Southface News

Left: First-time homeowners, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, joyfully cut the red ribbon on their EarthCraft home at 63 Gammon Street. Right: Cynthia Moreland, executive director, Charis Community Housing; Honorable Shirley Franklin, mayor, City of Atlanta; Sydney Roberts, project manager, Southface; Neli Springs, president, South Atlanta Civic Lead and Malcomb Young, secretary, Charis Board of Directors.

63 Gammon Street: Opening the Doors for Affordable Green Homes

On October 9, 2007, a year after Gamble & Gamble Inc. (G + G Architects) was named the winner of the 2006 Sustainable Homes Competition, a ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by many organizations that helped bring the project to fruition was held. Along with the new homeowners, guests, including Atlanta Mayor, Shirley Franklin, gathered at 63 Gammon Street, in southeast Atlanta, to celebrate the completion of the home. The project, overseen by the Kendeda Fund, brought together Southface, Charis Community Housing (CCH), The American Institute of Architects, Atlanta Chapter (AIA Atlanta), G + G Architects and the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) to design, build and promote an environmentally friendly affordable home. The result is a $150,000, three bedroom, two bath modern EarthCraft House.

The ceremony was presided over by Barry Berlin, Managing Director of Atlantic Trust on behalf of The Kendeda Fund. At the ceremony, Berlin provided an overview of the competition and introduced the partners before turning the podium over to the Honorable Shirley Franklin. Mayor Franklin had high praise for the way the home was sited in its natural setting, noting the mature trees and the drought resistant xeriscaping.

The house received the highest EarthCraft House certification and is 40% more energy efficient overall and 50% more efficient for heating and cooling than a house built to code. Because of these savings, the builder, Brian Mills, was able to qualify for a $2,000 federal energy tax credit. According to Sydney Roberts, the Southface Residential Services Project Manager, what is noteworthy about these results is, “we were able to achieve such extraordinary energy savings without employing extraordinary technology.” These savings can be attributed to the extra airtight construction of the house. Icynene spray foam was used to insulate the walls, the ceiling, rim joists and the crawl space. Further heating and cooling and related energy savings were achieved through an ultra efficient heat pump. In addition to providing the extra energy savings needed to qualify for the tax credit, the heat pump is central to the controlled ventilation strategy, a necessary component in all high performance homes.

The EarthCraft House building program was well received by everyone involved in the process. Cynthia Moreland, Executive Director of Charis Community Housing, an Atlanta-based non-profit organization that works to restore urban communities through, among other things, workforce housing and training, praised the collaboration because it “opened an affluent design element to those who arguably need it most.” EarthCraft House has proven to be such an effective method to serve CCH’s population that their next project, their first subdivision, will consist entirely of Earth Craft Houses. According to Moreland, “[CCH] is going Green!” - Alyce Thompson

Southface launches Sustainable Nonprofits Project

Southface received a grant from the Kendeda Fund to launch a Sustainable Nonprofits Project to ‘green’ Atlanta nonprofit organizations over the next three years. The project gives qualified metro Atlanta nonprofits the opportunity to receive Southface green building technical services with fees covered by the grant. Eligible nonprofits must operate within the 23-county Atlanta region and meet specific criteria to qualify for energy and water assesments and other technical services. The grant does not cover building or upgrade expenses.

For complete information, please go to www.southface.org/goodgreen

Eco Office Update: Amazing to Look At On the Inside Too!

Southface Executive Director, Dennis Creech, lends a hand during an Eco Office volunteer workday.	Preparing for interior finishes, Ben Hampton vacuums dust from the raised floor in the Eco Office. Below left: Adam Deck adjusts a carpet square; below right: the photovoltaic array, donated by BP and installed by One World, with the help of Southace staff, falls into place in early September.

As the Eco Office construction comes to completion, the final finishes are going into place. To achieve a LEED® Platinum certification the interior finishes must meet strict environmental standards. project architects, Lord, Aeck & Sargent have gone to great lengths to specify a wide range of earth-friendly products. Many of the products will limit environmental impact by using salvaged and recycled materials, improve indoor air quality emissions and benefit the local economy by using regional materials.

Throughout the entire building we will be using Benjamin Moore Eco Spec® low VOC paints, Allstate Rubber’s high-recycled content Cove Base™ and USG’s high-recycled content acoustical ceiling tiles. The wide range of flooring installed will include low-VOC recyclable and high-recycled content carpet from C & A, Interface and Lees. Rapidly renewable resources comprise a number of our floor finishes including Allstate’s recyclable Brasilia™ Rubber Tile, Forbo Marmoleum® (a derivative of the flax plant), Constantine’s bamboo plank, and Expanko®’s cork rubber and traditional cork. Thank you to local distributor The Green Room for providing our cork & bamboo. AAA World Floors is donating salvaged oak for window sills and nexus (atrium) stair panels. Restrooms will be finished in Crossville® Ecocycle tile made from 50 to 100% unfired raw material reclaimed from the tile-manufacturing process. Empire Woodworks has constructed FSC-certified urea formaldehyde-free cabinets from Columbia Forest Products PureBond™ for use in several areas throughout the building.

