HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING

High performance initiatives are at the heart of every Homoly Design + Build project.

Company president and owner Andrew Homoly received an Environmental Emphasis in Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois, whose Civil Engineering program is consistently ranked #1 in the nation. Andy is one of a select few designated as a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional), and Master CGP (Certified Green Professional) through the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders). With these certifications, Andrew is on the cutting edge of High Performance Building techniques for Residential construction.

While early Green initiatives were costly, inefficiently designed, and generally generated low returns on investment, recent advances have made Green techniques much more affordable and effective. Green Building is now Better Building.

Foundation

Homoly Design Build has built some of the most elaborate foundations in the Kansas City area. The foundation shown below is one of the largest residential foundations in the city. The entire structure is set on hundreds of auger pressure filled concrete piers cored into bedrock. It includes walls 32′ high, 24″ thick with footings more than 15′ wide. The basement has 5 separate levels and required more than 20 convoyed concrete trucks and two pumper trucks to pour. This foundation won the “Excellence in Concrete” award for all of Kansas City.

Framing

At Homoly Design Build, all of our new homes use floor and roof truss construction. This method is far superior to the traditional “stick built” construction used by the vast majority of home builders in the Kansas City area. Just some of the advantages include:

Stronger. One of our homes was hit by a tornado in 2004 with the homeowners inside. The shingles were blown off the roof and the spindles were blown out of the front porch handrail, but the home held strong.
Faster construction.
Less expensive.
Able to span nearly double the distance of stick framing. This eliminates most (if not all) columns and beams in a basement.
HVAC ducts, plumbing, and electrical can be run THROUGH the open web design instead of underneath the joists. This eliminates the need to "fir down" chases around all of this equipment.
3 1/2" nailing surface for subfloor and drywall instead of a 1 1/2" nailing surface.
No squeaks.
Less scrap. All trusses arrive at the job site custom to that foundation.
Roof trusses span from the front wall to the back wall of the home. Typically, no interior bearing walls are needed for very open designs.
An engineer designs the structure of the home rather than counting on framers to make sure they distribute the loads through the home correctly (a reason for many sheetrock cracks on walls and ceilings).

Waterproofing

This step is probably the most important determining factor for long term foundation success. Water is the most destructive force facing a foundation. If the water table in the soil surrounding the foundation rises to near the ground surface, the horizontal force on the foundation wall is doubled. In the summer months, the ground can become so dry as to “pull away” from the foundation. This creates a force in the opposite direction. This constant back and forth action is one of the main reasons for foundation failure. At Homoly Design Build, we utilize a triple guard waterproofing system to protect the structural strength of the foundation wall as well as its initial purpose of keeping the basement dry. We use a waterproofing membrane, an exterior drainage system, and an interior drainage system (see drawing above for details). Note we use several times the normal amount of gravel to ensure our drainage systems work effectively.

THE FIVE CORE COMPONENTS OF THE HOMOLY HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING PROGRAM.

Homoly Design Build has recently completed building two of the high performance homes in Kansas City: the Williams-York Residence and the Homoly Residence, pictured below. Both homes have achieved “net-zero” and at times supply electricity to the power grid. In contrast to the modern architecture of the Williams-York Residence, the Homoly Residence showcases a more traditional style. high performance building techniques have come a long way in providing options for all design-styles.

Site Selection

Resource Efficiency

energy Efficiency

Indoor Air Quality

Water Efficiency

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Site Selection & Design

Orientation - the front or back of the home should face south or within 30 degrees of south for passive solar heating and cooling.
A proper Green design must consider the temperature zone of the location and design accordingly. A Green home in Minnesota will be designed very differently than a Green home in Florida. The Midwest is toughest location since it has high heating and high cooling loads.
Large overhangs and proper window placement for solar heating in the winter (when the sun is low on the horizon) and solar shading in the summer (when the sun is high on the horizon).
Orient the home to take advantage of prevailing breezes in the spring, summer, and fall.
HVAC ducts, plumbing, and electrical can be run THROUGH the open web design instead of underneath the joists. This eliminates the need to "fir down" chases around all of this equipment.

Resource Efficiency & Durability

"Tear downs" should be "deconstructed" to recycle as many materials as possible. With tax credits, this can often be done at no cost or cost savings.
All waste materials (non-recyclable) should be separated in dumpsters by type and removed by a waste hauler to an appropriate facility.
Look for FSC certified wood. This is certified to be from a renewable forest.
All flashing must be installed "shingle style" to maximize water shed.
Create capillary breaks in masonry and wood.
Check the "life cycle analysis" of all material used. A renewable Green material like bamboo may not be Green if it has to be shipped from the other side of the world. Oak flooring from a mill less than an hour away may be a better choice.

Energy Efficiency

Energy-efficient systems like geothermal, SIPs, and conditioned attics typically increase mortgage payments by less than the savings on utility bills they provide. In essence, these green features can immediately lower monthly expenses starting from the first month of use.
Create a tight thermal envelope using advanced insulation techniques such as SIPS or foam insulation (open or closed cell).
Conditioned "sealed attics", provide a superior air seal in the attic portion of the thermal envelope, especially when ductwork runs through the attic, ensuring penetrations through the ceiling are now within the envelope. HVAC units and ductwork will gain significant efficiency in the controlled space, especially during the summer's heat or cold winter. Storage areas and living areas within the attic space are now more comfortable.
If a high roof pitch or size of the roof makes a sealed attic cost prohibitive, "box in" the HVAC systems and insulate these chases.
Geothermal HVAC systems. Earth exchange lines may be drilled vertically, horizontally, and potentially around the foundation of the home or in nearby ponds.
The installation of a radiant barrier on the backside of OSB roof sheathing will deflect a large percentage of the sun's radiant energy and keep the attic cooler.
For a radiant barrier to work properly, an air gap must be present underneath the radiant barrier surface. This can be accomplished with baffle channels between the sheathing and foam insulation or traditional ceiling insulation.

