The Philadelphia Business Journal has been drafting a story on our project for a few months now. It came out last Friday to the title of “Little house on the infill.” There are a few slight inaccuracies in the story that I wanted to clarify here as well as a bit of additional info for those of you that might be new to the blog.

1. The construction cost of $100K (& $100 psf) is for hard construction only. Simply labor and materials to build the house on the left of the photo.
2. Our target price range for all homes based on the 100K model is between $200K - $300K. In the future there will be different models, sizes and bedroom options but we want to stick as close as possible to this range.
3. To hit this range depends completely on the location of the homes. We are targeting market rate pricing of standard homes, but delivering better design and LEED standards. If you can buy a $250K rehab in a neighborhood, we hope to offer a better new home of the same size and same price down the street if possible. Land costs and even hard construction costs have less to do with the final price than going market rate of standard homes in that neighborhood…
4. It sounds like the $250 psf cost that Re:Vision Architecture is speaking of may be in reference to some of the popular prefab outfits out there.
5. We are building two homes right now. One is the 100K that my wife and I will be moving into and the other is right next door on the corner that we are selling. It’s on the market now.
6. The next project is two homes down the street. One is sold to Mario and Mel mentioned in the article and the other will be put on the market for sale.
7. We have secured land to build two more homes after that right behind the current 100K project. This makes a total of 6 homes we are working on building in the first half of 2009. Hopefully more will be scheduled for the second half.
8. Mario, Mel and their daughter, Rosario, are awesome.
9. The 100K House is 18′ wide (not 22′) by 36′ deep and is about 1,150 square feet.
10. SIPs stands for “Structurally Insulated Panels.” They are framing, insualtion and sheathing in one.
11. The other members of Postgreen, Nic Darling and Courtney Ludeman deserve to be in the pictures also. Here is a nice pic with the whole gang.

Thanks for reading and visiting. Feel free to ask any other questions brought up by the article and we will be happy to answer them here.

The conversation on my original post on energy monitoring and controls has been fantastic. Great ideas have been presented and examples that approximate my wishful thinking have been shared. Thank you to all of you who added your input.

After looking through all the links and concepts shared in the comments of the last post, I still think there is room for someone to develop a more intuitive, comprehensive and affordable solution. Most of what actually exists right now is either designed for highly complex commercial applications or falls far short of the whole vision for this system. There are residential home automation solutions and energy monitoring options, but as far as I have seen, nobody has integrated the two smoothly. So, we are going to dream a little more.

I imagine a system in which each point of power use (ideally), or each collection of points (if each is impossible) is provided with a watt meter and a wireless switch. These switches and meters would be capable of communicating with a web based software application which could, in turn, be controlled by cell phone applications and desktop widgets. The main application, in my fevered imagination, would be a dashboard based web interface that looks something like this . . .

Keep in mind, this is just a very rough concept. Ignore the logo and the content and just imagine how nice it would be to bring something like this up on your computer. You could quickly view energy usage of your entire home, compare it to past usage and check the status of various sources of use. Now imagine you want to change the state of various outlets, lights and appliances . . .

The control interface would allow you to operate the wireless switches on individual fixtures, groups, zones or the entire house. Lights might have dimming capabilities or presets. One could easily exclude important “always on” systems from the whole-house or whole-zone off functions. With the integrated watt meters, the user could also easily see how much energy each item was using and the total energy use based on each on/off setting. This would be a great means of educating the user and sure way to increase savings through awareness.

Setup would obviously be a challenging component of this system. The user would have to assign each source a name and then place it in groups or zones for easy control. Each outlet, light and appliance would need to be setup in order for the system to function properly. It will be a bit of a pain in the neck, but in the end, I think the process could be instructive.

This will also probably be the most challenging interface design element. It will be difficult to make such a setup both versatile and intuitive. I imagine something along the lines of  . . .

Users would be able to name each input and assign that input to a zone and group. Each name would be entirely custom and easily changed, so that if the user moves their toaster, for example, it is easy to change the assigned outlet’s name and function. Zones and groups could then be used to simplify controls either via suggested parameters or the user’s own whim. The above is obviously somewhat simplified, but I think the concept is there.

I know, in some ways, this thinking is reinventing the wheel. Much of what I am talking about already exists and some of it is already very well designed. However, at times reinvention is an easier task than combining different systems and concepts to create what you want. I think, to create a fully integrated, easy to use system, it will have to be built from scratch.

So, we ask again, is this feasible? Has it been done already? What key components am I missing? And, most importantly, who wants to build this thing for me?

Comments are open.

As we are nearing the completion of the 100K House, we have been giving more thought to the interior design of the home. After all, now that we are moving into the home, it will become somewhat of a show piece for those interested in purchasing a future unbuilt project based on the same concept. We’d also like to get some good professional photos taken of the home for PR purposes, so the interior design is not something to take lightly.

