AIBD President’s Message Kevin Holdridge is President of KDH Residential Designs in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is currently the President of the Charlotte Metro Chapter and the National President of the AIBD. He is also a member of the National Home Builders Association where Kevin received his Certified Green Professional as well as his Certified Aging in Place designations.
The
American Institute of Building Design is experiencing fantastic growth in membership and revenue, a testament to our new business model. The grass roots campaign of local chapters offering education and networking events on a monthly basis to our members is a great benefit to designers, architects and associate members alike. We see these chapters as local outreach ambassadors. We need to continue our efforts for the chapters to create relationships with local building officials, home owners associations and the architectural review boards in their areas. We are enjoying a new excitement around the only organization dedicated to the Residential Design profession. There are many programs, committees and task forces working in concert with one another on items from copyright infringement, education, certification, ANSI accreditation and public relations. We are continuing to seize opportunities in our ever changing industry by working with other great organizations like the NAHB, CEDIA, CIAT, TIBD and NKBA to only name a few. We continue to see legislative threats to our industry, but we have strength in numbers. Once a threat is discovered on a local level, we have been able to rally the local chapters and our partner organizations in conjunction with AIBD council in order to present our case. So far we have been very successful, but I encourage everyone to recruit new members to keep our organization growing. We have strength in numbers and we need to bring in youthful members and mentor them into carrying on the profession as we have. I ask you to look back at the people that have influenced or nurtured your career over the years and become that influence for someone else. Mentorship in itself is a staple of our organization, promoting the success of our industry. It is an honor leading this organization and I look forward to the future potential of the AIBD with the new certification possibilities and continued efforts to better our industry. We are the only national organization dedicated to the education and promotion of the residential design industry. In 2017 we are looking to build on our latest success and turn them into long term sustainable growth. Let’s not forget, this is OUR organization and together we can do great things. If you would like more information about how to get involved with some of our great programs please reach out to me at Kevin.Holdridge@aibd.org
WINTER 2016 - 01
AIBD Executive Director’s Message
Steve Mickley is the Executive Director of AIBD and a Certified Professional Building Designer. Steve holds numerous awards, such as AIBD’s President’s Award and AIBD Designer of the Year.
“Let
us not forget why we are here. It is for the advancement of our industry and those who strive to become our contemporaries.” My favorite quote was first written by AIBD Past President Don Gore in a 1996 issue of the AIBD magazine. Those who have known me twenty years are also able to recite that quote. Thanks to the many times I’ve used Don’s words to “rally the troops.” In this case, my intent is to use them to express my pride for our organization and its premier awards program, the American Residential Design Awards, or ARDA. As an all-inclusive awards program, it has truly grown into a spectacular national affair. AIBD’s mission is to enhance, develop, educate and promote the value of the residential design professional. ARDA exemplifies that mission. More so this year than ever before. The number of firms represented grew by nearly twenty-five percent and its reach is extending deeper into the industry. Unlike design competitions you’ll find throughout our industry, ARDA represents excellence in residential design by serving more as a confirmation than a contest. As a result, the quality of the work ARDA recognizes is magnificent. All the credit is due to a hardworking group of members who have embodied the mission and worked tirelessly for the Institute – our ARDA Committee. Most importantly, I thank Michael Battaglia for his contributions. After twelve years as the ARDA Chairman, Mike has resigned and is taking on new challenges on behalf of our industry as the AIBD Director of Codes. Mike, I deeply appreciate all you’ve done. It has been a pleasure to work with someone with such vision and enthusiasm. I wish you the best and can’t wait to help you get started on your new projects. Looking forward to next year, I welcome our new ARDA leader, Karen Kassik-Michelsohn. Karen is an ARDA award winning designer, a recognized builder, and has served as the chairperson of the Best of American Living Awards, referred to as BALA. Through the years she has expertly marketed building design for her own business and for others. ARDA is lucky to have someone with her experience and skills working for to spotlight creative and innovated residential designers, builders, remodelers, architects, and interior designers. As 2017 begins, AIBD continues to be “fishers of men (and women)” rather than just the “keeper of the aquarium.” It is committed to continuously growing its influence through education, certification and advocacy. I invite residential design and construction professionals to become a part of our mission. Whether it be as a member, a conference attendee, an email list subscriber, or a guest of one of our online educational sessions. Everyone is eligible to enter the American Residential Design Awards.
