Design
Patterns and Recommendations
9.
Walls
–
Choosing among efficient
options
 More than 90 percent of homes built in the United States are wood-framed.
There are some options for reducing the amount of wood used—and wasted—in wood
framing. These range from optimum value
engineering (OVE) to pre-assembled wood framing panels. There also are a variety of non-lumber building systems that offer material and
energy efficiency. These alternative systems
have been steadily gaining in popularity and market share over the past several years and
are worth considering, especially for projects with particular need for sound attenuation,
insect resistance, and resistance to hurricane-force winds or other climate extremes. Whatever wall system you choose, include integral
or supplementary insulation to make the system energy-efficient.
Recommendations:
§
Apply advanced framing
techniques, including two-stud corners, insulated headers, and 16-inch to
24-inch stud spacing to reduce framing lumber use in wood-framed walls.
§
Use finger-jointed framing
lumber in wood-framed walls to utilize wood efficiently and obtain
straight studs.
§
Consider the applicability of
wall systems such as insulating concrete forms, structural insulated
panels, insulative blocks, and in some situations, indigenous materials
such as earth and straw.
§
Insulation should be installed
at least to recommended Energy Star levels for the project’s climate.
§
Choose insulation materials
with the highest available recycled content.
§
Minimize thermal bridging.
Reference:
§
Guide
to Resource-Efficient Building Elements
§
Advanced Framing Techniques: Optimum Value Engineering
(OVE), NAHB Research Center
§
Insulation Fact Sheet
and Whole wall thermal
performance calculator from DOE Building Envelope Research at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory
§
Efficient Wood
Use in Residential Construction, compiled by NRDC
§ A
Systems Approach to Insulation, Environmental Design &
Construction Magazine
§
Concrete
Homes Technology Brief 5, Portland Cement Association (regarding
cost of ICF homes)
§
Structural
Insulated Panels, PATH Technology Inventory
§
The
Art of Natural Building, NetWorks Productions
Applied in Case Studies:
§
Casa
Verde Builders
§
Cascadia
§
Emeryville Resourceful Building
Project
§
Esperanza del Sol
§
Northside Strawbale Project
§
O’Brien
– Cunningham Home
§ The
Vista at Kensington Park
Additional Examples:
§ Davenport
Commons
§ Carl
Franklin Homes
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