Hillside Home Showcases Veteran Builder`s

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GNASS
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VeteranBuilder's
SolarSkills
BySusan
Badger
3EStrctegres
Jones,
Jon and KarenGnass,Bend,didnt know they were
buyinga perfect solar lot l5 yearsago,'We just
likedthe spot" saidJon,"we kept seeingit on our
trainingruns,"
The couplewanteda cleanEuropeanlook and
knew they likedconcretefloors.After talkingto Jim
Chauncyat SunTerraHomes,"The idea of going
solarjust madesense,"
saidJon.
Their new home takesa classicpassivesolar
form - a glazedsouthsidewith appropriately
sized
north
eavesand decks,and a
sidetuckedinto the
hill. From the front entrance,a central light-filled
stairwellrisesthrough the center of the home like
an atrium.Lower floors houseJonl photography
officeand scanningroom, a guestbedroomand
bath,accessto garagesand an exerciseroom--both
KarenandJonare ultra-marathoners,
regularly
competingin racesof 3 | milesand more. At the top of
the stairs one steps into an expansiveEuropean
feelingkitchen/living/dining
area.That spaceandthe
The "bridge"betweenthe home'stop floor airy livingareaand masterbedroom showsthe
aftention givento integratingtile and concret flooring and creatingspeciallightingdetail.
Photo Credic SunTerra
Homes
70
Green+Solar
eutlotNc
onecoN2007
adjacentmasterbedroom,havesweepingviewsand
amazingnaturallightfrom interiors.
Chauncyhastouchedthe home with lessons
learnedover time.He dropsthe decksone stepso
the railingsdont blockviews,leavesindentations
in
concretefloors so tile can be inset,usessoft LED
lightingfor the stairway,under cabinetsand great
room sofits. Deck on the west,south and north
provideoutdoor livingspots in the sun or shade,
anytimeof the day.Theroof is readyfor solarhot
water andphotovoltaics
whenthe coupledecideit's
time. "We both feel like we've lived here a lot
longerthanwe have,"saidJon.
Alongwith that comfortChauncyalsodelivered
a home he estimatesto be 40 to 60%more energy
efficientthan code construction,a talent that has
greenbuildingawardsin
won him four prestigious
the lastyear-two from the NationalAssociationof
Home Builders(NAHB) and two the Central
(COBA).
OregonBuilders
Association
The Gnasshome exemplifieshis three part
approach.First,constructinga tight buildingenveframingto maximizespacefor
lope usingadvanced
insulation
andfillingthat spacewith 2 poundmarine
gradestructuralurethane."lt doublesthe sheer
valueof the wallsand provideshigh insulationvalues,air tightnessand moisturecontrol.I address
them all,"saidChauncy.
Next Chauncyusesslab-on-grade
concrete
potential
passive
of
floorsto combinethe
solargain
with in-floor radiantheatingand cooling.He runs
separatelong in-floorradiantzonesparallelto the
southfacingwindows.On sunnydays,when there's
plentyof sun floodingthat floorithe southernmost
zonesare turned off and work like a passiveslab,
acceptingheat from the sun,storing it and givingit
back later.In overcastweatherthe zonescan be
includedin the radiantsystem,heatingup in about
FEATURES
.2,495SF2 bedroom
with
homeofficeandexerciseroom
. Morethan50%of glasson south
roof
side;properlyfixedoverhanging
anddecksfor summershading
. 60%SolarHeatGainglazing
on
is both
concrete
slab
windows;
south
thermalmass& finishedflooring.
.York air-to-waterheatpumpwith
zonedin-floor radiantheating/cooling
. SterlingEnergyRecoveryVentilator
(ERV).
. Advanced2 x 6 wood framingwith
opencorners,boxedheaders
andenergyheeltrusses
drr;r.
.Two poundmarinegradestructural
The Gnass' south windows provide solar gain and expansiveviews of Bend. Phoco Credit: CnossPhotolmoges
for maximum
urethaneinsulation
controlof air infiltration
. All hardflooring,finishedconcrete,
tile,with floatinglinoleumin of{ice
.Trex decking,
minimalinteriorwood
trim,fibercementsiding
. Low volumewater fixtures
. Xeriscaping
with all runoff
retainedonsite
. Pre-plumbed
for solarhot waterand
largeexpanseof open south roof for
future PV
Natural light from different direcrions enhances the open contemporary feel of the living,dining and kitchen
. Customized
manual
homeowner's
area. Photo Credit:SunTerroHomes
. EarchAdvantage& Energy
Starcertified
t w o h o u r s .T h e G n a s s h o m e h a s f i v e to warm incomingfreshair.
. Buildingsitematerials
For all its oower, controls for the
recycled
suchheatingzones.
Chauncy tempers the system with f i v e z o n e , h e a t p u m p i n - f l o o r r a d i a n t
by builderandowners
#
'}f'
TEAM
Owner
Jon& KarenGnass
Designer/Builder/ProjectManager
MarkChauncey,
JimChauncey,
Homes,Bend,Oregon
SunTerra
Mechanical
Bend
Comfort Design,
air-to-water heat pumps,exactly what
he'sused in his own home sincehe
arrived from Montana nine years ago.
"Cost-wise they compete well in various climateswith ground-sourceheat
pumpsJ'he said,pointingout that air-towater pumps dont require the acreage
necessaryfor ground source PumPsso
they're suitablefor higher density locations. "There's a greater return Per
therm on the investment."An energy
recoveryventilacorensuresappropriace
air exchangesand in cold weather harvests the heat from exhaustingstale air
;5sqrt*g'
system looks deceptivelysimple in the
mechanicalroom. Chauncyhas learned
that reducing a system to its basic elem e n t s p r o l o n g sl i f e a n d i s e a s i e rt o
operateand maintain.
That all settleswell with Jon and
Karen Gnass.Theylove the comfort and
beaury of the new home and enioy low
energycosts lower than their neighbors.
The Gnasshome's contemporary
sryle and Europeanfeel is now amonS
m a n y s t o c k d e s i g n sa v a i l a b l et h r o u g h
SunTerra'snew on line service at sunterrahomeplans.com.
2 0 0 7 G r e e n + S o l a rg u t L D t N G o n t c o N 7 l