Category: After It’s Built

Energy Efficiency made Simple

BuildSMART-Building-SMART-Build-SMART-J-Form-Underslab-Insulation-Vapor-Barrier-Gravel-Bed-and-concrete-slab-on-grade-contractor-Horizontal-Wing-Insulation-high-performance-wall-panel-building-envelope-E-Wall-buildsmartna.com-Passive-House-energy-efficiency-net-zero-J-Form-insulated-permanent-shallow-foundation-Form-System-prefabrication-prefab-modular-construction-Developer-Architect-Builder-Homeowner-Exterior-Wall-Panel-Interior-Frame-Walls-Single-Family-Multifamily-Senior-Living-Assisted-Care-Daycare-Clinic-Student-Living-School-Office-Hospitality-Mixed-Use-Slab-On-Grade-Crawl-Space-Basement-Piers-Column-Walk-Out-Basement-Energy-Star-LEED-WELL-Living-Building-Challenge-FORTIFIED-Thermal-Efficiency-Labor-Savings-Low-risk-air-barrier-and-very-low-infiltration-rates-severe-weather-survivability-sound-attenuation-and-a-quiet-secure-feeling-inside-low-cost-of-ownership-optimized-construction-cost-and-operation-cost-total-cost-of-ownership-optimized-cash-flow-and-return-on-investment-construction-drawings-Floor-Plans-scale-and-dimension- Elevations-Wall-Section-Window-Door-Schedule-Section Details-Lender-Structural Engineer-MEP Engineer-Energy Modeler-Energy-Rater-Resilience-zero-carbon-Panelized-Passive-House-Multifamily-Prefabricated-Modular-Offsite-construction-Off-site-construction-Code-comparison-Financial-analysis-Return-on-investment-ROI-Internal-rate-of-return-IRR-Real-estate-valuation-Cash-flow-Pro-forma-Financial-terms-in-attached-documents-Noise-Sound-proofing-NIMBY-Health-Covid-19-Ventilation-Section-8-Voucher-program-Build-to-Rent-All-AIA-education-credits-Health-Safety-Welfare-credits-HSW-NIMBY-Covid-19-Ventilation-Noise-Soundproofing

“Beautifully designed and beautifully built”

“Beautifully designed and beautifully built” This laneway housing project, designed by BSN Architects, received a SAB Award for small residential category (2021). Local Impact Design was Passive House Consultant, energy modeler and structural/HVAC engineer. The project is exemplary in a number of ways, proving the concept of pre-fab + Passive House + net zero energy.…
Read more

Video: Tim McDonald on Making Multifamily Passive House a Reality

This presentation was recorded on October 8th, 2019 for the Passive House Rocky Mountian monthly online roundtable, a regular event typically on the first Tuesday featuring a wide range of speakers and topics related to Passive House and low carbon buildings. The goal of Zero Carbon Multifamily starts with Passive House Tim McDonald is the President and…
Read more

BuildSMART-Building-SMART-Build-SMART-J-Form-Underslab-Insulation-Vapor-Barrier-Gravel-Bed-and-concrete-slab-on-grade-contractor-Horizontal-Wing-Insulation-high-performance-wall-panel-building-envelope-E-Wall-buildsmartna.com-Passive-House-energy-efficiency-net-zero-J-Form-insulated-permanent-shallow-foundation-Form-System-prefabrication-prefab-modular-construction-Developer-Architect-Builder-Homeowner-Exterior-Wall-Panel-Interior-Frame-Walls-Single-Family-Multifamily-Senior-Living-Assisted-Care-Daycare-Clinic-Student-Living-School-Office-Hospitality-Mixed-Use-Slab-On-Grade-Crawl-Space-Basement-Piers-Column-Walk-Out-Basement-Energy-Star-LEED-WELL-Living-Building-Challenge-FORTIFIED-Thermal-Efficiency-Labor-Savings-Low-risk-air-barrier-and-very-low-infiltration-rates-severe-weather-survivability-sound-attenuation-and-a-quiet-secure-feeling-inside-low-cost-of-ownership-optimized-construction-cost-and-operation-cost-total-cost-of-ownership-optimized-cash-flow-and-return-on-investment-construction-drawings-Floor-Plans-scale-and-dimension- Elevations-Wall-Section-Window-Door-Schedule-Section Details-Lender-Structural Engineer-MEP Engineer-Energy Modeler-Energy-Rater-Resilience-zero-carbon-Panelized-Passive-House-Multifamily-Prefabricated-Modular-Offsite-construction-Off-site-construction-Code-comparison-Financial-analysis-Return-on-investment-ROI-Internal-rate-of-return-IRR-Real-estate-valuation-Cash-flow-Pro-forma-Financial-terms-in-attached-documents-Noise-Sound-proofing-NIMBY-Health -Ventilation-Section-8-Voucher-program-Build-to-Rent-All-AIA-education-credits-Health-Safety-Welfare-credits-HSW-NIMBY-Ventilation-Noise-Soundproofing

