Day 1 – Tuesday, February 26, 2019
High Performance
8:30–10:00
Rachel Wagner, Through Design
French River Room
“Natural,” “eco-friendly,” “environmentally sustainable,” “green.” What do these terms have in common? Do any of these terms actually define a way to build better? This session looks at the concept of “green building,” past and present, and offers some perspective on what might truly constitute green building and why it matters. Critical thinking figures prominently in this introduction to the theory and practice of ecological design and building practice in the residential sector.
10:30–12:00
Barb Morehead, PHIUS Homeowner
Michael Morehead, PHIUS Homeowner
Jay Roettger, Bluff City Builders Inc.
Samuel Bontrager, Building Foundry
French River Room
This is a case study of an ICF passive house designed to meet Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) certification. The owners, architect, and builder will present their experiences. Discussion will include: why ICF was selected; how WUFI software predicted meeting PHIUS certification; material selection, how commercial construction techniques reduce moisture penetration in concrete; how geofoam affected WUFI; rain screen design; use of air to glycol heat pump technology; issues with HRVs/ERVs; indoor air quality issues. The owners will reflect on their experience with the house to date. The panel will take questions from the audience near the end of the session.
1:00–2:30
Brian Wimmer, Rochester Area Habitat for Humanity
French River Room
By now you've likely heard of the DOE's Zero Energy Ready Home build standard. Have you considered building to meet the standard? Have you looked at the dollars and cents of making it work? Do your customers understand what it means and what it costs, and how they will save money? What do you see as the advantages, as a builder? The roadblocks?
3:00–4:30
Liz Kutschke, University of Minnesota - Center For Sustainable Building Research
French River Room
There is an emerging need for research into the design and construction of communities and buildings that are not only sustainable, but also resilient in responding to dynamic situations. To test the resilience potential of buildings, this research project examined the response of sustainable building prototypes during infrastructure disruptions that disconnected the buildings from grid power, water connections, and vehicle transport for 10 days. The outcomes explore the intersections of resilient and sustainable development through regenerative design. This study also identifies future research opportunities to incorporate resilience into sustainability and energy efficiency guidelines, such as Minnesota’s sustainable building program.