Our project is complex and we’re doing our best to stay on track. 

However, our non-maleable building materials (i.e., concrete, glass and steel) make it difficult to correct mistakes or make other changes and, consequently, we’re taking more time and money than we had planned for this project.  That said, a LEED-H Platinum project, by definition, requires more thoughtful planning, material sourcing and handling, and documentation than otherwise.  Especially in an earthquake prone location with increasing seismic conditions.

So, comparing our budget, timeline and other elements to traditional projects, which are generally energy- and resource-intensive, is not appropriate.  But, no surprise, that comparison, and evaluation of our project management, is done by others every day. 

If we were using traditional building materials with traditional construction methods (i.e., stick framing, wooden floor joists and roof rafters, baseboards and door trim) then we should be on a much faster timeline and a lower budget.

We just need to get over it.

Assembling the Lower-Level Flat Roof

Around the entire perimeter of the house is the ‘lower-level flat roof’.  The ceiling height of this roof is identical to the existing house at 96 inches (8 ft).  The only exception to this is the roof at the back of the house, which sits above the lower-flat roof, which we call the ‘mid-level flat roof’.  Yesterday, the entire perimeter roof was completed as the mid-level flat roof connecting the Dining Room and Kate’s Bedroom was assembled.

Way cool.

Steel Flush Beam in SIP Roof

There is only one steel beam in our SIP roof and it is a flush beam that is hidden inside a SIP.  This is a critical beam that supports the upper-level flat roof over the Atrium and allows us to have only one post in the Kitchen area.  And, of course, have an extremely strong structure that meets the new code requirements for seismic conditions.

This steel flush beam sits on top of a lower-level roof SIP over the Garage and goes over the steel post in the Kitchen and is connected to a 7.00 x 11.25 inch Paralam beam that sits on the 8×12 Douglas Fir drop beam.  This steel beam will carry lateral forces into the concrete wall in the Garage so it must be connected robustly to that concrete wall.

The fabrication of the steel beam must include:

• 5/8 inch Nelson studs to attach 2×6 nailers on the top and bottom;
• a hole in the top and bottom flange to connect the beam to a 5/8-inch anchor bolt that is embedded in the concrete wall;
• a Simpson GLT welded to the north end of the steel beam to connect it to the 7.00 x 11.25 Paralam flush beam;
• two sets of 5/16 inch stiffeners welded in the locations where there are vertical loads (i.e., over the concrete wall and over the steel column);
• four sets of plates welded to the flanges of the steel beam to connect to the 4×6 and 6×6 posts that support the upper-level flat roof; and
• four bolts connecting the steel beam to the HSS 4×4 steel column in the Kitchen.

The steel beam must be the correct length and each of the components noted above must be in the correct locations.  Yeah, there is a lot going on with this steel beam.

Hosting Thien Doan’s Site Visit

Duquette Engineering designed the concrete foundation for the structure and Thien Doan did most of the work under Steve Duquette’s supervision.  Thien was at our project site numerous times observing the drilling of the holes for our concrete piers as well as the placement of the reinforcing steel (rebar) in the concrete slabs. 

When Steve Duquette attended our integrated project planning meeting on March 9, 2010, he said that he would like Thien to come by at this interim point in the project and take some pictures.

Thien came to the site today and walked the property with Bryan.  Thien was most interested in the SIPs and how the SIP wall and roof assembly was designed to transfer the shear forces to the concrete foundation walls.  Thien appeared impressed with the design and the construction, noting that there would probably be limited cracking of the sheet rock in the house during an 8.8 earthquake.

Reviewing the Shop Drawings for the Steel Beam with Larson Steel

Bryan drove to Larson Steel’s fabrication shop in Gilroy and met with William Zapeda to go over the measurements they took on Friday, March 19, prior to fabrication of the W8×18 steel beam.  They went over each of the measurements, noting one key area where Bryan needs to confirm with the lead framer from Earth Bound Homes, Francisco Espinoz.

William and Bryan went in the yard and reviewed the actual W8×18 steel beam and measured it.  The beam was a beautiful blue color, which is exactly what we would like the exposed steel beams and two steel columns to look like.

Finding Curb Damage in Los Gatos

The City of Monte Sereno requested that we have three 1-1/2 inch pipes carrying our excess water from our underground cistern to the curb on Winchester Boulevard, where it would then flow into the storm drain.  The engineers from the Town of Los Gatos did not like this design and requested that we connect our underground cistern with an 8-inch pipe connecting directly to the back of the storm drain.

