BGBG and the Center for Resource Conservation (CRC) are partnering to present the BGBG BOSS (Building On-Site Seminar) Series (formerly the Zero Energy Home Seminar and Tour Series) and the Boulder County Solar and Green Home Tour. The BOSS series will take place once per month beginning in April and culminating in CRC's Solar Home Tour Week in October. This series is designed to showcase “net or near zero energy” and other green building and remodeling practices; bring to life "Education Into Action", and provide a critical analysis of lesson’s learned so you can walk away with specific strategies to apply in your own work.
May 27, 2009 (AHIMSA Platz, 60's/70's Remodel) 1505 Sumac Ave Boulder, CO 80304
Panel of experts includes:
Ron Flax, Associate AIA, LEED AP; Associate and Project Manager, Rodwin Architecture
Adam Stenftenagel, RESNET Certified Home Energy Rater,LEED® AP;Principal Sustainably Built, LLC
Larry Kinney, Synergistic Building Technologies, President
Contractors:
Olivier Goedert, Goedert Construction, www.simplyremodeling.com,
olivier@simplyremodeling.com
Bo DeAngelo , Automatic Company, www.theautomaticco.com
Joshua Gallant, Blackstream Design Company, joshua.gallant@comcast.net
AHIMSA Platz, 60's/70's Remodel With humility, and intention to deeply serve mother (earth) and community, we offer a model of renovation that is green, scientifically innovative, healing and highly aesthetic. This renovation was borne from the collaboration of scientists, engineers, builders, architects and a physician, in delightful balance of mind, body and spirit. We offer a unique and inspiring construction that we feel will provide many useful ideas to many people. Several of our innovations and ideas are low cost and therefore accessible to people with limited resources.
We grounded our principle of green building in the Gandhian “Ahimsa”, meaning non-harm or nonviolence. We also adhered to the motto of “better not bigger”. This meant that we retained the original 1962 footprint and greatly improved it. The green improvements included the use of sustainable materials, net electricity production, solar hot water and heating, solar tubes, low or zero VOC materials, high grade soy foam insulation, external framing of walls to increase insulation, highest efficiency windows, passive solar gain, thermal barriers in walls through framing and foundation, heat recovery ventilation, humidity control due to the tight construction, radiant floor heating, LED and compact fluorescents wherever possible, low flow toilets and showers, Xeriscape landscaping and reflective metal roof to reflect sunlight back to space. There was enormous effort to recycle all building materials.
Aspects of our construction that are unique and scientifically innovative include use of “faraday cages” to minimize electromagnetic fields, use of plate heat exchangers to increase solar hot water efficiency, ground loop wiring to minimize resistance to ground which increases productivity of all electrical fixtures, and high efficiency lightning protection.
Our construction is meticulously health enhancing, from mind, body and spirit perspectives. As a team, we agreed that the daily boundaries of renovation were defined by harmonious and joyful relationships, and internal sense of peace. We focused on sleep, diet, elimination, play, sense-soothing, and harmonious work and relationships. We protected our bodies by choosing low or zero VOC materials to minimize hazardous off gassing, minimized EMF to enhance sleep hygiene and lower risk of cancers, incorporated a whole house water filtration system to purify our water, maximized humidity control by tight construction, lowered dust generation through minimizing use of carpets and other shedding materials, incorporated radon and mold protection, and used natural materials such as bamboo flooring, maple cabinetry and natural stone. We built a volleyball court in the front yard to create easy access to adult and child play. To heal the mind, we used warm colors (that also promoted healthy digestion, elimination and sleep), smooth and rounded textures, expansive and quiet inner spaces to soothe and delight the senses, and solidity of door and walls to enhance a sense of grounding. We installed a centralized music system and water feature to increase our serenity and joy. We invited a more subtle energetic and spiritual effect by paying attention to the flow of rooms and passageways (feng shui and vastu), having a large amount of light through the house, geopathic corrections and an elegant aesthetic.
One definition of elegance is simplicity that is effective. Though aspects of this construction were complex, the effect is of long lasting simple and effective environmental and personal health. We have created a home of great elegance, which has structural, social and spiritual integrity. We represent a marriage of different cultures (German and Indian), disciplines and ideals, and have created a unique renovation from this lovely fusion.