So what is the appropriate what to design the interior of the 100K House. First of all there is the budget. It just wouldn’t seem right to put $25K worth of furnishings into a house whose claim to “fame” is it’s low construction budget of $100K. At the same time, it would be shortsighted and irresponsible to fill it completely with IKEA and compromised thrift store finds. There needs to be a balance.

In our minds, the balance is between carefully selected thrift store/flea market finds, custom made pieces, reasonably priced new furniture and a few designer splurges. The thrift finds could be from local thrift stores and flea markets, but they could also be from ebay or craigslist. The custom pieces could be simple items made by our cabinet maker, Pappajohn Woodworking, or ourselves. The reasonably priced furniture could come from internet stores, local shops and the ever important IKEA. Finally, if budget permits, we could afford to splurge on a few classic design pieces from today or 50 years ago.

Interior Designers

• Greenable
• Busy Bee Design
• Minima
• Recommendations by local furniture stores you like

Thrifty Vintage Furniture

• local thrift stores
• local flea markets
• local salvage stores
• craigslist
• ebay
• Lushpad

Affordable, Modern & New Furniture

• IKEA
• CB2
• modern furniture decor (replicas)
• inmod.com (replicas)
  

Modern, Green and/or Classic Furniture Splurges

• Design Within Reach
• mid-century-modern.com
• roomandboard.com
• Zinc Details
• Fosters Homeware (local)
• BoConcepts
• 2modern.com
• vivavi.com (modern & green)
• Habitat (UK)
• Iannone designs (local)

Your Thoughts on Modern, Green & Affordable Interior Design?

So now that you’ve made it through out less than thorough list, we have some questions that we are interested to here your thoughts on. Hopefully this will be a starter post on the subject of modern and affordable interior design with a green tint here at 100K. Now is your chance to influence future decisions of ours and others reading. Feel free to answer all or none of the following:

1. What are some other key sources or modern interior desing and furniture that we missed?
2. What is the right balance of old and new furniture? Is 100% in either direction unacceptable?
3. How do the three factors of modern, green and budget rank in your personal scale in regards to home furnishings?

It’s been a while since we updated our blogroll on the site here, so I thought I’d go through our collective Google Readers and see what blogs we’re now following that need to be added. Some are new to our daily inbox, while others have been there for months.

Unplgged - smarter homes, fewer wires. I just found this blog while reviewing the Top 25 Design & Architecture Blogs from Trends Updates. With our new found focus on everything home automation recently, we’ll be spending some time rummaging through the archives of this blog I’m sure.

BUILD Blog - The Modern List. Good blog on modern buildings that I’ve been following for some time. I like that these guys get into trends and the nitty gritty of modern construction details from time to time also.

Prefabcosm - The world of prefab and modular homes. Good blog of prefab. I’m adding them to the list even though they won’t publish my comments any more after reading my guest post on why prefab is not all it’s cracked up to be on Jetson Green.

Remodelista - We care about design in our lives. This is one of my favorite design blogs out there next to materialicious. Not sure how I haven’t added it till now.

Small House Style - Web mag dedicated to all things small house. Those close to me know I’m obsessed with small and/or tiny homes. This blog does a decent job of covering them.

Drexel Smart House Blog - better living through smart design and technology. Blog by some local students from Drexel detailing a green house remodel project they are working on.

Green Building Elements - projects, materials & design. That sums it up.

Sustainable Design Update - Emerging Sustainable Technology, Design, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology. Bad tagline, but decent blog.

workalicious - the modern workplace, its furniture, implements and a bit of its culture. Brought to us by the talented folks at materialicious.

plastolux - design + interior. Just added this one today. Trying to add a few to the blogroll that focus a bit more on interior design of both homes and offices.

Philly Eco City - Local Living Economies Movement. Keeping tabs on the local Philly green movement. Hey, I like that tagline.

Design to Inspire - An Austrailian and a Canadian trying to inspire the world one room at a time. Another interior design oriented blog I added today.

Anyone have any other blogs they’ve found recently that you think the readers here at 100K might enjoy? Dump them in the comments. No spamming please. We’re not interested in your cousin’s blog specializing in canning and pickling.

Merry Christmas.

The holidays are upon us, and as fans of wassailing and figgy pudding, the Postgreen team will be spending time with friends and family celebrating. As a result, we will potentially be less responsive than usual. I also wouldn’t expect much in the way of blog posts over the next few days. When we wassail we tend to really commit to it, leaving very little time for research and writing.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t feel free to comment or send us other electronic messages. We may find ourselves overwhelmed by the festivities and sneak away for a little quiet online time. I’m just asking that you please forgive us if our celebratory nature keeps us from attending to our Internet responsibilities.