They cited potential damage and maintenance issues as the reasons for requesting this change.  Today, Bryan saw a location where the 1-1/2 inch drain went though a concrete curb and had subsequent cracking and damage. 

Now, we can appreciate the request for a direct connection.

ArchiCAD rendering showing the W8x18 steel beam and the lower-level SIP roof.

ArchiCAD rendering showing steel beam and posts supporting the upper-level flat roof structure.

Mid-level flat roof at the back of the house. This is where the three sliding glass panel doors will be located, which will go into a pocket behind the exposed concrete feature wall at the left of this photo (the Dining Room wall).

View from the middle of swimming pool to the front door, showing the mid-level SIP roof that was assembled yesterday.

Thien Doan, from Duquette Engineering, on the lower-flat roof over the Garage.

View of Master Study and Master Bedroom showing completed 2x4 wall under 6x10 beam in Foyer and pony walls ready to receive the posts and ridge beams to support the SIP gable roof.

Thien taking photos of the SIP roof structure.

Simpson Strong Tie HTT22 connecting the 6x6 post to the hollow core concrete panels. Solid.

LPT4s in the Master Bedroom, reinforcing the SIP walls to the 6x10 flush beams in the SIP roof structure.

Exposed feature concrete wall at the back of the house, showing the space for the pocket that will hold the three sliding glass panels. Note that we will be adding a drop beam under the mid-level flat roof.

Measuring the profile of the W8x18 steel beam in Larson Steel's yard in Gilroy

The W8x18 beam is 5-1/4 inches wide.

We like the blue color of the steel and are considering having all of the exposed structural steel in the house finished in gun-metal steel blue.

Concrete curb in Los Gatos, showing damage caused by the 1-1/2 inch pipe going through the curb.

At the end of each day, Jo-Anne does her best to drop by and review our progress. With the longer days and the time change, it is easier for her to do so. And, it is always good to see her smiling!

We have a sense of urgency to complete our project.  Our feelings are heightened when it is raining. But today we throroughly enjoyed a beautiful, blue-sky California day.  Spectacular!

Our tasks included building our SIP pony walls and hosting Jerry’s Kauffman’s class from San Jose City College.  In between, we were absolutely delighted, and honored, to host Dawn and Steve’s first visit to our project site.  We’re counting on their return visit in the next six months (before we complete our project).

Building Our SIP Pony Walls

Our roof is a bit complicated although we like to think it is simple.  There are three types of connections for our gable roofs to connect to our flat roofs, and several other connections for each of the lower- and mid-level flat roof to post connections and multiple post to top level flat roof connections.  All of these connections come together over the corner of the Garage/Atrium, where our concrete wall is that goes all the way to the foundation (18 ft).

Putting the SIPs into this area was difficult as there were numerous anchor bolts and we added five 1-inch threaded steel rods, each embedded 12 inches into the concrete.  Adding to the complexity was the rigid conduit to carry the DC current from our 48 solar photovoltaic panels to the two inverters, located in the East Mechanical room.

Oh, the other component in this area is an 8×18 steel beam that connects the roof structure over the Living Room to the concrete wall in the Garage/Atrium.  This steel beam needs to be fabricated and is located inside the mid-level SIP roof.  The trick when working with steel is to have accurate measurements as it isn’t very maleable once fabricated.  Unless you have a cutting torch and arc welding equipment on site.

Hosting Dawn and Steve’s First Site Visit

Jo-Anne arrived at the project site with Dawn and Steve.  We took them on a full tour of the house, going through every room.  Both Dawn and Steve are from the Boston area so our Eichler and ‘California Modern’ design was very different than the residential architecture that they see on the East coast. 

They were impressed with the ‘green’ aspects of our project and wanted information on the payback of our solar photovoltaic panels.  Apparently, Massachusetts doesn’t have as many bright, sunny days as we enjoy in California.

Dawn mentioned that her husband, Dave, would be most interested, and impressed, with the insulated header in the West wall of the house.  Steve thought our temporary site office was over the top.

They promised to return and see our project again.

Presenting Our Project to San Jose City College Students

Jerry Kauffman, who we had met at the Kaneda Residence, was at our second Collaborative Informational Session last week and had arranged with Bryan to bring his students to tour our project.

