How Low Can You Go? Home Energy Efficiency Explained

Acorn Progam Snapshot

On Wednesday, April 29, Jean Terwilliger participated in a panel discussion of Home Energy Efficiency Standards in a program sponsored by the Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op and moderated by board member Andrea Murray.  Other panelists included Alex Carver of Northern Timbers Construction, Richard Faesy of Energy Futures Group, and Peter Schneider of VEIC.  They explained the difference between different standards of energy efficiency, discussed current trends in the industry, and addressed questions from the lively and attentive audience. A video of the event is available here.

Town of Waterbury Breaks Ground on New Municipal Complex

Ashar and Andrea joined Governor Peter Shumlin, Congressman Peter Welch, and many Waterbury town officers and employees for the Waterbury Municipal Complex groundbreaking ceremony on April 13.

WMC-Ashar

 

Construction is expected to take about 40 weeks, with estimated completion in December 2015.  The new municipal complex will provide office space for many government services housed in temporary facilities since Tropical Storm Irene destroyed the municipal offices nearly 4 years ago.

 

Golden-Shovels---WMC

 

The design also includes a Community Meeting Room, an expanded library, and space for the Waterbury Historical Society, formerly housed in the historic Dr. Janes House.  The Janes House will undergo a full renovation and restoration as part of the project.  Check our facebook page and the Waterbury Historical Society website for construction updates.

 

 

Jean Terwilliger Becomes Passive House Certified

Jean Terwilliger Architect LEED AP Homes, NCARB, Certified Passive House Consultant

Jean Terwilliger, Project Architect with VIA, recently received certification as a Passive House Designer and Consultant through the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, Germany. Certification was based on eight days of training and a written examination covering topics such as thermal envelopes, ventilation and exhaust systems, thermal bridge prevention, and renovations with Passive House components. Jean is also a certified LEED for Homes provider.

Passive House (Passivhaus in German) is a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in buildings. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating and cooling while achieving high levels of comfort, durability, and indoor air quality. Passive House buildings provide wonderful, healthy, light-filled spaces for occupants while providing long term affordability and a path to large greenhouse gas reductions. Because each Passive House is unique based on the local climate and particular site, careful, site-specific planning and execution of the details is paramount. Certified designers have the expertise to provide the design and energy modeling required to help clients achieve Passive House energy standards. “While I have been using the principles of Passive House design for a long time,” says Terwilliger, “I look forward to integrating this deeper level of understanding into my work for even healthier and more efficient buildings.” Terwilliger’s past projects include many energy star homes including three for Habitat for Humanity of Addison County, and several homes in design and under construction which will meet Efficiency Vermont’s High Performance, Net-zero-ready standard.

Roundtable Discussion for Residential Building Professionals

Residential building professionals roundtable discussion

On Wednesday, March 25, VIA is hosting a roundtable discussion for residential building professionals – architects, builders, realtors, and others – to discuss the reasons behind the rising costs of construction of new energy efficient homes and ways we can work together to address these costs.  The roundtable will be held at the Town Hall Theater Studio in Middlebury at 7:00. We have a great group already planning to participate!  If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to gwen@vermontintegratedarchitecture.com.   We look forward to seeing you there!

It’s Cozier Now at the Ilsley Library

Air sealing and insulation at the Ilsley Library reduce heat loss
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Jean Terwilliger attends the final blower door test at the Ilsley Library.

 

Every winter, the Ilsley Library in Middlebury experienced roof leaks and ice damming, creating safety issues, such as poor air quality and falling ice, in and around the building. The library decided to address these problems in a holistic way with a full building envelope analysis. The study showed many gaps in air sealing and insulation in the original construction and subsequent additions. VIA worked with the library to address insulation, ice damming, and roof replacement in a cost effective manner. Completed this fall, the roof and attic insulation work reduced air leakage in the whole building by almost 40%, and the library staff reports that the building is much warmer. As a result, the library should see a significant decrease in heating fuel usage in the coming years.

 

Girl Power! – VIA Announces Two New Hires

We are happy to announce the addition of Lealoni Coathup and Gwen Nagy-Benson to the VIA team this September, tipping the office gender balance decidedly toward the feminine.

A 2014 graduate of Norwich University with a Masters of Architecture Degree, Lealoni, Architectural Designer, will primarily assist VIA architects in designing and executing project drawings and other documents.   Having grown up in a small town in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, Lealoni recognizes the value in community involvement in the design process and seeks to create beautiful spaces that are meaningfully of the place.

Gwen will be in the office two mornings a week to assist VIA with administrative functions.  With a Master of Arts in Landscape Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design, Gwen is eager to work amid design professionals who share her interest in ecologically sound and sustainable human spaces.  She brings experience in human resources and a growing understanding of energy efficiency and renewable energy though community involvement and work with the Acorn Energy Co-op.

