LEED Platinum in Freeport, ME

From top to bottom, the platinum-rated house embodies a best-practices approach to the building envelope. The framing makes extra room for insulation with 24-in. on-center spacing, two-stud corners, and offset rim joists. Damp-spray and dense-pack cellulose insulation does an excellent job of filling wall cavities. To make sure they didn’t miss anything, the project team did a blowerdoor test before the drywall went up so that any leaks could be filled.

The 2.6-acre rural maine lot wasn’t eligible for many of the 'lot location' credits, but the team did pick up a few points for not disturbing wetlands, building in a floodplain, or on agricultural land.

To mitigate the effects of development, the property has a permeable gravel driveway that absorbs water runoff. even with a septic system installed, more than 40% of the site was left undisturbed. excavated and trafficked portions were replanted with a mixture of native wildflowers and drought-resistant fescue grass.

Team:
Builder: Wright-Ryan Construction
Architect/Designer: Richard Renner

Specs:
Location: Freeport, Maine
Completed: 2006
Bedrooms: 4 plus office
Bathrooms: 2 1/2
Cost: $230/ square foot
Living space: 3200 square feet

Construction:
Foundation type: ICF Basement, R-23
Wall construction: 2x6, 24 in. o.c. with dense pack cellulose, R-R-21
Windows: Thermotech triple glazed, U-.15 (R-6.7)
Attic: R-49 loose fill cellulose in ceiling
Garage: Attached.

Energy specs:
Conditioning equipment (explain): Radiant floor and wood stove. No cooling system
Water heating equipment: Solar water heater
HERS Index: 42

Water efficiency measures used in this project
Lavatory faucets: max 1.5 GPM
Shower heads: max 1.5 GPM
Toilets: max 1.1 GPM, dual flush (Mansfield EcoQuantum)

Energy efficiency measures used in this project
Fluorescent fixtures represent more than half of the installed lighting, solar hot water system is plumbed so that excess capacity assists the radiant heating system, siting of building and layout of windows facilitate passive solar heating, effective daylighting and natural ventilation

Green materials and/or resource efficiency used in this project
FSC certified lumber and advanced framing techniques. Wheatcore doors, Dakota Burl cabinet panels, recycled content floor tile, fly ash in concrete, recycled content metal roofing, no carpet, low-VOC paints, and cellulose insulation. Locally sourced materials include birch flooring, stair parts, framing lumber, cedar siding, and granite countertops.

Indoor air quality measures used in this project
Heat recovery ventilator with air distributed through ducts. Low VOC paint was used throughout. The garage has a ventilation fan actuated by the garage door openers. There is no air conditioning.

Certification:
LEED-H Platinum, overall score: 95/130
Innovation and design 9/9
Energy and atmosphere 27/38
Location and linkages 3/10
Materials and resources 14/14
Sustainable sites 15/21
Indoor environmental quality 15/20
Water efficiency 10/15
Awareness and education 2/3

Alternate Energy Utilization
Photovoltaic power (:2 KW
Solar water heating :3 collectors

Green Building Product Sources:

Lessons Learned:
The house has performed very well. The build team intially intended the house to be smaller, but a real estate consultant recommended building a master bedroom suite over the garage. Also, the house is in the suburbs, which does not help the problem of sprawl.