The 20 students arrived promptly at 5:45 pm and toured the entire site.  Bryan gave an overview of our objectives and construction challenges and then took the students through each room, highlighting the innovative building materials and ‘green’ features.  The students had many questions, which Bryan did his best to answer concisely and accurately (he may have pontificated a few times).

The tour concluded on the SIP roof.  All 20 students climbed the ladder up to the roof and walked around the perimeter.

It was the perfect time at this point in our construction for the students to see how SIPs are assembled on site.  They could see the lower-flat roof in place and how the 2×6 plates are connected, with the pony walls going on top of the plates to support the SIP gable roof.  Moving around the roof, they saw the shear wall assemblies with the straps connecting the joints on the top of each beam.  Also, they saw the connections on top of each Hardy Frame.  Bryan distributed samples of the ‘blue screws’ that connect the SIPs so everyone could appreciate how the connections were made.

The presentation concluded at 7:30 pm and Bryan locked the gate just as it was starting to get dark.

Connection between the lower- and mid-level flat SIP roofs over the Garage/Atrium concrete wall, including the anchor bolts and LPT4s.

Note the strapping at the right side that will connect the bottom of the nailer on the steel beam (to be fabricated) to the top of the SIP roof over the Garage, which is then connected to the concrete wall in the Garage/Atrium. There is a lot going on in this location!

Carlos is caulking the bottom of the pony wall SIP where it will be placed over the 2x6 plate. This pony wall will support the SIP gable roof over the Kitchen.

We uncovered the SIPs and staged the pony wall SIPs on the roof. The large SIPs stacked on the temporary pool cover are for the gable roofs.

Dawn arrives at our project site!

Immediately after arriving, Steve receives an important call.

Dawn, Steve and Jo-Anne enjoyed the full tour in the late afternoon sunshine. Amazingly, all of them stayed clean through the tour of our active construction site.

As they were leaving, Dawn received a call (note her shoes for the tour).

Jerry Kauffman, right, as his class assembles to review our project.

After touring the lower level (basement) and ground floor, everyone climbed the ladder to the SIP roof.

The students made their way around the SIP roof, as they reviewed the connections and the SIP details.

Bryan's presentation concluded with answering questions on the SIP roof.

The group had plenty of questions, which Bryan did his best to respond to concisely and accurately.

Note the horizontal strapping that ties the blocking together in the SIP over the concrete wall between the Kitchen and Garage. This will be covered by a 2x12 tomorrow.

We enjoyed hosting almost 100 people today at our second of six Collaborative Informational Sessions. 

The day was structured with an open house from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, with a formal 60-minute presentation at 10:30 and 1:30 pm.  The Mayor of Monte Sereno, Don Perry, and Vice Mayor, Lana Malloy, opened each formal presentation.

Cleaning Up the Site from the Rain Last Night

It poured last night so we were scrambling to clean up the site and get rid of the water this morning. 

Dave Edwards (Earth Bound Homes) had several of his team on site helping to unbutton the site, pulling back the tarps and cleaning up the water. 

Eric Venzon (Teamwrkx) had his safety superintendant, Craig Butcher, ensure the site was safe and that signs were in place for our visitors, and had Dustin Barclay set up the presentation screen and provide electrical connections for the computers and projects.

Dave Stevenson (Insulspan) arrived and coordinated the presentation equipment so we were good to go.

John Rider (Jrider+Design) had just picked up the three new overview signs profiling the key green features of our house from San Jose Blue.  He placed these boards in three strategic locations around the house so our guests could identify and understand the various functions and benefits of the green features as they toured the house today.  The new overview sign is excellent (click here for a PDF).

Hosting the Morning Collaborative Informational Session

The sun came out and warmed the project site, drying up the pooled water all over the site.  And then our guests started to arrive.  Darrel Kelly (Builders’ Energy Services) stepped in graciously to receive each guest.  Darrel ensured that all of our guests signed a Site Tour Release form (waiver of liability), received a green Teamwrkx wrist band noting they had done so and then they entered the house.

We held a Q&A session on the ground floor where Eric introduced Bryan to respond to questions from the guests.  During this time, Don Perry (Mayor of Monte Sereno) and Lana Malloy (Vice Mayor of Monte Sereno), Perry Haviland, Architect of Record (Haviland Associates Architects), and Bill Brown (Bill Brown Construction) arrived.