WINTER 2016 - 02
Past ARDA Chair’s Message Michael Battaglia is a graduate of ITT Tech of Dayton with an Associate’s degree in Architectural Engineering. In 1990, he opened Michael J. Battaglia Residential Design, providing home design service to private clients and builders. Michael’s passion for residential design has been enhanced with interest in the development of the science of building.
The
American Residential Design Award program referred to as ARDA is an event which recognizes the outstanding efforts of residential design professionals. The past 11 years as chairman of ARDA I have viewed thousands of design projects. There has never been a year the quality, variety of design style, size or values which surprise me more than the previous year. This year has been no different. The projects submitted for the 2016 event have been nothing less than Residential Art. Each of the design professionals who participated in this merit award program are to be commended for their attention to detail and sharing their design talents with the entire residential design community and the world. The entire world has had the opportunity to experience the residential art through the Global Choice category of ARDA. The Global Choice category is promoted through social media and the designers themselves. This year there were 2,400 votes cast by the people of the world. This is a new record and one I believe will grow in the following years of ARDA. Participation in ARDA is a program where the design professionals can participate with the apprehension of high honors and recognition to their peers. To those who have participated but not received the results wished for are still winners. You have developed your own marketing materials you will be able to utilize for years. You have ventured into the unknown with bold designs and artwork that will never be diminished by the years of change. You should all be proud of the work presented. I have been honored to be part of the ARDA program over the years and appreciate the assistance of the AIBD staff especially our Executive Director Steve Mickley. Without the assistance and professionalism the ARDA program would not have grown into what it is today. I would be remiss in not mentioning Mr. Jim Vann. Jim has been the emcee for the recognition program for as many years I have been involved. His professionalism and sense of humor has always made the event enjoyable. Ted Hake CPBD also needs to be recognized for his assistance and continual support over the past years. Stepping down as Chairman of ARDA is bittersweet. I will miss viewing all the wonderful residential art the design professionals are sharing. Karen Kassik Michelsohn FAIBD will be taking the reigns of ARDA and I believe will bring the program to the next level. Karen has vision and passion for design excellence that will flow into the success of the ARDA program in the upcoming years.
WINTER 2016 - 03
Incoming ARDA Chair’s Message Karen R. Kassik-Michelsohn is an expert in residential design. She has been designing custom homes and remodeling existing homes for over 20 years. Karen is a Certified Professional Building Designer, a Certified Green Professional as well as a Certified Aging in Place Specialist. In addition, Karen was AIBD’s 2014 Designer of the Year.
I
am very excited to become the new Chair for the American Residential Design Awards program. I have admired the program for years and have watched with great interest the growth and prestige that ARDA has garnered. Following Mike Battaglia and his committee will be a daunting task, but we are motivated and ready to take ARDA to new heights. We are hard at work to expand our contact list as well as our marketing efforts to raise awareness and participation in the program. We are open to the entire Residential Design world, not just members of AIBD. We welcome any and all entries of outstanding design. To my knowledge, ARDA is the only pure Residential Design recognition award. Therefore, entries are not grouped in square footage or project value classifications. If you are not familiar with our program, please log onto AIBD.org/arda for more information. If you would like to serve on our committee or if you know someone who would be a good lead to add to our mailing, please contact myself or Steve Mickley. Help us help the Residential Design industry make our world a more beautiful place to live.
WINTER 2016 - 04
Editor’s Note
Yu-Ngok Lo is an Architect, a National Director of AIBD and the president of the AIBD Los Angeles Chapter. He is also the EditorIn-Chief of the AIBD Magazine.
Happy
Holidays and welcome to our Winter 2016 issue!
The last issue of this year’s AIBD magazine will be dedicated to the 2016 ARDA (American Residential Design Award). We will showcase the Grand ARDA (best of the best) entries in this issue and recognize all of the ARDA winners. It is my honor to be one of the ARDA juries this year. Mike Battaglia, the 2016 ARDA committee chair, my fellow judges and myself are truely amazed by the quality of the work submitted for the award. Choosing the winners was a particular challenging task. We had very live discussions and took us almost two days to settle on all of the winners. I would also like to recognize the hard work our Content Editor Ben Johnson put into for this issue. Thank you and enjoy!