Indoor Air Quality

With a "tight" home, you must use an air exchanger for indoor air quality. An HRV or ERV will use the air exiting the home to heat up or cool down the air entering the system. The ERV will also exchange the humidity control. These systems can be tied into the existing bath fan systems.
Properly sized HVAC systems. Most systems are oversized to make sure they cool in the summer, but this can lead to cooling too quickly and not enough time to remove the humidity from the air. A properly sized system will also be smaller and cost less money.
Air filters should have a high Merv rating to get the best possible results.
Installation of the vapor barrier on the side of the wall (exterior or interior) where the moisture is coming from. Moisture will always drive from wet to dryer air. If the vapor barrier is on the wrong side, water could condensate on the inside of the wall and cause mold. In Kansas City, this is both sides depending upon the season.
Closed cell foam insulation acts as a vapor barrier on both sides of a wall.
Front loading washing machines for energy efficiency and less humidity in the home.
Insulate cold water lines to reduce condensation in the walls.
Slightly pressurize the home for better indoor air quality.
Use Green label flooring (less or no VOC's)

Water Efficiency

Low volume plumbing fixtures. This includes 1.0 gallon pressure assisted toilets, dual flush toilets, low volume shower heads, low volume faucets, and waterless urinals.
Capture rainwater in a storage tank for irrigation or to flush the toilets.
Properly landscape for water conservation with the correct species of plants and grasses.
Proper placement of the water heaters can negate the need for a circulating pump or running the water to get hot water.
A thicker layer of top soil will require less watering in the hot summer months.
Use underground drip irrigation in lieu of traditional sprinkler systems.

Site Selection

Orientation - the front or back of the home should face south or within 30 degrees of south for passive solar heating and cooling.
A proper Green design must consider the temperature zone of the location and design accordingly. A Green home in Minnesota will be designed very differently than a Green home in Florida. The Midwest is toughest location since it has high heating and high cooling loads.
Large overhangs and proper window placement for solar heating in the winter (when the sun is low on the horizon) and solar shading in the summer (when the sun is high on the horizon).
Orient the home to take advantage of prevailing breezes in the spring, summer, and fall.
HVAC ducts, plumbing, and electrical can be run THROUGH the open web design instead of underneath the joists. This eliminates the need to "fir down" chases around all of this equipment.

Resource Efficiency

"Tear downs" should be "deconstructed" to recycle as many materials as possible. With tax credits, this can often be done at no cost or cost savings.
All waste materials (non-recyclable) should be separated in dumpsters by type and removed by a waste hauler to an appropriate facility.
Look for FSC certified wood. This is certified to be from a renewable forest.
All flashing must be installed "shingle style" to maximize water shed.
Create capillary breaks in masonry and wood.
Check the "life cycle analysis" of all material used. A renewable Green material like bamboo may not be Green if it has to be shipped from the other side of the world. Oak flooring from a mill less than an hour away may be a better choice.

energy Efficiency

Orientation - the front or back of the home should face south or within 30 degrees of south for passive solar heating and cooling.
A proper Green design must consider the temperature zone of the location and design accordingly. A Green home in Minnesota will be designed very differently than a Green home in Florida. The Midwest is toughest location since it has high heating and high cooling loads.
Large overhangs and proper window placement for solar heating in the winter (when the sun is low on the horizon) and solar shading in the summer (when the sun is high on the horizon).
Orient the home to take advantage of prevailing breezes in the spring, summer, and fall.
HVAC ducts, plumbing, and electrical can be run THROUGH the open web design instead of underneath the joists. This eliminates the need to "fir down" chases around all of this equipment.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

With a "tight" home, you must use an air exchanger for indoor air quality. An HRV or ERV will use the air exiting the home to heat up or cool down the air entering the system. The ERV will also exchange the humidity control. These systems can be tied into the existing bath fan systems.
Properly sized HVAC systems. Most systems are oversized to make sure they cool in the summer, but this can lead to cooling too quickly and not enough time to remove the humidity from the air. A properly sized system will also be smaller and cost less money.
Air filters should have a high Merv rating to get the best possible results.
Installation of the vapor barrier on the side of the wall (exterior or interior) where the moisture is coming from. Moisture will always drive from wet to dryer air. If the vapor barrier is on the wrong side, water could condensate on the inside of the wall and cause mold. In Kansas City, this is both sides depending upon the season.
Closed cell foam insulation acts as a vapor barrier on both sides of a wall.
Front loading washing machines for energy efficiency and less humidity in the home.
Insulate cold water lines to reduce condensation in the walls.
Slightly pressurize the home for better indoor air quality.
Use Green label flooring (less or no VOC's)

Water Efficiency

Low volume plumbing fixtures. This includes 1.0 gallon pressure assisted toilets, dual flush toilets, low volume shower heads, low volume faucets, and waterless urinals.
Capture rainwater in a storage tank for irrigation or to flush the toilets.
Properly landscape for water conservation with the correct species of plants and grasses.
Proper placement of the water heaters can negate the need for a circulating pump or running the water to get hot water.
A thicker layer of top soil will require less watering in the hot summer months.
Use underground drip irrigation in lieu of traditional sprinkler systems.

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HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING

High performance initiatives are at the heart of every Homoly Design + Build project.

Foundation

Framing

Waterproofing

THE FIVE CORE COMPONENTS OF THE HOMOLY HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING PROGRAM.

Site Selection & Design

Resource Efficiency & Durability

Energy Efficiency

Indoor Air Quality

Water Efficiency

Site Selection

Resource Efficiency

energy Efficiency

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Water Efficiency