Both Don and Lana spoke briefly, outlining how the City of Monte Sereno supported this project and are actively working with citizens of Monte Sereno to encourage ‘green building’  Specifically, Don outlined how the City had changed their ordinances to allow window wells in the setbacks, which was required prior to our project receiving our building permit.  Also, Don explained that the City Manager, Brian Loventhal, is updating Monte Sereno’s sign ordinance to allow a sign under the LEED for Homes program (which is currently prohibits signs that would qualify under the LEED-H criteria).

Then, everyone went to the lower level for Dave Stevenson’s AIA accredited presentation on Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs).  After Dave’s presentation, Dave Edwards presented an overview of green building, providing examples and insight that he has gained over the past eight years with Earth Bound Homes.

The group moved upstairs, into the warm sunshine for a final look at the house and to see some of the details that our presenters had explained.

Hosting the Afternoon Collaborative Informational Session

The weather continued to improve and it turned into a beautiful, blue-sky California day.  Don and Lana returned to open the afternoon session and Judy Peterson, the local writer from the Los Gatos Weekly Times, was on site to cover the event.

We were especially pleased to have several students from Richard Holman’s classes at De Anza College attend our event this afternoon (Richard’s first visit to our site was on Saturday, February 6, 2010).  Richard teaches classes on building performance and energy systems.  As well, Jerry Kauffman came to the site today.  Dave Stevenson is presenting to Jerry’s Wednesday class tonight at San Jose City College.  Jerry and Bryan will coordinate a field trip for his students to visit our site next Wednesday, March 17 (St Patrick’s Day!).  Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders in sustainable building so we encourage and support their visits to our site.

The author of the first book on Eichlers, Jerry Ditto, stopped in to see our progress.  Jerry, who wrote Eichler Homes:  Design for Living, has been involved in our project since the beginning and testified at the Site & Architecture meeting where we received our Site Development permit.  Interestingly, Lana Malloy, who is now Vice Mayor, was on the Site and Architecture Commision at that time.

Wrapping Up

After everyone left, we decided not to wrap the house with tarps as the overnight forecast was for clear skys.  Jo-Anne arrived and climbed the ladder to see the lower roof in the warm sunshine.

It was a good, full day.

(Left to right) Darrel Kelly receiving guests and having them sign Site Tour Release forms. Toni DeWaal and Patrice Green were among our first guests. Maria Dohadwala (white hard hat) had just signed in.

John Rider (Jrider+Design) put together a new overview, profiling the green features of our house. These boards helped our guests to identfy and understand the functions and benefits of the various green features around the house today. We had our iMAC running the ArchiCAD model so people could see how the remodel will look in three dimensions.

Just before the formal presentation started, Bryan provided an overview of the project and then answered questions from the group.

After the group moved to the lower level, Don Perry (Mayor of Monte Sereno) opened the presentation on behalf of the City of Monte Sereno.

After Don Perry spoke, Lana Mally (Vice Mayor, Monte Sereno) stepped into the sunlight and took the stage.

Dave Stevenson, from Insulspan, presented the AIA-accredited session on Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

There was a full audience for Dave's presentation.

Meanwhile, on the ground floor, Joel Lemons (Jrider+Design) was reviewing the green features (somewhat loudly) of the house with both Vivienne Kelvin (left) and Wendy Parker (right).

And, Bill Brown (left) and Bryan were answering questions on the ground floor, too.

The presentations were the very first use of our home theater, in the lower level. Note the water from the heavy rains last night.

Dave Edwards (Earth Bound Homes) presenting during the second session in the afternoon.

When Dave Stevenson presenting during the afternoon, when it was much warmer in the lower level.

The second presentation went very well.

Using one of our 12-1/4 inch SIPs, Dave Stevenson explains how SIPs are manufactured and why SIPs have more strength as a composite building material that the indivdiual components by themselves.

Some interested guests climbed the ladder and walked around the SIP roof. It was much warmer in the sunshine of the roof. Eric Venzon (left), Teamwrkx, Shannon McElyea (center) and Rory Faber (right), Stramit International.

Jerry Ditto (left) and Bryan, in the Garage.

Paul Dodds (left) speaking with Bryan on the roof.

Bryan, pausing to enjoyi the warm sunshine on the roof.

We've been working with John Rider (Jrider+Design) since July 2008.

Jo-Anne, on the roof, at the end of the day.