Please stop by our offices in the historic Marbleworks District in Middlebury, meet Lealoni and Gwen, and see what we’re up to.

Middlebury Architects Join Forces

Jean Terwilliger Architect LEED AP Homes, NCARB, Certified Passive House Consultant

Vermont Integrated Architecture, P.C. (VIA) is pleased to announce that Jean Terwilliger, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP H has joined the firm as a project architect.

Jean specializes in the design of sustainable buildings, including additions and renovations, using collaborative design methods and cost-effective green building technologies. Jean’s recent projects include the renovation and restoration of the Trackside Depot in Middlebury, the first LEED Gold rated home in Rutland County, several Energy Star rated homes, and a wide range of smaller projects throughout Central Vermont.

A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Jean is licensed in Vermont and New Hampshire, NCARB certified, has over 20 years of experience and extensive training in sustainable design. She worked for firms in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont and spent several years raising two children before starting her own firm in Cornwall in 2003. She is a member of the Cornwall Planning Commission, donated design services for several Addison County Habitat for Humanity Energy Star rated houses, and guided the construction of the new home of the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society as co-chair of the building committee from 2003-2009.

Jean has been collaborating with VIA part-time since the Fall of 2013. Her VIA projects include specification writing and detailing for a 46,000 square foot State Office Building in St. Albans, overseeing energy efficiency upgrades to the Ilsley Public Library, and a variety of local residential projects.

VIA was established in 2011 by Andrea Murray, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP and Ashar Nelson, AIA, LEED AP. Andrea and Ashar share a vision with their employees to design delightful spaces that benefit communities and their respective environments. Andrea and Ashar both grew up in Vermont and are very sensitive to the beauty, variability, and vulnerability of our precious natural and built landscapes – and of course the transition areas in between.

We decided to name our firm Vermont Integrated Architecture, or VIA, because we always work with our clients, consultants, and other project stakeholders to find a better way (‘VIA’) to make our buildings. We also believe in our Vermont-ness and that our architecture is not about us, but about our clients and the many other people who contribute to its design and development, hence an Integrated process. We also hope that our firm will grow over the years to be a collaborative, or laboratory, for the advancement of an Architecture that is timeless, yet rooted in our place.

Jean’s connection to our community, experience with high-performance buildings and sustainability, and overall excellence in design make her an excellent addition to the VIA team.

Visit VIA in the Marbleworks in Middlebury or online at www.vermontintegratedarchitecture.com

Modeling Waterbury Municipal Complex

This past week at VIA, my first at the firm, my fellow intern Ellie and I have been constructing a massing model for the new Waterbury Municipal Center. The project will integrate a new addition onto the existing Janes house, which currently houses the town’s library. The new addition will house town offices as well as a new and larger library. The Janes house will then house the town offices and historical society.

On Monday we hauled a workbench to the windowed entrance of our office, and throughout the week this make-shift model shop caught the eye of many passersby on their various errands about the Marbleworks. To our delight, one kid (future architect?) and his father stepped inside for a closer look and a few questions. Another onlooker pointed to our project remarking, “Now that’s the job I want!” We agree.  There’s nothing like the smell of chipboard in the morning.

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After a week of eXactos and Elmer’s, this morning we finally took our preliminary model out by the falls for a mini photo-shoot in natural light. Here are a few of her best angles.

– Intern Jane McCabe

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Library Entrance Perspective

 

 

The Key: A Great Builder

Happy builders Alex Carver and Phil Bartch of Northern Timbers peeking out of the window of a new 2200 square foot private residence in Bridport, Vermont.  The house sits on a beautiful piece of property at the south end of Snake Mountain.  Blessed with exquisite views and a variety of natural systems, the property invites a house that integrates into its site while minimizing impact.  This includes minimizing the amount of energy consumed in its operations and eliminating the need for consumption of any fossil fuels.  Since the onset of design in the Spring of 2012, Alex has been at the table assisting with budgeting, detailing, and overall constructability planning.  With assistance from Efficiency Vermont, Alex has been instrumental in researching and modeling a variety of energy efficiency strategies from envelope and air sealing strategies to a variety of building systems approaches.  As the house nears completion, we believe it will meet passive house standards and offer our client net-zero energy opportunities, with minimal – if any – energy costs.  Once complete, we will perform cost analyses to see if the added envelope upgrades balance with the reduced mechanical equipment costs.  We will also monitor on-going energy production and consumption. We hope to share that there is little or no upcharge to design and build buildings this way and that the performance is exceptional.

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Having Northern Timbers involved in this project from the very beginning of the project has been key to its success, and we can’t say enough how talented and thoughtful these fellows are.

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For more information, see www.northerntimbers.com, or give Vermont Integrated Architecture a call at 802-989-7249.