BeauSoleil Solar Home

Solar Decathlon Update: Every two years 20 university teams are chosen, based on proposals, to design an all-solar home and assemble it on the National Mall in Washington DC for public viewing and judging. Check back each Wednesday as the NAV Blog reports on the process of the design and construction of BeauSoleil, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's entry. For more info about the project, visit their website at ttp://www.beausoleilhome.org/. And check out short film about the project here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsuziBrNeO4

Over the next few weeks, the NAV blog will post Q & A from a recent interview with TEAM BeauSoleil.

NAV blog - Conceptually, what’s different about the design of this prototype than, say, the way builders currently think of a typical tract home? And are there any similarities?

Jeremy Credeur, TEAM BeauSoleil - We considered the design of this home on various fronts, such as making this a home for Louisiana, not a cheap knock of an Acadian style house bat a home that respects the history of our state and works in the area it was designed for, secondly we investigated the environmental aspects and impacts this house will have, third we factored in the market viability of the home in our community and in the surrounding communities. This consideration of community and place is the big difference in the design of this versus a typical tract house.

NAV blog - What makes your prototype specifically appropriate for where it is on the planet?

Catherine Guidry, TEAM BeauSoleil - As technology and times have changed, it is now considered acceptable to see a home of any character and form exist almost anywhere in the world. A homeowner can tell their builder that they would like a California home in New York, and there would be no road-block stopping them from doing exactly this: except for thoughts on green design. Sustainable design is not only about durability and longevity of the building, but also, taking into account weather conditions, materiality, form, topography, and social and cultural aspects of the area.

The BeauSoleil Home has done exactly that. In designing this self-sufficient/solar powered home, we have taken into great consideration each aspect listed above and more. The roof form of the BeauSoleil home derived not only from the traditional gable roof form of the south, but as a direct response to the large amount of rainfall in Louisiana every year. The contemporary flat roofs of previous solar decathlon homes simply would not be successful here in Louisiana, which is ultimately the primary site of the BeauSoleil home. In addition, the standing seam metal roof, hurricane-resistant shutters, polycarbonate track doors and roof above the transitional porch, cypress clad rainscreen, and structurally insulated wall panels are all attempts to withstand and ventilate the hurricanes of the southern region.

The design of the BeauSoleil home is inspired by successful precedents of the region such as the dog trot and shot gun homes of New Orleans. As a result, the home could be sited in rural, suburban, and urban areas such as New Orleans. In addition, the culture of our region shines through in the form of the BeauSoleil home as well as the local materials used such as recycled heart pine flooring and cypress cladding. Our rotating track doors, bifold garage door, and mosquito screens allow for flexibility in the Transitional porch for dining and entertaining, as well as the opportunity to spend time outside which is so important to people who live here.

We feel that the BeauSoleil home belongs in the southern region, so we have made those strides and efforts to design that way.

The Green Life Cycle

This week's Hattiesburg American column:

Last week I flipped over on my bike and came to terms with the asphalt pavement.

It was a sudden and stunning development. Out of nowhere, a savage concrete curb - otherwise known as a ”No Entry (or Exit)” sign to cars - appeared beneath me, disconnecting two perfectly good parking lots.

And there I lay, contemplating the possibilities and nuances of bike-friendly street design. OK, that last part might be hyperbole, but the thought did briefly cross my mind.

Now, with a clearer head, the question begs to be considered: Instead of frontier justice for cyclists, what if we integrated a system of bike paths into the fabric of our cities and towns? What would happen?

For starters, more people would ride bikes. When dedicated bike routes are convenient, clearly marked and connected, a ride to work or school becomes a desirable option. And step one of a recreational bike ride does not necessarily involve strapping a bike to the back of an automobile.

As a sustainable practice, biking cuts down on fossil fuel use and does not pollute the environment; riding a bike burns calories, not gas and oil.

And the health benefits of regular cycling are obvious. Americans have become ever more obese as auto-dependency has increased. (Who has time to go to the gym with all that driving around?) Why not exercise daily as part of the normal commute?

Biking is a sensory experience. Being in touch with the elements fosters a greater awareness of the surrounding environment. Biking promotes social interaction; try communicating with someone in a fast-passing car.

But it doesn’t stop there. Real money is at stake.

The economic benefits of a cycle-friendly environment include lower health care costs and higher property values. The requisite number of automobiles needed for living a “normal” existence decreases along with associated car maintenance, gas and insurance costs. A hike in biking results in a reduced number of cars on the street extending the road’s surface life. Traffic congestion is relieved allowing shorter travel times and a more pleasant commute for those who do drive.

Here’s the trade-off. Pay a little more for adding bike lanes when it’s time to resurface existing roadways, and we reap the benefit of a higher and healthier quality of life along with the aforementioned economic plusses.

For generations now, the car has ruled as transportation planners designed roads solely for the ease and convenience of the automobile, sacrificing cyclists and pedestrians in the process. By default, the jacked-up price of full participation in society has become one vehicle per adult.

But there is a concept for addressing a wider menu of transportation options than just automobiles - it’s called “complete streets” and involves accommodating bike and pedestrian traffic with equal vigor. In most cases, this can be accomplished without acquiring additional right-of-ways.

Isn’t it time we recycle the way we think about bicycles?