11 great reasons why Passive House is such a great green building standard

When considering a building standard there are eleven complimentary reasons to choose the Passive House Standard. 1.  It fundamentally addresses the climate crisis imperative.  To mitigate the worst effects of climate change we are required to decarbonize our economies while meeting the demands of global development.  Passive House does this by providing the same low…
Read more

BuildSMART-Building-SMART-Build-SMART-J-Form-Underslab-Insulation-Vapor-Barrier-Gravel-Bed-and-concrete-slab-on-grade-contractor-Horizontal-Wing-Insulation-high-performance-wall-panel-building-envelope-E-Wall-buildsmartna.com-Passive-House-energy-efficiency-net-zero-J-Form-insulated-permanent-shallow-foundation-Form-System-prefabrication-prefab-modular-construction-Developer-Architect-Builder-Homeowner-Exterior-Wall-Panel-Interior-Frame-Walls-Single-Family-Multifamily-Senior-Living-Assisted-Care-Daycare-Clinic-Student-Living-School-Office-Hospitality-Mixed-Use-Slab-On-Grade-Crawl-Space-Basement-Piers-Column-Walk-Out-Basement-Energy-Star-LEED-WELL-Living-Building-Challenge-FORTIFIED-Thermal-Efficiency-Labor-Savings-Low-risk-air-barrier-and-very-low-infiltration-rates-severe-weather-survivability-sound-attenuation-and-a-quiet-secure-feeling-inside-low-cost-of-ownership-optimized-construction-cost-and-operation-cost-total-cost-of-ownership-optimized-cash-flow-and-return-on-investment-construction-drawings-Floor-Plans-scale-and-dimension- Elevations-Wall-Section-Window-Door-Schedule-Section Details-Lender-Structural Engineer-MEP Engineer-Energy Modeler-Energy-Rater-Resilience-zero-carbon-Panelized-Passive-House-Multifamily-Prefabricated-Modular-Offsite-construction-Off-site-construction-Code-comparison-Financial-analysis-Return-on-investment-ROI-Internal-rate-of-return-IRR-Real-estate-valuation-Cash-flow-Pro-forma-Financial-terms-in-attached-documents-Noise-Sound-proofing-NIMBY-Health-Covid-19-Ventilation-Section-8-Voucher-program-Build-to-Rent-All-AIA-education-credits-Health-Safety-Welfare-credits-HSW-NIMBY-Covid-19-Ventilation-Noise-Soundproofing

Parade Street housing facilities hosts ribbon cutting

The $12-million-dollar Parade Street affordable housing project, which uses The Build SMART System, in Erie’s East Side is complete! The Parade Street Commons East is located just off of Parade Street between East 19th and 20th Streets. This new addition of housing gives families with low to moderate income another option of somewhere to live.…
Read more

BuildSMART-Building-SMART-Build-SMART-J-Form-Underslab-Insulation-Vapor-Barrier-Gravel-Bed-and-concrete-slab-on-grade-contractor-Horizontal-Wing-Insulation-high-performance-wall-panel-building-envelope-E-Wall-buildsmartna.com-Passive-House-energy-efficiency-net-zero-J-Form-insulated-permanent-shallow-foundation-Form-System-prefabrication-prefab-modular-construction-Developer-Architect-Builder-Homeowner-Exterior-Wall-Panel-Interior-Frame-Walls-Single-Family-Multifamily-Senior-Living-Assisted-Care-Daycare-Clinic-Student-Living-School-Office-Hospitality-Mixed-Use-Slab-On-Grade-Crawl-Space-Basement-Piers-Column-Walk-Out-Basement-Energy-Star-LEED-WELL-Living-Building-Challenge-FORTIFIED-Thermal-Efficiency-Labor-Savings-Low-risk-air-barrier-and-very-low-infiltration-rates-severe-weather-survivability-sound-attenuation-and-a-quiet-secure-feeling-inside-low-cost-of-ownership-optimized-construction-cost-and-operation-cost-total-cost-of-ownership-optimized-cash-flow-and-return-on-investment-construction-drawings-Floor-Plans-scale-and-dimension- Elevations-Wall-Section-Window-Door-Schedule-Section Details-Lender-Structural Engineer-MEP Engineer-Energy Modeler-Energy-Rater-Resilience-zero-carbon-Panelized-Passive-House-Multifamily-Prefabricated-Modular-Offsite-construction-Off-site-construction-Code-comparison-Financial-analysis-Return-on-investment-ROI-Internal-rate-of-return-IRR-Real-estate-valuation-Cash-flow-Pro-forma-Financial-terms-in-attached-documents-Noise-Sound-proofing-NIMBY-Health-Covid-19-Ventilation-Section-8-Voucher-program-Build-to-Rent-All-AIA-education-credits-Health-Safety-Welfare-credits-HSW-NIMBY-Covid-19-Ventilation-Noise-Soundproofing

