Habitat for Humanity takes the LEED with young designers' help

Although the open house to celebrate Habitat for Humanity’s first LEED-Platinum rated project was held a month ago, it’s not to late to applaud the Webster Street project.

Consisting of two duplexes (a 900 square foot two-bedroom and a 1200 square foot four-bedroom), the Webster projects are 40 percent more efficient than code requires. They are the first LEED-rated Habitat homes of any kind in Oregon, let alone Platinum-level, and two of only a handful nationwide.

The homes were built with a slough of volunteers and professionals lending their time, money and efforts: Walsh Construction, Cascadia Green Building Council, and Bank of America, among others.

But particular credit goes to the two young designers involved: Scott Mooney and David Posada.

Mooney works at THA Architecture and Posada at GBD Architects, but they became friends while attending the University of Oregon’s masters degree program for architecture (they graduated in 2005).

The homes grew out of a design competition for young architects sponsored by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council in 2007 to design a LEED-certified duplex on a lot owned by Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East.

“Over the course of the last 18 months, David and I have been volunteering our time on nights and weekends (independent, but with the full moral and resource support, of our respective firms) to adapt our concept into something more feasible and affordable that would allow Habitat to fully realize this unique project,” Mooney told me recently.

Habitat for Humanity already builds relatively efficient homes with Energy Star appliances and Earth Advantage sustainability methods. But the Webster Street projectm even with donated goods and services, was more expensive and required greater technical expertise and collaboration.

Stepping up, Bank of America gave $75,000 to help pay for materials, and their employees regularly volunteered to work on the construction. Just as importantly, Walsh Construction provided a pro-bono site supervisor (not usually a presence on simple Habitat homes) and recruited skilled construction-industry volunteers.

The Webster duplexes are built with metal roofs and structural insulated panels, which drastically reduce heat gain and loss through the building. Two cisterns capture rainwater for irrigation in the summer. Stone for the shared courtyard came from the driveway of the house that once stood on the site. The utility room houses a 50-gallon water heater that is so efficient it warms the house through a floor heating system while providing hot water for other uses. The homes have concrete floors with radiant heat. Countertops in the smaller home are Paperstone, richly colored and made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper in Hoquiam, Washington.

It’s enticing to think of a future in which Habitat for Humanity builds all of its homes to LEED specifications (certified or not) and involves real architects. Were we to pair great design and construction with the hugely beneficial efforts of Habitat, our community could help revolutionize what is already a very laudable nonprofit.

In the meantime, lets give our thanks and praise to the many professional and amateur volunteers making this project happen, but especially to Mooney and Posada for both a a transcendent design and effort.

Comments

[Earl]

Nice contrast to the baseball stadium discussion. How many homes could be built for the cost of a new unneeded baseball stadium?

[kyle]

this cleary demonstrates an elevated ethic for housing that should be used in all of our work for the general public - it shows how good design and environmental ethics go hand in hand. A big congrats to Mooney and Pasado for a job well done setting the bar higher for the next project to help the community and raise awareness to great design.

[uoaaa181]

Excellent work David & Scott!