Tree Protection

LEED rewards projects that preserve existing trees - after all, you can never have enough trees! In order to receive points the landscaping plans must delineate a tree preservation plan and the site must reflect some sort of protected no-disturbance zone.

Here you can see the tree preservation plan in effect at the Sumer Residence:

LEED Project Details

Rainwater from the roof flows through the catchment filter (currently tipped up) into these pipes and is directed towards the 3,800 gal tank in the yard.

For LEED, the HVAC system needs to have a minimum of a MERV 8 filter. The MERV rating indicates the tightness of the mesh. The higher the rating, the tighter the filter,  which means more particles are caught. Higher does not always mean better though, as they need changing more often and can make the HVAC system work harder to blow air through if not sized properly.

This project has all low or no VOC content caulking, sealants, and adhesives, which will earn 1 LEED point in Environmentally Preferable Materials.

3,800 gallon of rainwater catchment installed!

A 3,800 gallon rainwater collection tank getting rolled to its new home

Collected rainwater from the roof runs through these pipes to the storage tank

Rainwater and greywater collection

The rainwater and greywater system is being implemented this week! Designed by our friends at Catching H2O, the two 1320 cisterns should be plenty of storage for collected water and be able to serve the majority of the site's irrigation needs.

LEED Project Team Meeting - Onsite water collection

Last week our Project Team met to discuss one of the most important aspects of sustainable building in San Diego - what to do with the water that falls onsite. With little annual rainfall and regional mandatory water restrictions, it is important to plant drought-tolerant and native species and implement efficient irrigation design. Although it does not rain very often in San Diego, many people would be surprised at how much water you can capture during short rainfall events and even from the marine layer that often clouds the morning sky. You can harvest 600 gallons of rainwater off a 1000 square foot roof in only 1 inch of rain! So, it is important to size the cisterns appropriately to capture as much water as possible during these rainfall events. The Sumer Residence will place two 1,320 gallon cisterns in the backyard that will serve as plenty of storage for the rainwater that falls on the roof and the greywater that is collected from indoor sources such as sink faucets and showers.

Pictured here from left to right: Mike Callahan (Rainwater consultant, Catching H2O), Chris Kresge (site supervisor, Naylor Construction, Rosalind Haselbeck, (Rainwater consultant, Catching H2O) , Bob Scott (LEED Green Rater, RJS Planning), Katie Teare (LEED Consultant, Alliance Green Builders). Not pictured: Ahmet Sumer, Homeowner

Bring on the sunshine!

Solar panels are great investments in a sunny areas such as Solana Beach. San Diego County Solar just installed a south-facing 9.53 kW PV system that will annually produce an estimated 16,266 kWh. According to the Title 24 energy usage calculations, this production will offset more than 60% of the home's estimated annual energy usage, which has earned the project 10/10 LEED points in the Energy & Atmosphere category.

FSC Certification for Teak Flooring

Poor forestry practices continue to degrade many tropical rain forests, resulting in significant climate change impacts as well as irreversible harm to biological diversity. Certification by the Forest stewardship Council (FSC) is a seal of approval awarded to forest managers who adopt environmentally and socially responsible forest management practices.

At the Sumer Residence, the floors are going to be teak, a tropical wood imported from Indonesia. The supplier is a reclaimed teak company that manufactures beautiful products made of FSC Certified recycled teak.

Below is an FSC compliance sticker on the floorboards. The supplier will also provide a Chain of Custody certificate, which is an information trail about the path taken by products from the forest or, in the case of recycled materials, from the reclamation site to the consumer including each stage of processing, transformation, manufacturing, and distribution where progress to the next stage of the supply chain involves a change of ownership.

LEED Public Awareness

Creating public awareness of the features and benefits of a LEED project is an integral part of the LEED for Homes process. It invites the public to learn more about the residential green building movement and possibly to make positive changes in their homes or workplaces.

In the Awareness & Education category, we will achieve 1 point for Public Awareness by choosing to complete at least 3 out of the 4 options:

• Publish a website that provides detailed information about features and benefits of a LEED home. (You're reading it now!)
• Display LEED for Homes signage. (Check out the sign below)
• Generate a newspaper article for LEED for Homes (Please check back in closer to final)
• Hold a public open house or participate in a green building exhibition or tour (We will see!)

Here is our LEED for Homes signage:

Sustainability in Design

Renderings of the modern, beachside Sumer Residence arrived from Swell Property today:

A walkway of permeable pavers leads to the entrance of the house

Large windows will allow for natural light to pour into the living room

The backyard is laid with permeable pavers and drought-tolerant seagrass

Mid-Construction LEED Review

As you know, one of the most important aspects of LEED is the continual integration and discussion between Project Members throughout the project. Green Rater Bob Scott, LEED Consultant Katie Teare, Construction Supervisor Chris Kresge, and Landscape Architect Kristen Koehrn recently held a LEED Checklist review meeting to make sure we are still on schedule for the credits we are seeking, discussed any changes made to the plans, and decided how to best facilitate landscaping and site-sustainability credits.

A sunny, outdoor office for our roundtable meeting

Chris Kresge, Bob Scott, and Kristen Koehrn

A Jiffy Seal is placed between the concrete foundation and wood framing. This helps prevent pests from infiltrating the wood

The backyard will feature drought tolerant seagrass, permeable granite walkways, and native plantings. 

JumboTex vapor barrier applied before stucco for moisture prevention

The "Phase 2" compliance sticker is something you should look for on all cabinets and other composite-wood products you place in your home. Composite-woods often use formaldehyde-emitting resins to glue together, and the CARB Phase 2 label represents compliance with low-VOC emitting standards in California.

Envelope Sealing with JumboTex Vapor Barrier

The black layer you see is a JumboTex vapor barrier, engineered to protect against any moisture entering the wall system. Excessive moisture can cause serious problems within the building envelope such as mold and rot, and are much easier to deal with preemptively rather than in retrospect.