Content Editor Ben Johnson is a former district director of AIBD, the Content Editor for the AIBD magazine and heads planning and design at Will Johnson Building Company. He is also a current member of AIBD and values his certification through the NCBDC. Ben is also active within the NAHB and currently holds a master green professional certification and an aging in place specialist certification.
Staff and Contributors Managing Editor: Yu-Ngok Lo National AIBD Exective Director: Steve Mickley Copy Editor: Garrett Mickley Contributors (this issue): Gord Cook Bernie Kern Joseph D. Sirilla
WINTER 2016 - 05
The 2016 ARDA Gala and Dinner
Presented at the Colorado Governor’s Mansion in Denver, Colorado
ARDA
, the American Residential Design Awards is the American Institute of Building Design’s premier award program exhibiting design excellence in the residential building industry. On August 27th, 2016 the AIBD hosted the 9th annual ARDA Gala and dinner at the Colorado’s Governor’s Mansion in Denver, Colorado. In addition to a huge variety of residential design award categories, the evening banquet also included 2016 inductees to the AIBD College of Fellows, the AIBD College of Fellows Scholarship Program and the AIBD 2016 Designer of the Year and the AIBD Designer mansion in Denver, Colorado, sometimes called Student of the Year. The event surpassed the Governor’s Residence. The award location expectations and exceeded 70 attendees. provided designers from all around the country to tour the mansion and fellowship with one Prior to the award ceremony, the event took another prior to the awards ceremony. The place at the Colorado Governor’s Mansion, ARDA Gala is a finale to a great AIBD Annual also known as the Cheesman-Boettcher Conference. It’s a time to meet with our fellow Mansion. The residence is a historic U.S. peers and recognize the nation’s best experts in residential design. To all that were present, this was the best ever, only to meet again next year for another, “best ever” event. This truly is the best time to be an AIBD member. The awards ceremony kicked off with the AIBD Design Student of the Year, the first of an ongoing annual award that started with the 9th annual ceremony. The first award went to Alix Calon of the University of Central Missouri. In the previous year, Ms. Calon organized the first Design & Build Day which brought representatives from the ICC, USGBC, ASID, the American Suppliers Association, architectural software companies, and local engineering and architectural firms
WINTER 2016 - 06
Bernie Kern has been in the residential building industry for 30 years and is the owner of BBKern DESIGNS, LLC,. Bernie is a professional member of the AIBD, member of the Pikes Peak Chapter of the CSI and the Colorado Springs Home Builders Association and Remodelers Counsel. He is also a Certified Aging in Place Specialist. to the stage to give students and new professionals the information they need to build successful and sustainable businesses. Ms. Calon was also a recipient to the Annette Farmer Scholarship award. Two College of Fellows’ memorial awards were handed out at the ARDA event, the first going to John Mockert from Spring Branch, Texas and the second to Scott Hake from Canton, Ohio. The 2016 inductees to the AIBD College of Fellows included Designers from North Carolina - Willie Dalrymple, Colorado - Larry Gilland and Robert Matthews, Florida - David Pillsbury, and Texas - Jim Pitts. The College of Fellows promotes the highest attainable professional body within the Institute. The College is comprised of Certified Members who have notably contributed to the advancement of the profession of building design by general excellence, by design and literature, or by design and public service. Congratulations to the five 2016 inductees. This year’s ARDA had 132 total entries from 39 different design firms. Nonmember entries increased to 9% from the previous year and the Global Choice Award which is made public, accounted for 2,400 votes worldwide, exceeded by nearly 400% from the previous year.
award went to Macpherson Construction & Design, designers: Roger MacPherson, Bob Sorensen, and Emily Treece, from Sammamish, Washington. Accepting the award from Macpherson Construction & Design was Emily Treece. From Roswell, Georgia the Best in Show award went to Ashton Woods, Designers: Valerio Muraro with Centro Stile featuring a challenging narrow width lot that exemplified complete interior architectural features.
