LEED: Findlay Condos

This series of condos exhibit a contemporary design gracefully blended with Over-the-Rhine’s historic architectural qualities.  In combining the old with the new, this project strives to emphasize current means and methods of construction to meet the ever-growing demand of a sustainable lifestyle.  With this mindset in place, much of the project was directed by high performance fittings, fixtures, glazing, and responsibly sourced materials that cohesively seek out LEED GOLD certification. 

One of the early qualifiers for LEED was defining the project’s site, located within steps of ample amenities.  A streetcar line, bus stops, red bike locations, and numerous brands of electric scooters all pinpoint accessible transit alternatives to single user automobiles. In addition, the site is a swift walking distance to a plethora of businesses, grocers, and retail locations, again offering a break from potential excess reliance on automobiles.

The first physical steps in factoring LEED were focused on framing and insulation strategies.  Sourcing all framing materials within a specific distance from the build site eliminates excessive shipping & transportation, while helping maintain a connection with suppliers practicing sustainable forest management. The insulation strategies were derived through square footage of each unit, compared with various insulative materials used throughout, to calculate the most efficient heating & cooling systems for each condo.

Each material selection within these four condos was inherently chosen, not only for their functional and aesthetic quality, but for either their regional availability, low VOC content, or means of responsibility in which they were produced, delivered, and installed.  In cases where a desired material is not regional, it’s necessary to obtain an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council - sustainably harvested) certified product such as the tropical hardwood utilized as part of the roof decking.

Following the mindset of reduce, reuse, recycle, several existing elements in this project were highlighted as historic accents.  Two stretches of hallway display layers of plaster that evoke a feeling of ancient fresco, a nod to the building’s 110-year-old past, now preserved in the present.  Joists pulled from the building during demolition were salvaged, then rebuilt and reused as an accent staircase.  These, now stair treads, connect the eye from stairs to several levels of remaining exposed joists of the same material.

Surfaces throughout this site display a composite panel of recycled sawdust mixed with cement, showcased as cladding and benches surrounding a common courtyard.

In reflecting on this project, we’re able to see beyond the upfront benefits of LEED and acknowledge it is a continuing conversation. One that’s pushing us as designers, builders, and citizens of Cincinnati to be better stewards.  Better not only within our own homes but pushing our boundaries in ways we can think and act as stewards beyond our immediate communities.  That is a conversation we’re willing to keep having.

Nearing Completion: Elm Street Home Historic Restoration

Aside from choosing where to build, one of the most important questions in home design is howto build.  More specifically, it is critical to consider sustainable options and processes throughout the entire design process.  Sometimes that means reaching for LEED, and now that this project is just about complete, we wanted to share some of the features incorporated into this home to make it a LEED SILVER targeted project. 

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This historic home in Over-the-Rhine was built in 1900 as a single-family residence, and our clients fell in love with it.  It sits in the heart of an urban historic district flanked by two other historic row houses and is within steps of the streetcar and Washington Park (the location and site amenities alone offered some of the points required to reach our goals).  The building cycled through a variety of residential uses throughout its time varying from a boarding house, to rented room lodging, and was even broken down into 8 apartments at one point in time.  When we finally got ahold of it, it had been sitting officially empty for approximately 25 years and had quite a bit of water damage. This, in addition to the home’s location in a historic district, created some difficult challenges to navigate throughout the design process, especially because our clients knew from the beginning that they wanted to pursue LEED Certification.  Working together as a team with our clients, with Unlimited Carpentry General Contractors, and with Green Building Consulting, we were not only able to maintain the historic character of the home, but also control the environmental impact and waste during the build/renovation process.

We think that sharing some of our struggles is just as beneficial as sharing some of our achievements; it’s important to keep in mind that throughout any build process, but especially during a historic restoration process, designs may need to change as existing conditions are better known and understood.  There were many things in our build process that needed to be reconsidered, added, modified and researched.  It’s important to select a build team that will support you in this certification and has the knowledge and experience to do so.  One of the original sustainability goals with this project was to provide landscaping on the remaining site at the front and rear of the property allowing rainwater to permeate the surface and collect in a cistern. Upon further investigation, it was found that ground water was seeping into the entire basement through the stone foundation.  Our builders made the recommendation - for the overall integrity of the home – that our approach change to hardscape, and so our original design for achieving landscape points was unfortunately abandoned.  We also allowed enough roof space for solar panels to fuel the home by incorporating a rooftop shade structure on the occupiable roof deck. This would have allowed us to maintain the use of the roof deck and the views it offers while still gaining the benefit of solar power.  However, given some of the historic parameters we were working within, we were forced to moved away from solar at this time until - hopefully - smaller units become available.  These things certainly inhibited our ability to achieve LEED points, but we were able to re-evaluate and work together to attain points through many other ways.