Why Building Resilience is the Future of Sustainable Building

Hurricane Michael. Superstorm Sandy. The Phuket Tsunami. The Nepal Earthquake. Super Typhoon Haiyan. Whenever and wherever a natural disaster wreaks havoc in the world, sustainability and building resilience, a.k.a. resilient design, becomes the topic of conversation amongst architects, builders, and contractors. Yet the two, while equally important, are not synonyms. A newsfeed populated with catastrophic images of death and…
Read more

7.3 Million Homes at Risk of 2019 Hurricane Storm Surge Damage with $1.8 Trillion in Potential Reconstruction Costs, According to CoreLogic Report

CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo, RQE and PXPoint are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CoreLogic® (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released its 2019 CoreLogic Storm Surge report, which shows more than 7.3 million single- and multifamily homes along the…
Read more

Hankin Lecture highlights small shifts to create big changes in housing industry

Original Story Published On Penn State News by Rachel Fawcett UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Timothy McDonald, president and co-founder of Onion Flats LLC in Philadelphia, will deliver the 2019 Hankin Distinguished Lecture, titled “Leverage Points: Climate Change and the Imperative of Affordable Housing,” at 4 p.m. Nov. 13 in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Freeman Auditorium at…
Read more

BuildSMART-Building-SMART-Build-SMART-J-Form-Underslab-Insulation-Vapor-Barrier-Gravel-Bed-and-concrete-slab-on-grade-contractor-Horizontal-Wing-Insulation-high-performance-wall-panel-building-envelope-E-Wall-buildsmartna.com-Passive-House-energy-efficiency-net-zero-J-Form-insulated-permanent-shallow-foundation-Form-System-prefabrication-prefab-modular-construction-Developer-Architect-Builder-Homeowner-Exterior-Wall-Panel-Interior-Frame-Walls-Single-Family-Multifamily-Senior-Living-Assisted-Care-Daycare-Clinic-Student-Living-School-Office-Hospitality-Mixed-Use-Slab-On-Grade-Crawl-Space-Basement-Piers-Column-Walk-Out-Basement-Energy-Star-LEED-WELL-Living-Building-Challenge-FORTIFIED-Thermal-Efficiency-Labor-Savings-Low-risk-air-barrier-and-very-low-infiltration-rates-severe-weather-survivability-sound-attenuation-and-a-quiet-secure-feeling-inside-low-cost-of-ownership-optimized-construction-cost-and-operation-cost-total-cost-of-ownership-optimized-cash-flow-and-return-on-investment-construction-drawings-Floor-Plans-scale-and-dimension- Elevations-Wall-Section-Window-Door-Schedule-Section Details-Lender-Structural Engineer-MEP Engineer-Energy Modeler-Energy-Rater-Resilience-zero-carbon-Panelized-Passive-House-Multifamily-Prefabricated-Modular-Offsite-construction-Off-site-construction-Code-comparison-Financial-analysis-Return-on-investment-ROI-Internal-rate-of-return-IRR-Real-estate-valuation-Cash-flow-Pro-forma-Financial-terms-in-attached-documents-Noise-Sound-proofing-NIMBY-Health -Ventilation-Section-8-Voucher-program-Build-to-Rent-All-AIA-education-credits-Health-Safety-Welfare-credits-HSW-NIMBY-Ventilation-Noise-Soundproofing

Tenants have moved into Blossom Park!

Tenants have moved into Blossom Park! This Indwell Passive House Affordable Housing project was built using Build SMART LLC panels and includes PV panels which make it net electricity positive. There are 34 units, common spaces, a large kitchen for daily meals, and offices for Indwell We loved working with Build SMART, Fourth Pig: green & natural construction ,…
Read more

On-Site vs. Off-Site: a Deeper Dive

Closer analysis of total cost leads to the ultimate concept of “total value” in home building After working a variety of construction jobs and for a large commercial lumber dealer in my youth, I cut my teeth after college at U.S. Steel, then Motorola—low-tech and high-tech manufacturing, respectively. I truly saw the good, the bad,…
Read more

On-Site vs. Off-Site: a Total Cost Analysis

Most builders and component suppliers do a marginal job of calculating true, fully loaded, total cost when comparing various methods. It’s time to remedy that The articles, columns, seminars, and social media posts describing how off-site construction methods will revolutionize home building continue unabated. With labor shortages once again polling near the top of home builder concerns,…
Read more