Several Grand ARDA for Custom Homes awards were presented. They included Mountainworks Custom Homes, Travis Mileti, Marie Mileti, Nick Mileti, and Valerie Chastain from Cashiers, North Carolina, and Phil Kean Design Group, Phil Kean with Zola European Windows from Winter Park, Florida. From Design Categories included Global Oakdale Minnesota, Designer Kieran Liebl of Choice, Best in Show, Custom Homes, Royal Oaks Design was one of a few that took Model Homes, Renovations, Published home an ARDA in the model homes category. Design, Multi-Family Design, Conceptual Design, Outdoor Living, Accessible Living, Designers Michael Roth and Robert Klob both Green Design and Working Drawings. won in the renovations category. Michael (Michael Roth Design Group) is from Palm Harbor, Receiving 713 votes, the 2016 Global Choice Florida, and Robert (Robert Klob Designs, Inc.) is
WINTER 2016 - 07
The 2016 ARDA Gala and Dinner
from Chandler, Arizona. Both Michael and Robert also won in the working drawings category. Multiple ARDA winners for the evening included Michael Roth Design Group, Robert Klob Designs, Inc., Phil Kean Design Group, TR Design Group LLC, Visbeen Architects Inc., Miller Architecture, Royal Oaks Design, Bricolage Design, Mountainworks Custom Home Design, and Sater Design Group, Inc. The evening concluded with the announcement of the AIBD Designer of the Year, Kevin Holdridge. The award was presented by AIBD College of Fellows representative Jannis Vann, the award is in recognition of Mr. Holdridge’s nine years of service to the AIBD as member, President of the Charlotte Metro Chapter, and now announcements, but cannot list all of them. President of the AIBD. Congratulations to all winners and design submittals for an outstanding show. A total list of Nearly 40 awards were handed out. This all winners is available at the AIBD website page article only highlights some of the award link: http://aibd.org/arda/2016-arda-winners/ All Grand ARDA winners can also be viewed in this edition of the AIBD Magazine. AIBD
WINTER 2016 - 08
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARD (ARDA)
Special Thanks !
Sponsor Portfolio Home Plans
Portfolio Home Plans is an online home plan resource developed for builders by designers. They offer thousands of high-quality home plans in an easy-touse web portal that give you and your customers access to conceptual plans and home plans with full construction documents all without leaving the website.
ARDA Judges Chip Hudson
Chip s the Owner of Hudson Home Designs and also founder of Portfolio Home Plans. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of AIBD and has served as judge for the AHBA Home Builders Remodeling Excellent Awards for four consecutive years.
Jaclyn Toole
Jacklyn leads the Sustainability and Green Building Initiatives at the National Association of Home Builders. She was the Senior Program Manager of Design at NAHB and the chair of the AIA National Associates Committee.
Yu-Ngok Lo
Yu-Ngok is a licensed architect in California. He is a national AIBD director, editorin-chief of the AIBD magazine and the founding president of the AIBD Los Angeles Chapter.
WINTER 2016 - 09
Working Drawings
2016 GRAND ARDA: Michael Roth Design Group
The municipality has height restrictions for this particular zoning, but the designer rose to the challenge and overcame it. The rear of the property has a water view, and the beach look and feel of the home fits right in. All of the public spaces of the home are on a separate floor from the private spaces, which prevents guests from accidentally entering private spaces during gatherings.
Congratulations to all ARDA winners in the category: TR Design Group LLC Robert Klob Design, Inc.
WINTER 2016 - 10
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
Conceptual Designs 2016 GRAND ARDA: Visbeen Architects, Inc. This designer created an inviting lake house with exquisite interior detailing. One of the most unique aspects of this home is the combined kitchen and dining space, which includes a centralized kitchen island with seating for six. Upstairs are four separate sleeping chambers with an upper level bunk room for extra guest space. The plan opens up to the lake and embraces the view from both levels.
Congratulations to all ARDA winners in the category: TR Design Group, LLC Michael Roth Design Group
WINTER 2016 - 11
Renovations
2016 GRAND ARDA: Mountainworks Custom Home Design This decrepit shack became a beautiful cottage in the woods. Working within the existing footprint, the new home has an almost story book feel. This quaint feel and attention to detail makes this home stand out. Because the original home was built in 1920, before government setbacks and restrictions, it was “grandfathered in� so the new home design had to stay within the exact footprint of the existing structure.
WINTER 2016 - 12
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
2016 GRAND ARDA: Robert Klob Design, Inc. This designer brought a 1950’s home into the modern day. This remodeled home underwent a huge transformation that required an extensive remodel and addition. The design style is “Desert Contemporary” with a mid-century modern influence. It was also extremely important to the client that a view of the desert mountains not be compromised.