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Following the minor addition in the breezeway and the construction of a stair penthouse to the roof, the home totals approximately 4,300 SF of interior space with a full basement and an occupiable roof deck. Throughout the entire home, we were able to reuse original tile, doors, window glass, sashes and casements, and some of the original wood floors, restore some of the existing brick and plaster, etc. ultimately lowering our need for new products.  Many of the new products we did need were recycled or were sourced locally.  There was no carpet installed anywhere in the home.  We worked closely with our clients to design some of the smallest and most considerate features, such as built-in shelving for shoes upon entry to the home, in order to achieve some of the points we needed.

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We looked closely at the bedroom and bathroom configuration through the house.  There are a number of bedrooms, including a couple of rooms that could also be utilized as bedrooms in the future.  LEED incentivizes this inherent flexibility, as it means the house can last for generations, accommodating a variety of family sizes without the addition of more common space.  This is taken into account through LEED’s Home Size Adjustment.

The bathrooms throughout the home all utilize very high-efficiency fixtures, including low-flush/dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets and shower-heads, which contributed several points toward the LEED goal.

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We added a stair penthouse to access the occupiable roof deck.  Since many of the buildings in this district are very long, narrow, and close together, our client wanted to use this as an opportunity to bring more natural light into the center of the home.  We opened the stair at the first floor, installed a number of operable windows at the roof deck to help with natural ventilation, and added a full skylight/glass roof to bring as much daylight as possible down into the (naturally dark) center of the home. We also opened up the first floor into the breezeway and added a glass conservatory roof bringing even more natural light into the first floor and offering more views for those spaces.

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Nearing Completion: Pleasant Street Home

We’ve been watching this new single family residence take shape for two of our repeat clients.  Now that it is nearly complete, we want to share some of the special features that were included in the design process to make this a LEED Platinum targeted project. 

The decision of where to build is the first step in green building.  The project is situated on a vacant double lot in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.  The density of Over-the-Rhine and the density of the house itself on its site were critical!  Ten of the required 89 LEED points came from the qualities of the site; a previously-developed infill site with access to existing infrastructure, community resources, transit, and open space. (Who wouldn’t want to be within steps of Findlay Market, the streetcar, and Washington Park?)  Walkability reduces the reliance on automobiles, and the re-use of land in an urban core reduces sprawl.

Site before construction.

 The design of the house is compact on the site, with 2800 sf of space divided into three stories on a tenth of an acre.  Inside the house, the number of bedrooms - including possible future bedrooms - contributes to the flexibility of the house.  The home is intended to be used with three bedrooms, but the layout and orientation of the home office, first floor living room, and third floor study could allow these spaces to be converted to or used as bedrooms in the future.  LEED incentivizes this inherent flexibility, as it means this house can last for generations, accommodating a variety of family sizes without the addition of more common space.  LEED’s Home Size Adjustment takes this into account.

Selections of very high efficiency plumbing fixtures contributed several points to the LEED goal.  The home’s two full-baths and two powder rooms utilize flow rates of 1.2 gpm for lavatories, 1.75 gpm for showers, and 0.96 gpf for toilets.  

The exceptional energy performance of this house is two-fold.  Outboard insulation on the walls and spray foam at the roofs, along with good U-factor windows, and efficient HVAC equipment contribute to a robust envelope.  The building ultimately obtained a HERS index of 58. 

Points for efficient hot water distribution were obtained with carefully located hot water heaters.  By limiting the run of pipe from the water heater to the source, less water is wasted while waiting for hot water, and less heat is wasted from the pipes.  One water heater is mounted high on the wall on the first floor, and one is mounted low on the wall on the 3rd floor, with carefully coordinated pipe runs that were measured in the field.

Certain design decisions in the house help improve the quality of the indoor air.  Foregoing a fireplace prevents combustion particles in the air.  Detaching the garage prevents fumes and other pollutants from making their way into the house.  Even a design move as simple as providing an area for taking off and storing shoes near the entryway reduces dirt and pollutants being tracked through the home.

Material selections featured in this home include locally produced goods (white shingle roof, poplar trim), sustainably sourced products (solid core doors with sustainable core-filling material and bamboo composite decking), and otherwise better-for-your-health products (low VOC paints and finishes). 

In the end, building a house requires thousands (millions?) of questions to be answered.  Using LEED as a guide, some of those choices can lead to a healthy, durable, more sustainable home.

Stay tuned for a full project highlight when all the final details are in place!