaffold employees in various
capacities.
Located in Lewiston, Idaho, Uniscaffold started manufacturing scaffolding systems in 2005. Uniscaffold goes beyond traditional scaffolding systems; it is an essential piece in building ICF tall walls. The system provides the installer complete control over the ICF wall during the building and pouring phases. Uniscaffold allows building tall walls with ARXX products up to 125 ft. in height without scaffolding engineering requirements,
while meeting OSHA wall attachment and safety requirements.
About ARXX Corporation
ARXX® Corporation is a provider of green building envelope solutions that
includes tested and certified Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) for building
walls and foundations. ARXX currently offers a wide-range of ICF systems
including ARXX forms, PolySteel® forms and APEX™ recycled block, as well as
scaffold and alignment systems, waterproofing membranes and accessories.
ARXX products are used in commercial, residential and institutional
construction applications to make high-performance, sustainable buildings
that are safe, healthy, comfortable and energy efficient.
For more information visit www.arxxbuild.com.
Media Contact:
Gloria Tuck
Director of Marketing
ARXX Corporation
800.293.3210 ext. 413
gtuck@arxxbuild.com"
The future of concrete is green.
Green buildings are so much more than today’s predominant architectural trend. They are the beginning of a brighter future. But, until now, they haven’t had a green concrete foundation to s
tand on. Introducing EF Technology™, U.S. Concrete companies’ commitment to produce an environmentally superior concrete product. These environmentally friendly concrete products conserve natural resources, reduce pollutants, and bring green foundations to all types of concrete construction that are good for you, your environment, your community, your project and, indeed, the world.
“Pour” over these facts:
• Reduces greenhouse gasses by replacing Portland cement, which is responsible for 6-8% of
human-generated CO2 in the environment
• Reduces landfill space consumption by using fly ash and slag
• Reduces raw material consumption by replacing a portion of Portland cement with fly ash and slag
• EF Technology products are readily available and cost-effective alternatives to traditional Portland cement concrete
• Increases a building’s environmental performance rating, benefi ting LEED credit qualification
Better environment.
Better foundation.
As the premier provider of superior concrete products, it’s only natural that we would pave the way for a greener future. Developed by the U.S. Concrete team, EF Technology’s ecosmart process replaces Portland cement with reclaimed fly ash and slag (by-products of coal-fired industrial plants or steel mills). This resource saving process cuts down on greenhouse gasses and reduces landfill. An environmentally superior concrete that allows you to breathe easier about your choice. Whatever your building requirements, from foundations, walls and driveways to pavements, bridges, high-rise structures and more, adding green concrete to your designs can increase environmental performance and even provide cost savings. EF Technology product attributes qualify for credits under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits. So, as you can see, you get a superior product choice, and it’s friendly to both the environment and your budget.
A concrete future.
A cleaner world for today. A brighter future for our children. Not only does our EF Technology provide a safer environment now and well into the future, it also produces a stronger-performing, more durable product – one that you can truly feel good
about, for years to come. And it just might turn others green with envy. The best concrete for the job is also the best concrete for the environment.
• High fly ash concrete results in less bleeding and shrinkage than traditional concrete mixes
• Replacement of Portland cement with EF Technology improves the strength of concrete, increasing chemical resistance and durability
• Lower hydration and heat rates improve the integrity of mass concrete structures such as large foundations and bridges
• EF Technology saves between 100
and 300 pounds of mined natural resources for each cubic yard of concrete produced.
www.us-concrete.com