Congratulations to all ARDA winners in the category: David A. Ewald Designs Michael Roth Design Group
WINTER 2016 - 13
Model Homes
2015 GRAND ARDA: Ashton Woods This designer focused on designing a home with the essence of Italian living, not just Italian design. The social spaces in the home remain separate from the private spaces with the home arranged in a linear manner. The judges felt this home is quaint, with a soothing environment, and enjoyed the use of marble to create clean line interiors.
WINTER 2016 - 14
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
2016 GRAND ARDA (Also Best In Show) : Ashton Woods The goal of this home was to invoke the feeling of “Southern Hospitality.” This design has a great use of space and flow given the width limitations of the home. The exterior and interior are tied together through details and natural choice. The judges noted the front elevation fits with the surrounding environment.
Congratulations to all ARDA winners in the category: Southwest Design Group R.G. Design, Inc. Royal Oaks Design Bricolage Design
WINTER 2016 - 15
Green Design
2016 GRAND ARDA: Phil Kean Design Group
This modern home is National Green Building Standard Gold Certified and embraces green design in all of the right ways. Natural light floods the living spaces while using overhangs and reflective roof surfaces to reduce solar heat gain. The indoor/outdoor floor plan uses a large covered lanai that allows abundant natural light into the main living areas of the home.
Congratulations to all ARDA winners in the category: Hobbs’ Ink, LLC Robert Klob Designs. Inc.
WINTER 2016 - 16
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
Published Designs 2016 GRAND ARDA: Visbeen Architects, Inc. From curb appeal to an efficient and functional plan, this home exemplifies what a published plan should be. This plan features an inviting drive that welcomes guests and the homeowners. The main floor includes a foyer that opens to a spacious sitting area, as well as an open dining room and kitchen. The master suite is also on the main level, while the second level has room for three additional bedrooms and two full baths.
Congratulations to all ARDA winners in the category: Royal Oaks Design Sater Design Group, Inc. Visbeen Architects, Inc.
WINTER 2016 - 17
Accessible Living
2016 GRAND ARDA: Designs Anew Houston, LLC This designer had the challenge of remodeling a kitchen for a family member who could cook and clean independently, but required a scooter and had limited forward reach and strength in their hands. The designer created an accessible design that doesn’t scream accessible and dramatically transformed the space without adding square footage. The designer improved accessibility tremendously in this family kitchen.
WINTER 2016 - 18
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
Outdoor Living Design 2016 GRAND ARDA: Phil Kean Design Group
This designer blurred the lines between indoor living and outdoor living by expanding the living space outdoors. The designer also found a way to bring natural light into the space through designing different volumes of spaces. This outdoor living space will make a great social entertaining area. The design also includes the ambiance of a tropical landscape.
WINTER 2016 - 19
Outdoor Living Design 2016 GRAND ARDA: Miller Architecture
This outdoor entertainment area shows a great use of woodwork and a beautiful design. The deck has pool water piped below it, which cools the stone while also heating the pool. The pool also has its own mood lighting and sound effects. The judges really loved the timber work in the pergola, and called the entire concept and design “phenomenal.� This outdoor living space also has outdoor fireplaces and other exterior upgrades made to the house.
WINTER 2016 - 20
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
2016 GRAND ARDA: Phil Kean Design Group
This design brings the outdoors in by expanding the living space outside with no threshold. When entering the courtyard, you’ll find a peaceful sitting area on the left and the living areas on the right. The courtyard also provides quite a bit of privacy for the residents. The lanai includes retractable screens that also hold in up to 90% of the home’s conditioned air.
Congratulations to all ARDA winners in the category: Holloway Company, Inc.
WINTER 2016 - 21
Multi-Family Designs
2016 GRAND ARDA: Miller Architecture This designer created loft duplex and stacked loft duplex housing for off-campus students. The strongly sloping and lived-in roofs offer a dramatic departure from any of the student housing found on campus. This creative design of student housing focuses on community and provides residents with light-filled spaces that are cozy and relaxing while living away from home.
WINTER 2016 - 22
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
2016 GRAND ARDA: Bricolage Design What student wouldn’t want to live here? This campus housing screams California in all the best ways. The theme of communication through the building industry works. From Walt Whitman to Alexander Graham Bell and Samuel Morse , this space inspires students in their homes as well as in the common spaces
WINTER 2016 - 23
Custom Home Design
2016 GRAND ARDA: Retro+Fit Design, LLC This designer designed this home to maximize views while also implementing sliding wall systems to bring the outdoors inside. The judges referred to this as a great contemporary design, and were impressed with how the cantilevers add visual interest. The house appears to change on approach, like a kaleidoscope. The designer faced challenges involving the slope of the lot, protected ridge ordinances, and guidelines involving tree removal.
