Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: EcoHousing (FWD)

[Charles Ehrlich (chas]

>Don Maddox w: dmaddox [at] sr.hp.com h: donm [at] crl.com Santa Rosa, Ca
>is the author of this message but
>due to a listserv problem it was posted by the COHOUSING-L sysop.
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Hello All,
>
>In the meantime I want to pursue a dream of mine.  That is to
>incorporate ecohousing concepts into the construction of this
>cohousing project.  I have in mind some or all of the following:
>
>* Passive solar heating and cooling
>* Extra insulation in the exterior walls
>* Solar hot water backed up with on-demand hot water heaters
>* Efficient lighting
>* Efficient refrigeration
>* Community gardening, composting, and recycling
>
Don,

I'm glad a member of the Santa Rosa Group is on-line!  My wife and
I would love to be involved, but we are not at the right point in
our lives to be so far from "The City."  I'm planning on going to
grad school at UCB College of Environmental Design in '95 for my
Masters in Building Science.  Currently I work at the Pacific Gas &
Electric Energy Center.  One of us at the center, me included, would
be happy to avail ourselves and the Center for your project team's
exploration of energy efficiency.  We can offer a design review by
qualified architects and lighting experts, use of center equipment
including heliodon, light meters, glazing samples, and not to mention
a general tour of the Center which helps to raise everyone's general
knowledge level of energy efficiency issues.

I would add to your wish list, a commitment to find alternatives to
trees for the structure of your buildings.  Toward that end I offer
information on two wall products/methods: Energrid and Insteel.

     Energrid by Integrid Systems, Inc. (formerly rastra)
     A recycled styrofoam and concrete "block"
     R-24 for a 10" thick wall (conservative estimate)
     Blocks are mfgr'd as one piece 15" tall by 10' long
     Blocks form a 15" x 15" post-and-beam structure
     Walls are laid-out and glued-together with rebar in place
     Doors and windows are formed with end-cap units
     Entire floor of walls is poured with concrete at once
     Very strong, 2-HR fire rated, readily available
     Accepts traditional building "cladding" w/o hassle
     Possible minus: 
     thermal mass is insulated from interior space
     does not wick water :-) but is not water-tight=ext. cladding req'd.

     Insteel by InSteel Construction Systems, Inc.
     Panels of styrofoam (not recycled) and steel mesh 8' by ___ ft
     R-13 to R-19 depending upon thickness of styrofoam
     Walls are laid-out, openings cut-out and panels welded together
     Spray-on concrete (shotcrete) is applied to both sides
     Trowell finish for int. gyp-bd look or as-is for ext. stucco look
     Possible minus:
     Requires additional trade(s)?
     More expensive than tree framing

E-mail me for contact info...I left it at work: cke1 [at] pge.com.

-Chas
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| Charles Ehrlich               |   Archt'l 3D Modeling  |
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