So, whatever you might be celebrating, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus or a holiday entirely of your own creation, we wish you and yours all the best. Be safe, be happy and stay warm. Happy Holidays from Postgreen and the 100k House!

I wish there were an easier way from idea to product. Of course, if there were I would have a house full of cool but unnecessary gadgetry (bacon toaster, geothermal beer dispenser, rocket recliner). I suppose the work involved in bringing an idea to fruition forces you to question the viability and necessity of the concept. So, here is something to “work on” by which I mean something to discuss in the comments.

We plan to include an energy monitor with all of our houses. This will allow the homeowner to monitor energy usage and will take advantage of the Prius Effect to help reduce energy consumption. Basically, it seems, if a person can see what each action is costing energy-wise, they will adjust their behavior. Transparency can be a beautiful thing.

The TED system which is pictured also includes an application for additional monitoring and data crunching. It basically offers a dashboard on your computer which tracks usage and presents the data in a variety of useful ways. There are major problems with it of course, the biggest of which is the fact that it only works on Windows at the moment, but more on that later.

The second major system we are considering introducing into our homes is a wireless switch system. Conceptually this is based on what the people at Verve are doing. Basically, wireless switches control lights and outlets. These switches can be assigned to as many fixtures as desired, meaning the integration of a whole house off switch that excludes necessary appliances or “always on” outlets becomes relatively simple. It also means that there is potential to control the lights through an alternate wireless signaling source (in addition to switches), and that leads us to my idea wish.

What I would like is a system which integrates energy modeling and wireless switch technology to allow energy usage to be viewed and controlled from a central location. I picture a web application which receives the energy monitoring data and the electricity control information. It presents this information side by side so that energy usage can be matched with the current state of lights, outlets and appliances. One will quickly get an idea of specific energy usage and of losses to phantom power. This system could make use of the house’s wireless network to turn outlets and lights on and off. It would be a great way to test various usage loads and lends itself to broader applications.

The web application format could also allow you to access the system and make changes remotely. For example, I can imagine an iPhone app that ties in to this system. One could see the current state of lights and outlets and make changes while away from home. For instance, you are out having a pint and you think to yourself, “Did I leave the lights on in the bedroom.” You pull out your phone, bring up your house application and see that you did. With just the swipe of a finger you turn the offending lights off. Or, maybe you glance at the app and notice your energy use is much higher than it should be with no one home. Checking your outlet activity, you see the stereo outlet is on. With one swipe you kill power to the device and save enough money for a second pint.

This could eventually be applied to a variety of wirelessly enabled switches accessing everything from window shades to security systems. You could adjust your thermostat, check air quality sensors and potential even unlock or lock your doors all from your phone.

Does this exist already? I know the components are all there, but has anyone put them together? If not, is it an idea worth pursuing? Is it useful? Profitable? And lastly, who wants to build it for me?

Comment time, GO!

In case you missed the recent open house, I snapped a few pics of the exterior and interior of the 120K House yesterday. The exterior looks pretty ominous wrapped in black felt paper with the black windows installed.

While the exterior looks cool, the interior is really impressive at this stage. The exposed OSB from the inside of the SIPs is still exposed along with the OSB in the TJI floor and roof joists. We’ve had a number of people ask if we could actually leave the OSB exposed as is. I certainly wouldn’t mind, but that requires a bit more planning and could be a bit risky from a sales side. It’s definitely on the list of future plans though.

If you want to see all of the pictures taken head on over to our Postgreen Flickr account and check them out. I tried to enter thorough descriptions of where the interior shots were taken and your welcome to leave comments as always. If you’ve taken any photos yourself of the homes during a visit feel free to add them to our very sparce 100K House Group on Flickr or simply tag them with “100khouse” in your own account.

In an interview a few weeks ago I was asked what our premium was for building LEED Platinum. The reporter had done some research and found that the highest level of LEED for Homes usually carried a 15-20% markup and wanted to know what the added cost was for our project. It was a difficult question since we don’t have a non-LEED version of the house with which to compare, but eventually I said, “Um . . . I guess . . . negative 5%” (an estimation of my interview articulacy). I went on to explain that, with the average new home built in Philadelphia coming in at a minimum of $125 per square foot in hard construction costs and our, admittedly more sparse, home hitting $100 psf, I figured that number was defensible.

The next question of course is why? Why do production home builders and established developers, people who have been building homes for many years, have to spend 15% more to get to LEED Platinum while us rookies are getting there at a discount? It was a question I had no concise answer to until a few days ago when an acquaintance, who wishes to remain anonymous, gave me a piece of her grandmother’s wisdom in explanation . . . “It is because they’re polishing a turd.”

