Passive House on NYTimes

New Re-Creates Old

Summer with Superman!

Rethinking needs of home... Tiny houses

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

An inspiration to build a better world.

Watch the full episode. See more Citizen Architect.

http://samuelmockbee.net/

Optimal ways to retrofit insulation in an old house.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/renovation-nation/renovation-nation-episodes/arlington-massachusetts.html

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTVSeason?i=349414691&id=312319055&s=143441

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/getting-insulation-out-your-walls-and-ceilings
http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-139-deep-energy-retrofit-of-a-sears-roebuck-house-a-home-for-the-next-100-years/?searchterm=insulation%20retrofit

These are excellent and optimal examples of insulation retrofits on existing homes,  If anyone reading needs siding and/or their roof replaced -- follow the exterior insulation method!

We would remove the cladding and insulate the exterior of our bungalow using the "persist" method in a heartbeat if it weren't for the excellent condition of our existing stucco which would cost thousands and thousands to replace.....

For our home we are looking at a slow rise cavity fill closed cell polyurethane for to bring our existing walls up to an r-vaule of ~R24.  Cellulose and open-cell, traditional retrofits, while cost effective and easy to install are very likely to create moisture problems with our stucco, by storing water in our old vapor permeable wall assembly.  We are searching for a suitable closed cell product so that the interior wall cavity will be vapor impermeable.  Any moisture could dry through the exterior stucco or interior plaster, and not be trapped inside the stud cavity as might be the case with an open cell product that would hold water in our wall like a sponge.

A few resources I have collected on the only slow-rise polyurethane closed cell foam I have found:
http://www.tigerfoam.ca/video/SR_HIGH_with_crawl.wmv
http://www.tigerfoam.ca/pdf/SlowRiseinjectionprocedures.pdf
http://www.tigerfoam.ca/pdf/TS-Slow%20rise1-24.pdf

Please comment with any additional resources!

Insulation can't work if the air leaks in

The example we are basing our air sealing of the existing first story kitchen and dining room walls.

Fiber glass sheatrock, spray closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation and 2 gal of mastic

sealing all the air leaks makes for warm mornings! 

Gypsum board makes it look like a real home again!

Future clearstory for 36" above lvl

- Jason

Historic Biomimicry

- Jason

Global Climate Chaos

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/science/earth/15climate.html

Roof Overhangs

100's & 100's of bead-board trim to paint on a 97degree Sunday...

The Monday results make it all worth while :)

The deadliest street in America

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Sometimes we need to look outside of our home and really become involved in what type of communities we shape with our infrastructure spending. These issues will be on my mind when I vote.

Rain outside, dry inside

- Jason

NYTimes Homes to Live in

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/home-for-life/?hp

Peaceful night in Minneapolis

- Jason

Dueling Sawzalls

- Jason

Roof sheathing Friday

Building Is An Act of Faith -- faith in your design, your team, your scaffolding, the weather, and yourself. Bit by bit that faith is rewarded and strengthened. Nails, glue, and brackets may hold your structure together, but the belief in each other is the the bond that sustains this activity.














- Jason

Existing Framing -- video from the end of June, first weeks of July

Pizza in the big tent

Stick frame progress

- Jason

View up stairway

- Jason

Nighttime cupcakes

- Finally done with demo of main interior spaces... Even I-joists can be beautiful in the right light :) -j

Location:Fremont Ave S,Minneapolis,United States

July 20th quick update

July 8th -quick update - Start of Stair framing

July 7th -- quick project update

Previous days Demo/construction-exploration video to be uploaded soon!



-Jason

Demolish and Rebuild vs. Remodel?

Need for Action

With greenhouse gasses increasing and 48% of the greenhouse gasses coming from existing buildings distributed all over the world, a critical question is what can be done to reduce these harmful emissions. (For related information see an excellent PBS program by Ed Mazeria at http://www.pbs.org/e2/episodes/212_architecture_2030_trailer.html) We can't wait for governments and partisan politics to solve this problem. Individual actions can make a difference.

This blog shows how something can be done by an individual homeowner. It follows the conversion of a 100 year old, drafty, poorly insulated bungalow to a carbon neutral structure. This is being done while occupied, with a tight budget, and with the ambitious goal of being carbon neutral in 100 days. Is this possible? Follow the blog and find out. Tear down of the second floor roof began on June 29, 2010 and the project is currently on day 6: one dumpster full and a break for the 4th of July and rainy weather, but more to come starting Monday with improved weather on the horizon.

Bungalow Renovation Future-Phase2

A few drawings of the a second phase to renovate our bungalow.  Currently the construction is only for a small new roof & room over the breakfast area and a new stairway on the back of the house.  After finding all of the damaged and poorly built existing roof framing we are thinking of re-building the entire roof in a second, later phase2 of the project.  We would like to increase the height of the roof a few feet, but still keep it a low shed bungalow roof, very similar to the existing house but with a steeper slope for more headroom in the upstairs.  We plan make the new roof look like a 1911 bungalow with exposed cedar rafter-tails, stained bead-board trim under the eves and cedar side bracing.  The first floor will remain entirely the same and the entire renovation of the second floor roof is within the existing size of the house.  Our goal is to have the house fit right in with other bungalows on the street yet bring in amble sunlight and passive solar heat into the core of the home,

           

This phase is planned for  this fall or next spring/summer.

Bungalow Renovation Renderings

April Garden

Roof View Day 2 roof tear-off

Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia | Video on TED.com

An interesting lecture about how our built environment shapes our habitat and limits options to rehabilitate in the future:

Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia | Video on TED.com