Cranberry Ridge LEED Home

Location

Freeport, Maine

Overview

LEED Standing

Platinum

Project Team

• Richard Renner Architects

Green building experts acknowledge that the most cost effective and successful projects result from early and continuous collaboration among all key members of the team from early design through completion of the project. Wright-Ryan Construction, Richard Renner Architects and Fore Solutions worked closely from the beginning of design through construction to create a house at 10 Cranberry Ridge Road in Freeport that earned a Platinum Certification in the LEED-H pilot program. The team worked constantly to integrate all critical aspects of the project, site, plan, systems, structure, and materials to optimize efficiency and performance and to minimize adverse environmental impacts.

Site – The site plan creates an attractive entry sequence and good views from the inside while minimizing disturbance and maximizing solar exposure. At least forty percent of the site remains undisturbed. Strict erosion control measures were used to prevent pollution to natural drainage paths and neighboring land. Permeable drive and walk materials allow rainwater to penetrate into the groundwater table instead of running along hard surfaces and picking up potential contaminants. Drought resistant plantings eliminate the need for an irrigation system.

Plan – The flexible, open floor plan makes the house seem larger and allows for a variety of furniture layouts. For example, the den can become a bedroom, if necessary. At 3,200 square feet, the house is not small, but it is possible to create five bedrooms or four bedrooms and a home office. The living spaces are organized around the natural light that abounds on the southern side of the home. A sunshade on the south façade of the home allows warming winter sun to penetrate but blocks hot summer sun. On the western facade, a roof over the terrace tempers hot western sun.

Systems – The energy efficient and environmentally friendly systems exceed Energy Star for Homes standards while introducing an Energy Star Advanced Lighting package, photovoltaics- grid tied, a heat recovery ventilator and solar water heating. Once the active solar system was installed it powered the tools used to finish the home. The maximization of southern exposure allows the solar water heating system to collect hot water while recirculation loops reduce the need to reheat the water. A Lifebreath heat recovery ventilator introduces clean air into the home while extracting contaminated air. The heat recovery feature extracts heat or cold from the outbound air to preheat or pre-cool intake air to maintain a constant temperature in the home. It is estimated that the house will reduce energy consumption by fifty percent over a conventionally constructed home of similar size.

Structure and Envelope – The early team collaboration allowed Wright-Ryan to utilize a materials efficient framing procedure reducing twenty percent of material excess during framing. Many conventionally framed homes use improperly sized framing members and increased frequency of wall studs, which are structurally unnecessary. As the home was enclosed the team tested the integrity of the building envelope assuring that the home was sealed as tight as possible and the high performance cellular insulation was properly installed.

Materials – Because construction and building accounts for up to forty percent of consumption and carbon waste, Wright-Ryan diverted all recyclable materials from the landfill. The team chose not only to recycle, but to use recycled products. They chose Environmentally Preferable Products that include sustainably forested materials, post consumer recycled content, low or no VOC finishes and locally produced or extracted materials. These choices help to reduce the demolition of the rainforests, reduce the use of oil in transporting long distances, and maintain forestation and wildlife habitat in areas that are quickly disappearing as human consumption increases.

Construction Waste – Wood and drywall materials was diverted from the landfill and sent to a recycling facility for processing. Since landfill space is rapidly decreasing, incineration produces pollutants, and waste of materials is in itself a negative impact to the environment the project recycled as much material as possible to minimize overall impacts. The project received the maximum of three LEED points and recycled at a rate of more than 83%.

The Team
Wright-Ryan Construction – Tom Wright & John Ryan, Co-owners; Ben MacDonald & Craig Hill, Project Managers; Mike Collins, Site Superintendent
Richard Renner|Architects – Richard Renner, Architect; Ian Parlin, Project Manager/Designer
Fore Solutions – Gunner Hubbard, Danuta Drozdowicz