OK, so it’s a bit harsh. Turd is, maybe, an unnecessarily rude word to use to describe what are often pretty nice homes, but the concept is sound. Most of the builders and developers reporting high premiums for pursuing LEED are still trying to build the exact same home they have always built. They are simply adding features to make that same house energy efficient, healthy and sustainable. This addition gets expensive.

Builders, successful ones anyway, often have a basic home that they build over and over. They know how it goes together. They can build it quickly and inexpensively, and most importantly, they know it will sell. When they are suddenly faced with the need to “go green,” they are understandably reluctant to make significant changes to the design of their proven house. Location, interior fixtures, numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage and window placement are all tested and successful specs. The familiar methods of construction they use are easy for them to estimate and well known to every sub-contractor and laborer on the site. There is, in their minds, less management and less risk.

So, they polish the turd. Rather than redesign the house that has been successful for them in the past, they add solar panels, geothermal systems, high end interior fixtures, extra insulation and other green features. The house gets greener. It gets certified, but it also increases significantly in cost. Since the features are add-ons and extras, the price rises as each one is tacked on.

To avoid these extra costs, one must start the home design process with affordability and sustainability factored into every decision. One simply can’t, in most instances, build the same home in the same place using the same techniques and expect to accomplish those goals. For example, one can’t:

• build on arable land 20 miles from the nearest amenities.
• build a 5000 square foot single family home.
• have more windows than walls, particularly on the north and west side.
• add a garage.
• have giant spa tubs in each bathroom.

And so on . . . Of course, one can do some of these things and still get a LEED certification, but it is going to take some expensive turd polish.

Well, all that said, I am nothing without the wisdom of your comments so . . . What do you think is the single biggest stumbling block for established builders trying to move toward affordable green? Why is there a premium on LEED? What process would you recommend to a developer trying to make the change to sustainable building? Who would you suggest the developer involve?

My apologies to the linguistically sensitive among you for the prevalence of a certain scatological aphorism throughout this post. You may scold me for that in the comments as well.

We want to thank everyone who came out on Saturday to our Mid-Construction Tour at the 100k site. Throughout the day we saw at least 75 people come through and the questions and comments were all constructive and encouraging. It was great to put faces to names we had only seen digitally and to have a chance to show our work to those who have been kind enough to share their input throughout the project.

We didn’t have much of a chance to take pictures, but here are a couple provided by Dan Milke. They are taken on a phone by a physicist so please forgive the quality. Thanks Dan

Great Turnout at the Mid-Construction Tour

Chad Explains Our LEED Chart

We will definitely have another event or two like this as we finish up the houses, so be sure to stay tuned. If you missed this one and really want to have a look at the homes pre-drywall, feel free to contact us and we’ll set something up.

If you came out on Saturday, we would love to hear your feedback on the event, the homes, our shabby attire or anything else. We would also love to see pictures if anyone out there took any.

Let us know what you thought in the comments.

In preparation for our open house this weekend, I created a quick document with a bulleted list of all of the LEED for Homes points we are going after to achieve LEED Platinum in the 100K House. It is basic, but I thought I’d post it here since we haven’t spoken of the checklist in a while. Feel free to ask questions in the comments and I’ll try to address them as best I can.

ID Innovation and Design Process - 7 Points

1. Integrated Project Team 1
2. Design Charrette 1
3. 3rd Party Durability Management Verification 3
4. Innovative Design Credits

• Education & Awareness - Going above & beyond reqs 1
• Electricity monitor / phantom load prevention system 1

LL Location and Linkages - 10 Points

1. Site Selection 2
2. Preferred Locations
   • Infill lot 2
   • Previously Developed 1
3. Existing Infrastructure 1
4. Outstanding Community Resources / Transit 3
5. Access to Open Space 1

1. Very High Efficiency Fixtures & Fittings 6

EA Energy and Atmosphere - 23 Points

1. Exceptional Energy Performance (HERS) 23
2. Efficient Hot Water Distribution 2
3. Pipe Insulation 1
4. Appropriate HVAC Refrigerants 1

MR Materials and Resources - 9.5 Points

1. Off-site SIP Fabrication 4
2. Environmentally Preferable Products 4.5
3. Construction Waste Reduction 1

EQ Indoor Environmental Quality - 13 Points

1. Enhanced Combustion Venting Measures 2
2. Enhanced Outdoor Air Ventilation 2
3. 3rd Party Performance Testing 2
   
4. Enhanced Local Exhaust 1
5. Better Air Filters (MERV 12) 1
6. Indoor Contaminant Control During Construction 1
7. Preoccupancy Flush 1
8. No Garage 3

AE Awareness and Education - 2 Points

1. Enhanced Training 1
2. Public Awareness 1

94 Total Points Targeted
136 Total Points Possible
83.5 Points Needed for Platinum (based on our home size)