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| Curt McPhail (left) and Parker Champion visit the construction site. |
Curt McPhail and Molly Chappell-McPhail decided to build an earth friendly, or green, house in Spartanburg. After doing some research on different green building programs, they decided to build an EarthCraft home.
The project is situated on half of an acre in the Pierce Acres/Forest Hills community in Spartanburg, SC. Parker Champion is the McPhails' builder. According to Parker, the project is going very smoothly. As of early July, the McPhails' basement is in place, featuring Weaver Precast/Superior Walls. Curt says he really likes the Superior Walls system because it is conducive to finishing, which he plans to do as a do-it-yourself project later.
Curt has created a blog--"Building Green on a Budget" — to track building progress and to discuss his experiences learning about the EarthCraft building process.
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| The basement is sealed and insulated by extruded polystyrene foam, an energy saving product that has been in use for 50 years. |
The Henthorn House
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| The reflective surfaces on these insulating barriers help to reduce energy loss due to radiant heat exposure. |
Michael Henthorn, AIA, of Beeson Henthorn Development, specializes in custom home design and construction. Henthorn had been considering green building for a while. A recent EarthCraft training session for builders took place in Greenville, and Henthorn signed on.
Just two months later, he is working to complete his first EarthCraft project--an approximately 3,400 square foot home near the Andrews Farm community in Spartanburg.
Henthorn also has plans for a second EarthCraft house to be located in Candler Place in Spartanburg.
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| Builders work to get this green home “in the dry.” |
Some EarthCraft design elements the Henthorn House will feature include:
- House configured and site located to minimize solar heat gain
- Many Windows and Skylights maximize day lighting potential
- House located to save existing old growth and ornamental trees
- Several existing small caliper trees excavated and stored for re-use on site
- Un-vented, insulated crawl space
- 2x6 walls w/ R-19 insulation
- Advanced framing techniques to allow better insulation coverage
- Dow insulated polystyrene exterior wall sheathing
- Advanced air infiltration reduction package
- Low E, high performance, insulated glazing at windows, doors and skylights
- Radiant barrier roof sheathing
- All HVAC units and ductwork in conditioned space
- High efficiency HVAC equipment w/R410 (ozone friendly) refrigerant
- Dedicated HVAC fresh air intakes to maximize indoor air quality
- Energy Star Appliances and light fixtures
- Compact fluorescent recessed light fixtures
- Minimal use of incandescent light fixtures
- Water efficient plumbing fixtures
- Fiber cement exterior trim work
- Low VOC paints and solvents
774 Rutledge
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| The Z-Ecospace team chose this house to “recycle” based on already existing energy saving characteristics. |
The March 2007 issue of On the Move (page 5) reported on Z-Ecospace's renovation of a Converse Heights bungalow. The project, though not a certified EarthCraft House, has been completed according to EarthCraft renovation standards. The project was aided by the fact that the building already included many design elements that made the house green friendly, such as high ceilings and windows that allowed for cross ventilation. The Spartanburg Herald-Journal also published an article on the renovation, which can be accessed here.
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| Here you can see the new energy efficient windows, spray foam insulation and recessed compact fluorescent light fixtures. |
EarthCraft in the Upstate:
Check out the blog of the owner of the Upstate House, a Greenville dwelling that was completed to the standards of the EarthCraft House Program. The author gives a detailed account of the building process, guidelines and the reality of building a home.