New Year's Resolutions

This week's newspaper column:

Cool-long nights and holiday festivities remind us that 2008 is coming to an end. The past year – at least for me – seemed to unfold with blurring speed. And now here we are, looking 2009 square in the face.

We have a well-deserved breather from the events of the day as Christmas cheer abounds and families and friends reunite, but soon it will be time to put up the bows and pull out the resolutions.

A lot of things have changed over the past year. An incoming Administration, a new Congress, high gas prices, low gas prices, and a sliding national economy that increasingly seems to have no bottom end – the new year looks much different than last year did going in. This country is at a crossroads, and the future will be shaped by our collective resolve.

So what if we, as a country, made some “green” New Year’s resolutions? If Uncle Sam penned a list, it might go something like this.

Quit smoking.

Currently, we burn fossil fuels to generate most of our energy needs. A phasing out of coal-fired plants and promotion of renewable energies like wind and solar will conserve our natural resources and foster a cleaner environment for everyone.

A nation-wide smart grid – the electrical version of the interstate highway system – can open up the entire country to Saudi Arabia-scale energy production from wind farms in the Midwest and solar energy mega-plants in the Southwest.

And conversion from gas-powered to electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles would radically reduce our burning addiction to oil.

Lose weight.

In sustainable terms, this means “having a smaller carbon footprint.” The single biggest factor influencing the recent record drop in gas prices is the reduction in demand as we drive less. That’s the power of conservation; no amount of increase in the production of oil and gas can compete.

The low-hanging fruit in a national conservation strategy, along with driving less, is the weatherizing of homes and the greening of buildings. Reduction of demand brings the markets back in line while we transform into a green-powered economy.

Spend more time with family and friends.

A national emphasis on promoting the design of walkable neighborhoods with services and work options nearby will increasingly reduce the time it takes us to get from here to there. Sprawl, on the other hand, is a big time hog.

And the culture of rampant consumerism demands that we spend more hours making money to pay for the things we buy. In the 1950’s it took one person working to support a family. Now, on average, it takes about two and a half incomes per household to make ends meet - with not much time to spend around the family dinner table.

We could resolve to spend more time and energy in the pursuit of intrinsic pleasures, rather than chasing the material ones. Did father really know best?

Winter Foliage

Nandina berries and Camellia blossoms.

BeauSoleil: The Bottom Line

Solar Decathlon Update: Every two years 20 university teams are chosen, based on proposals, to design an all-solar home and assemble it on the National Mall in Washington DC for public viewing and judging. Check back each Wednesday as the NAV Blog reports on the process of the design and construction of BeauSoleil, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's entry. For more info about the project, visit their website at ttp://www.beausoleilhome.org/. And check out short film about the project here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsuziBrNeO4

Over the next few weeks, the NAV blog will post Q & A from a recent interview with TEAM BeauSoleil.

NAV blog - Do you have any idea what a production model of the BeauSoleil home would cost? Does this prototype address “green on a budget”?

Geoff Gjertsen, TEAM BeauSoleil -

Certainly this has been one of our biggest goals and challenges for the project- to design an affordable, green home. The perceived and actual up-front costs of sustainable design have been a hindrance to full adoption by the public.

Fortunately, in our economic climate and with the cost of oil projected to sky-rocket again soon, the market for alternative energy will continue to increase, thus reducing costs. In particular, the costs of photovoltaics are predicted to decline dramatically in 2009. However, many of the systems and strategies in the BeauSoleil Home do not have a significant up-front cost.

It all starts with siting: orienting the home on an east-west axis, shading the home in the summer with deciduous trees, and installing operable windows to capture prevailing winds. Then the initial investment in PV's, rainwater harvesting, high-efficiency HVAC units, low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy-star appliances, low-E windows and high R-value SIPS construction will pay for itself in about seven years.

Prefabrication and mass-customization allow for the cost of the home to also be significantly reduced. So although the initial 800 square foot prototype is projected to cost $220,000, the production model with some modifications for permanent sites and without all the bells and whistles required for the competition, will cost approximately $100,000. (This cost is predicated on at least 100 units being produced by our modular home manufacturer, Louisiana System Built Homes.)

This price tag puts the home within reach of the median income family earning $40,000 per year in Louisiana. And although the cost per square foot may be higher than typical inefficient construction, the high energy-efficiency of the home will pay for itself in the short term, as stated earlier. And, and this is a big AND, the home owner gains a level of self-sufficiency unheard of in a conventional home, which is really one of the most important aspects of sustainable design.

The time is NOW for the BeauSoleil Home along the Gulf Coast.

Shaun Donovan at HUD

After eight years of atrophy and neglect, things are looking up for the future of housing in the US.

Shaun Donovan, currently the Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development in New York City, has just been nominated for the post of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Donovan is an architect by education with both bachelor and masters degrees from Harvard. Expect some innovative ideas and some aggressive action from HUD in the next few years.

In stark contrast to the previous Administration's world view that "government is the problem," Donovan brings a decidedly proactive attitude along with intellectual vigor to the post.

Santa came early this year.

A link to Obama's weekly YouTube message about housing and the Donovan nomination:

http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/secretary_of_housing_and_urban_development_announced_in_weekly_address/

BeauSoleil: In a Winter Wonderland

Snow in Lafayette Louisiana on mock-ups of the BeauSoleil Home's solar roof panels.

Rare sight?

Or Climate Change?

Dan Rockhill with TEAM BeauSoleil