Friday, November 28, 2008

Windows

There has been great progress on the house. The majority of the windows have been installed. One big difference that this house has from conventional building is that the windows go in before the walls are on. Once the walls are complete, everything will be trimmed out and it will really start to look like it is finished.

The windows are aluminum clad (of course!) and low-e. They also have a film that blocks 99% of the sun's UV rays that would damage furniture and window dressings.

Roof

The roof panels are one piece from top to bottom and are stacked side by side. They are made from a metal skin that sandwiches 4" rigid insulation. The insulation is roughly an R8 per inch which is equal to an R32. The system is high performing and fast to install. The entire roof only took about 4 hours to install.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Frequently asked questions about the 3030 house.

We've been getting all kinds of strange looks when people hear that we are building a steel house, followed by questions that have been pretty consistent. Here we try to answer them and if there is something that we have missed that you would like to learn more about, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Why steel? We believe that wood construction is inherently inferior. Straight 2X4s are difficult to come by and need to be chemically treated in order to increase their longevity. Wood is more susceptible to termites and fire. And you need fewer pieces of steel to frame a house.
What makes it more green? Steel has recycled content in it and is easily recycled when done. The pieces are all made in a factory and shipped to the building site. That means there is very little waste. In traditional wood framing there can be many dumpsters of waste. So far, there has only been a truck full of waste.
Do you need traditional insulation behind the drywall? You do not have to. The insulated wall panels already meet the code requirements for insulation. But we plan on filling the ceiling and walls anyway. The nominal cost to do that will give super insulated walls and the interior will be as quite as a library.
Is it more expensive to use steel versus traditional housing materials? The upfront material costs are a little more but the assembly time is less than wood. So the overall cost is roughly equal.
Was the design process different then if you were designing with traditional housing materials? It is more involved. Whereas plans for a traditional wood framed house will not show every framing piece, steel plans do. Every piece of steel is made in a factory so it needs to be planned out accordingly.
Does using steel limit your design possibilities? As a matter of fact, it does the opposite. There are many more things you can do with steel than wood.
How have the neighbors reacted so far? There has been tremendous support from the neighborhood. People are happier to see a conscientious home go in their neighborhood over a McMansion any day.
What will be the maintenance on the steel over time? Much less than wood. The finish on the exterior has a twenty year warranty.
Is the building inspection process any different? It is, but not by much. The county does not inspect the structure. A third party engineer certifies the structure for the county. The mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and sprinkler systems are inspected by the county.
Why is it called the 3030 house? Because that is its footprint. 30' by 30'.
Who is the architect? Greg Lavadera of Lami Design in conjunction with Ecosteel, who did the engineering and procurement.
Do you plan to build other steel houses? We would love to. This is a process and an aesthetic that we passionately believe in. We are constantly looking for like-minded people who want to share in the experience.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Barnwood

It is important to us that the cold of the steel be balanced with the warmth of wood. To do so, we found a local dilapidated barn that we recycled into the ceiling. It works well against the exposed bar joists. We also saved the 2x4s from the razed house (they were old growth "real" 2x4s). We epoxied and pressed the 2x4s together, planed them down, and placed them as stair treads. Green reuse is only limited by your imagination.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Erection & Panels

The steel arrived on a truck and is craned into place. It is bolted and welded together just like a commercial building. When used in a residential application, it allows great design flexibility. You can do things that are difficult with wood: totally open floor plans, large windows in corners. Plus, any to-do lists can get posted with magnets!

The exterior will be made with insulated wall panels. The 3" walls are a R-24, the 4" roof is an R-30. Once we fill the cavities, we expect to have R-70 and R-45 respectively. What is this R stuff anyhow? The R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. The bigger the number, the better the building insulation's effectiveness.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Excavation, Foundation and Flatwork

By placing the cellar half in the ground, we saved on hauling cost and maximized the view.

We treated the exposed concrete with a tilt-up patch to create an almost smooth as glass surface. The 1st coat leveled everything out. We then burnished the second coat with steel trowels. The third coat was sanded off while it was still green to bring the burnished layer through. Finally, we topped it off with three coats of a matte sealer.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Pre-existing and LamiDesign CAD drawings

This was the existing home that was razed and recycled. Concrete was separated from wood to minimize landfill waste.

Wet wall allows plumbing to run hidden since there will be no dropped ceiling.