On Monday, March 17th Wright-Ryan Construction was recognized at the 2008 Governor's Carbon Challenge , for it's efforts in reducing greenhouse gases. W-R was 1 of 20 companies, organizations and institutions honored for the continued effort to reduce engergy costs and lower carbon emissions.
Tour a LEED home, a platinum-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design pilot home in Freeport. The energy efficient, resource friendly house is decorated by 12 local designers featuring environmentally friendly, occupant healthy products. Attend a lecture series to learn more about ways to go green by experts in the field of energy conservation and environmental choices and shop at the on-site green boutique. The event benefits Freeport Community Services. $15 for tour, and $5 per lecture. For directions and more information, call Kim Knowlen at 865-3985. House open Wednesdays through Sundays, 28 March - 19 April, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the UNE Pickus Center for Biomedical Research was held on site at the Biddeford campus on October 7th. Wright-Ryan first submitted a proposal for this job during the fall of 2004. After a long pre-construction period, work has begun and the project has a proposed completion date of August 2008. The 21,000-square-foot, three-floor biomedical research facility will house teams of scientists and will ensure that UNE will attract and keep a top-flight faculty that is dedicated to medical education and advancing the practice of medicine. The facility will give students greater opportunities to experience research as part of their medical studies. Governor Baldacci was on hand to speak about the importance of the research facility and the significance of the Center for continuing to make job opportunities for the state of Maine.
Cranberry Ridge, the LEED pilot home we completed in fall 2006, has received the highest rating allowable by the US Green Building Council. The platinum rating was awarded to the project in April. There are only two other projects in the country that have been awarded the platinum rating and this is quite an accomplishment.
LEED for Homes encourages buildings with small footprints and therefore gives additional points for little spaces. We knew that Cranberry Ridge would lose points for having 3200 square feet. Summary of points received:
Innovation and Design (9 points) We received points for having a third- party durability inspection and innovative, regional design.
Location and Linkage (3 points) The project avoided an environmentally sensitive site.
Sustainable Sites (15 points) The landscaping was native and remained permeable.
Water Efficiency (10 points) The fixtures used in the home were of the highest efficiency.
Energy and Atmosphere (27 points) The project exceeded Energy Star requirements with third-party testing.
Materials and Resources (14 points) WR selected environmentally preferable products and used advanced framing techniques.
Indoor Environmental Quality (15 points) The project featured a high performance fireplace, a dedicated outdoor air system with heat recovery, sophisticated timing controls and a blower door test rating of 0.12.
Awareness and Education (2 points) A comprehensive homeowners manual was created and the home received public attention.
Nu-Wool Wallseal insulation installed by WarmTech Solutions was used in the exterior walls and roof of the house. Wallseal cellulose insulation is a low moisture spray on densepack application. Wallseal cellulose has an effective
R-Value, which provides up to 40% savings to heating and cooling costs over traditional insulation while providing comfort and sound control for the home.
Nu-Wool cellulose is manufactured from 85% recycled newsprint and 15% borate making it a safe fire retardant. It’s also an EPA registered fungicide prohibiting the growth of mold and mildew and is pest and rodent resistant
Between floors we used batt insulation that has low formaldehyde content. Formaldehyde is thought to cause cancer.
By using WarmTech Solutions insulation system, we created a very tight envelope at a reasonable cost while using a very sustainable product. The insulator will perform a blower door test prior to drywall and at the end of the project to ensure tightness of the building envelope.
Wright-Ryan Construction would like to extend a special thanks to our subcontractors and suppliers that went above and beyond to set a standard in the green building industry. To get more information about any of these companies or products, please feel free to contact Wright-Ryan.
The LEED home on Cranberry Ridge Road in Freeport had its first blower door test completed this week. A blower door test is done to determine the air leakage in a building. In order to receive LEED Certification, a home must receive a rating of 0.35 ACH (Air Changes Per Hour) or better. The way that LEED is currently set up is that projects receive the following points:
0.35 ACH= Mandatory
0.25 ACH or less= 1 point
0.15 ACH or less= 2 points
Our project received a 0.12 which afford us 2 LEED points. Once the interior trim is installed, our ACH is apt to decrease which is outstanding!
Interested in hearing the architect for the LEED home speak in depth about his design? Ian Parlin, of Richard Renner Architects, is giving a a talk next week on September 14th at 7pm. Contact FW Horch, a sustainable supply store in Brunswick, for more details.
I just returned from the SMPS conference, Build Business, held in Hollywood California. In addition to the educational sessions jam packed with fellow marketers and business development professionals, the conference hosted a black tie gala to honor recipients of the Marketing Communications Awards.
Lisa Stevens of Harriman Associates, based in Auburn Maine, took home second place in the holiday piece category. She came up with the idea to have each firm principal share their favorite recipe and then placed them into a round tin. Congratulations to Lisa and Harriman Associates on the achievement.
Join the Maine chapter of SMPS at our annual social on September 13th at 4-7pm at UNA in Portland. Check out the website for details.
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