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Pro Spotlight: 3 Components of Comfortable, Energy Efficient Home
How creating an energy efficient envelope is the key to a sustainable home
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Who: Heidi Helgeson of H2D Architecture + Design
Where: Seattle
In her own words: “Creating an energy efficient envelope may add some initial cost to a project, but it will quickly pay off with low energy bills and a comfortable feeling in your home year round.”
A comfortable home with a small carbon footprint doesn’t have to feel like a compromise. In fact, designing a home with an eye towards energy efficiency can result in a space that’s cozier, healthier and more inexpensive in the long term. Heidi Helgeson, the principal designer of H2D Architecture + Design in Seattle, believes the key to creating a home that’s energy efficient and comfortable throughout all four seasons is in constructing a weather tight envelope around a residence. “Creating a jacket for the house keeps the heat in and the weather out,” says Helgeson. “That comfort will be felt immediately by residents.”
Where: Seattle
In her own words: “Creating an energy efficient envelope may add some initial cost to a project, but it will quickly pay off with low energy bills and a comfortable feeling in your home year round.”
A comfortable home with a small carbon footprint doesn’t have to feel like a compromise. In fact, designing a home with an eye towards energy efficiency can result in a space that’s cozier, healthier and more inexpensive in the long term. Heidi Helgeson, the principal designer of H2D Architecture + Design in Seattle, believes the key to creating a home that’s energy efficient and comfortable throughout all four seasons is in constructing a weather tight envelope around a residence. “Creating a jacket for the house keeps the heat in and the weather out,” says Helgeson. “That comfort will be felt immediately by residents.”
From conceptual to functional art. A native of the Seattle area, Helgeson took an interest in art early in life. When she started college with a major in art, she was drawn to sculpture and dabbled in furniture design. “I was focusing on studio art but found that functional art was really my passion,” she says. This path led her to studying architecture at the University of Washington and beginning her career as an architect.
Four-season designs. As an architect, Helgeson became interested in eco-friendly design as a way to build beautiful and consistently comfortable homes. “I love creating functional art on a scale that can be enjoyed by the occupants during all seasons of their lives,” she says. To design these homes, Helgeson combines earth-friendly, low-impact interior details — such as flooring, lighting and tile — with low-maintenance exterior materials. “A tight building envelope with highly insulated walls, roof, windows and doors creates a kind of blanket around a home, reduces drafts and creates consistent year-round temperatures,” she says.
Interested in designing a more earth-conscious home? Here are Helgeson’s top three tips.
Interested in designing a more earth-conscious home? Here are Helgeson’s top three tips.
1. Focus on Small Details for a Big Impact
Incorporating eco-friendly features within a home’s interior not only lessens the construction’s environmental impact, but results in a much healthier home environment. “Materials that don’t off-gas through the lifetime of the home, as well as sustainably sourced natural products, are more than just energy-efficient; they improve the air quality in the home, which is important for the inhabitant’s health,” Helgeson says.
The Seattle-area custom green home used locally sourced sustainable materials for the entire interior and exterior structure. Throughout the home, wood flooring was created from salvaged fencing and colorful glass tiles were made from recycled glass bottles. Low-VOC paint, which has reduced or zero off-gassing, helps keep the indoor air healthy. Outside, the owner chose lighting with a dark-sky-night rating to reduce the impact of light pollution from the home. A green roof and hidden cisterns help recycle rainwater for drier months.
See more of this project
Incorporating eco-friendly features within a home’s interior not only lessens the construction’s environmental impact, but results in a much healthier home environment. “Materials that don’t off-gas through the lifetime of the home, as well as sustainably sourced natural products, are more than just energy-efficient; they improve the air quality in the home, which is important for the inhabitant’s health,” Helgeson says.
The Seattle-area custom green home used locally sourced sustainable materials for the entire interior and exterior structure. Throughout the home, wood flooring was created from salvaged fencing and colorful glass tiles were made from recycled glass bottles. Low-VOC paint, which has reduced or zero off-gassing, helps keep the indoor air healthy. Outside, the owner chose lighting with a dark-sky-night rating to reduce the impact of light pollution from the home. A green roof and hidden cisterns help recycle rainwater for drier months.
See more of this project
2. Be Smart About the Sun
Controlling a home’s interior temperature — whether warming it up or cooling it down — often comes down to working with the site’s orientation and being mindful of the sun’s yearly march through the sky. “A combination of large overhangs and solar shades can cool down west-facing windows,” Helgeson says. “A tight envelope with insulated roof, walls and windows will ensure a home stays warm in cooler months.”
The contemporary Kirkland home seen here is built on three levels, all facing Lake Washington. “The west-facing facade heats up very quickly in the summer,” Helgeson says. “In the winter, the home is exposed to winds from the nearby water.” To create shade during the summer, she added large overhangs above the first and second levels, both with decks above. Solar shades in the interior rooms also reflect the western sunlight. Energy-efficient windows protect the home when the wind kicks up and keep it toasty during inclement weather.
See more of this project
Controlling a home’s interior temperature — whether warming it up or cooling it down — often comes down to working with the site’s orientation and being mindful of the sun’s yearly march through the sky. “A combination of large overhangs and solar shades can cool down west-facing windows,” Helgeson says. “A tight envelope with insulated roof, walls and windows will ensure a home stays warm in cooler months.”
The contemporary Kirkland home seen here is built on three levels, all facing Lake Washington. “The west-facing facade heats up very quickly in the summer,” Helgeson says. “In the winter, the home is exposed to winds from the nearby water.” To create shade during the summer, she added large overhangs above the first and second levels, both with decks above. Solar shades in the interior rooms also reflect the western sunlight. Energy-efficient windows protect the home when the wind kicks up and keep it toasty during inclement weather.
See more of this project
3. Fully Insulate Floors, Roofs and Walls
Helgeson often utilizes prefabricated building blocks. Two products offer maximum energy efficiency and are easy to incorporate within a variety of designs. The first is structurally insulated panels, or SIPS. They “are very well insulated, long-lasting and can be assembled like legos,” Helgeson says. The other is using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) for their ease of use and high efficiency.
The cabin seen here, on Guemes Island, was custom-designed for clients as a retreat from their busy lives in the city. Helgeson utilized SIPS to build the cabin roof, along with high-efficiency insulated concrete forms (ICF) for the cabin’s foundation. To further insulate the walls, the home is wrapped with a layer of insulation to increase the energy efficiency of the walls.
See more of this project.
More: For more information on Heidi Helgeson and examples of her work, visit H2D Architecture + Design’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Helgeson often utilizes prefabricated building blocks. Two products offer maximum energy efficiency and are easy to incorporate within a variety of designs. The first is structurally insulated panels, or SIPS. They “are very well insulated, long-lasting and can be assembled like legos,” Helgeson says. The other is using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) for their ease of use and high efficiency.
The cabin seen here, on Guemes Island, was custom-designed for clients as a retreat from their busy lives in the city. Helgeson utilized SIPS to build the cabin roof, along with high-efficiency insulated concrete forms (ICF) for the cabin’s foundation. To further insulate the walls, the home is wrapped with a layer of insulation to increase the energy efficiency of the walls.
See more of this project.
More: For more information on Heidi Helgeson and examples of her work, visit H2D Architecture + Design’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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Recensione di Erin:
I highly recommend H2D architecture and design. They did an outstanding job on our 2nd story addition. We are extremely happy with the outcome of our house.