Three Rivers Builders The Three Rivers House 2015 Race to Zero Student Design Competition i TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Team Qualifications .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Our Team ...................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Qualifications ................................................................................................................................ 1 Zoe Kaufman, Project Co-Lead .............................................................................................................. 1 Timothy Spencer, Project Co-Lead ........................................................................................................ 1 Swapnil Banzal ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Rohit Motwani ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Prachi Gupta .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Stephen R. Lee, Faculty Advisor ............................................................................................................ 3 1.3 Carnegie Mellon & Sustainability .................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Relevant Building Science Courses at Carnegie Mellon ................................................................ 3 2 Design Goals .......................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Well-Rounded, Realistic, and Versatile Design ............................................................................. 6 2.3 Our Goals ...................................................................................................................................... 6 2.3.1 Net Zero Source Energy ........................................................................................................ 6 2.3.2 Cost Effectiveness ................................................................................................................. 7 2.3.3 Ease of Construction ............................................................................................................. 7 2.3.4 Designing a Versatile Building System .................................................................................. 7 2.3.5 Water Efficiency .................................................................................................................... 8 2.4 Method to Achieve Design Goals .................................................................................................. 8 2.5 Project Elements ........................................................................................................................... 9 2.5.1 House Type ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.5.2 Location ................................................................................................................................. 9 2.6 Pittsburgh Climate ........................................................................................................................ 9 2.7 Design Strategies for Pittsburgh ................................................................................................. 10 2.8 Lot Size & Configuration; Orientation ......................................................................................... 10 2.9 Neighborhood and Community Setting ...................................................................................... 11 2.9.1 Transportation .................................................................................................................... 11 2.9.2 Visual Integration ................................................................................................................ 12 2.10 Positioning and Layout ................................................................................................................ 12 ii 2.11 Occupants and Accessibility ........................................................................................................ 13 2.12 Sustainability ............................................................................................................................... 14 2.12.1 Prefabrication...................................................................................................................... 14 2.12.2 Net Zero Energy Calculation Strategy ................................................................................. 14 2.12.3 Rainwater Harvesting .......................................................................................................... 15 2.12.4 Forest Stewardship Council................................................................................................. 16 2.12.5 Beetle Fell ............................................................................................................................ 16 2.13 Programs & Standards Met by this Design ................................................................................. 16 2.14 References .................................................................................................................................. 17 3 Envelope Durability ............................................................................................................................. 18 3.1 Design for Versatility ................................................................................................................... 18 3.2 Goals ........................................................................................................................................... 18 3.3 The Three Rivers System ............................................................................................................. 18 3.3.1 Structural Spans .................................................................................................................. 20 3.3.2 Cross Laminated Timber ..................................................................................................... 20 3.3.3 PermaTherm SIPs ................................................................................................................ 21 3.3.4 Murus SIPs ........................................................................................................................... 21 3.3.5 Versatility Benefits .............................................................................................................. 21 3.3.6 Windows ............................................................................................................................. 22 3.3.7 Doors ................................................................................................................................... 22 3.3.8 External Window Shading ................................................................................................... 22 3.4 Moisture ...................................................................................................................................... 23 3.5 Pest control ................................................................................................................................. 26 3.6 Radon .......................................................................................................................................... 27 3.7 Envelope Description .................................................................................................................. 27 3.8 ENERGY STAR for Homes Envelope Requirements ..................................................................... 27 3.9 References .................................................................................................................................. 28 4 Indoor Air Quality Evaluation .............................................................................................................. 29 4.1 Context ........................................................................................................................................ 29 4.2 Equipment ................................................................................................................................... 29 4.3 Materials ..................................................................................................................................... 30 4.4 Moisture Management ............................................................................................................... 30 4.5 Air quality in a tight house .......................................................................................................... 31 iii 4.6 References .................................................................................................................................. 31 5 Space Conditioning ............................................................................................................................. 32 5.1 Approach ....................................................................................................................................