Through the use of these green materials donated by our sponsors, Southface will continue to showcase cutting edge green building technologies and resources.

- Andrea Moore and Frank Burdette

	Southface receives the EEBA Legacy Award The growth of the sustainable community over the past 25 years has contributed to the advanced green technologies and forward-thinking building science professionals and organizations we have today. To honor those organizations that have made significant contributions promoting and developing building science and new construction, The Energy & Environmental Building Association (EEBA) honored 25 organizations with the Legacy Award on October 10, 2007 at their 25th annual conference and expo. Of the 25 organizations presented the Legacy Award, Southface is proud to have been one of them, along with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Program, EPA’s Energy Star program and others.

Discovery Network selects Renewal Construction

The Discovery Network cameras will follow the remodeling process of EarthCraft House builder member, Renewal Construction, as they began extensive renovation of a one-story, 940-square-foot bungalow home located in Decatur. Early next year, Discovery Network will launch a new channel, Planet Green on which the remodeled green home will debut.

Upon completion, the home will double in square footage and height, while only adding 150 square feet to its existing footprint. The planned green features include a geothermal heat pump, a sealed crawlspace, a tankless water heater, structural insulated panels, low-VOC paints and three cisterns for rainwater harvesting.

While pursuing EarthCraft House™ certification, the home will also receive Southface Home Energy Ratings. The homeowners, Michelle Frost and K.C. Boyce are exploring ENERGY STAR certification as well.

	Southface Engineer Adds Qualification Southface would like to congratulate senior engineer, David Wasserman, as the newest certified RESNET Quality Assurance Designee (QAD). David provides energy modeling expertise for residential and commercial buildings, in addition to designing residential duct systems. David is now accredited to conduct HERS trainings. Southface is honored to have six staff members who have mastered this rigorous national certification program.

Southface Hellos & Goodbyes

Southface welcomes new faces

Interns:

• Ankith Kamaraju, Andrea Moore, Brad Painting, Jared White

Staff:

• John Bracey, CGBS Technical Project Manager
• Ted Cater, EarthCraft House Manager of Development & Communications
• Seth Coan, CGBS Technical Project Manager
• Stephanie Connell, Project Manager of Meetings & Events
• Christina Corley, Sustainable Developments Associate
• Denise Grimm, CGBS Technical Associate
• Tyler Jones, EarthCraft House Inspector
• Alyce Thompson, Policy Fellow
• Eilaina Walker, EarthCraft House Database Manager

Southface offers best wishes to departing staff and interns:

• Alexis Anzo, Abe Kruger, Wes Riley, Brian Sharkey

Visit our website at www.southface.org to learn more about our staff.

		Solar Decathlon house The 100-percent, solar powered Georgia Tech Solar Decathlon home achieved EarthCraft House certification. Jason Brown receives their certificate from Sydney Roberts from Southface. The competition was held on the National Mall in Washington D.C. from October 12-20, 2007.
Interior and exterior views of the Georgia Tech Solar Decathlon home, on display in Washington D.C. Photo credit: Georgia Tech Solar Decathlon Team
Southface staff retreat September 17, 2007 at the Georgia Environmental Heritage Center. From left to right, Bottom front row: Andrea Moore, Matthew Powers, Ted Cater, Tyler Jones, Glenn Pease, LaTaunynia Campbell, Sean Bleything, Anne Rogers, Marisa Wilson, Nadine Lang, Alyce Thompson, Laura Uhde, Christina Corley, Ku’ulei Sako. Left to right, middle row: Mike Barcik, Allison A. Bailes III, Susan Garrett, Andrew Lane, Scott Lee, Dennis Bauer, Abe Kruger, Erin Raffield, Alice Pendergrast, Denise Grimm. Left to right, top row: Steve Herzlieb, Daniel Harvey, Candice Moore, David Wasserman, Seth Coan, Sydney Roberts, Kris Knutson, Stephen Christensen, Frank Burdette, Ruth Ann Rosenberg, Eilaina Walker, Gray Kelly, Dave Boles, Beth Haynes, John Bracey, Josh Duckwall, Kelly Gearhart, Greg Brough. Left to right, top back row: Brian Sharkey, Brad Painting, Ankith Kamaraju, Chris Theal, Dennis Creech. Not pictured: Stephanie Connell. Click photo to enlarge