Unity House

Location

Unity, Maine

Overview

LEED Standing

Platinum

Project Team

• Architect: Randall S. Walter
• Builder: Bensonwood Homes

Unity House has achieved LEED Platinum! Built as the home for the president of Unity College, the home incorporates a number of design innovations that demonstrate how affordable, environmentally efficient homes can be built using currently available methods and materials. To achieve LEED Platinum certification, Unity House was scored in a number of areas, from the design process and building materials used, to energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. One of the key attributes of the home lies in Bensonwood’s Open-Built® design/build system, which separates out the wires, piping, ducting and other mechanical systems and organizes them into chases. With the mechanical systems disentangled from the structure of the house, they are then easily accessible for future repairs, upgrades, or general remodeling without the waste normally associated with these kinds of renovations. All plumbing, wiring, and fixtures are routed through insulated channels to eliminate heat gain/loss.

This 1,930 square foot home is highly insulated with a tight thermal envelope. With insulation up to 8 inches thick and triple glazed windows, the walls achieve an R-40 value rating. The roof clocks in at a whopping R-67, while the concrete floor achieves a solid R-20. The concrete slab retains heat in the winter and helps cool the house in summer. Its windows provide passive solar heating, which means that, as late as last December, when outside temperatures dropped into the teens, its residents, Mitch and Cindy Thomashow, rarely needed to use energy from the home’s photovoltaic solar panels to heat the home.

High-efficiency appliances and low-flow water fixtures were also added. Interior walls can be moved or detached using simple tools, creating new space for its residents. While passive solar and geothermal are the primary energy providers, fossil fuels, generators, and batteries can be integrated into the overall design. The home can also be linked to the grid to return any excess energy produced. Finally, if the home happens to be situated in a wind corridor, it can be linked to domestic scale turbines for a consistent boost. To learn more and join the conversation about Unity, please click here.

Green building features inlcude:

• Photovoltaic panels
• Passive solar heating
• Geothermal heat pump
• Air lock entry system
• Heat recovery ventilator
• Low VOC paints, finishes and stains
• Extensive use of recycled materials
• Minimal construction waste

Architect: Randall S. Walter
randall@bensonwood.com
603-756-3600

Builder: Bensonwood Homes
keithz@bensonwood.com
603-756-3600