WINTER 2016 - 24
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
2016 GRAND ARDA: Sater Design Group, Inc. This design has great curb appeal. Though it is an all new design, it looks like it grew naturally over time with additions. The massing are well blended, and the roof lines bring the composition together. The client spent most of their childhood in Spain and desired Andalusian influence. The designer also achieved major goals in energy efficiency and sustainability. The energy costs are only a fraction of what most other homes of this size would have, and every single room of the home has natural lighting.
WINTER 2016 - 25
Custom Home Design
2016 GRAND ARDA: Mountainworks Custom Home Design This home was designed to fit within stringent setbacks imposed by their development due to its proximity to the golf course. There are several pocketing disappearing doors and windows that seamlessly open the interior and exterior space to one another. The judges said: Check out that turret. This home is large in size but still manages to feel intimate. The old world detailing invokes the feeling of another time.
WINTER 2016 - 26
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
2016 GRAND ARDA: Barron Custom Design, LLC
The clients of this design wanted to take advantage of the sprawling views around them, but avoid direct sunlight coming from the west in the afternoons. A major aspect of the design was that the clients were fond of entertaining and wanted their space to reflect that. The center of the home has a large fireplace that connects the living and dining areas. The stained concrete floors in some rooms flow seamlessly into warm wood floors in other rooms. Outside is a large veranda with an outdoor kitchen and a firepit.
WINTER 2016 - 27
Custom Home Design
2016 GRAND ARDA: James S. Collins Architect The client of this designer requested that the home fit in well among much older homes in a historic neighborhood known for high quality designs and craftsmanship of the first quarter of the twentieth century. This home features many designs characteristic of Colonial Revival dwellings, such as white lime washed brick exterior, chimneys and dormers. Aside from the normal rooms found in a home, this home has separate bedrooms for the teenage sons, who each have their own bathrooms and closets as well.
WINTER 2016 - 28
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
Custom Home Design 2016 Grand ARDA: Phil Kean Design Group The primary living space of this home is on the second floor, which contains the family area, kitchen, dining area, and powder room. Outside this main level is a wrap around deck that is accessed by the family room and kitchen through large sliding glass doors. The upper level is where you’ll find the master bedroom, which has a loft and private balcony.
Congratulations to all ARDA winners in the category: R.G. Design, INC. Royal Oaks Design David A. Ewald Designs Vintage Design, LLC
WINTER 2016 - 29
AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARDS (ARDA)
Global Choice 2016 Global Choice: MacPherson Construction & Design This year’s Global Choice winner received 713 votes, and at one point held the lead by only 5 votes. This home is built on lands previously utilized for coal mining, and the design pays homage to its site and rich history. The small cozy footprint of the house is offset by the high ceilings on the main level allowing the house to feel larger than it appears on plans. The rich colors of this home give the property a warm and cozy feel while still maintaining a contemporary style overall.
WINTER 2016 - 30
Why Not BIM? Residential Projects
Joseph Sirilla has a stout, relevant presence in our industry representing the AIBD (American Institute of Building Design) as the Central Florida President, in representing AIBD’s BIM-R vision as the National BIM Representative, and with custom home design as a Senior Designer at an award winning Architectural firm, Keesee Associates in Maitland, Florida.
This
and maintenance industry. BIM is a virtual article is one of many to follow collaboration platform that is better suited than regarding BIM, Technology, and Building the historical devices used in the 2D design Designers’ relevant foothold in today’s world. and construction realm. We now have the Please check in regularly for new articles, technological toolsets to design, detail, quantify, news, product showcase, information and stage, and build not just component assemblies and buildings in a virtual environment but entire advice. buildings, even entire neighborhoods. Already a success in many commercial construction projects, BIM has not been My daughter, who was seven at the time, was commonly adopted to date by the looking over my shoulder one night enthralled residential building industry. Many feel that with what I do. As I was building a home virtually BIM technology hasn’t been fashioned for on my computer she tapped my shoulder and the challenges of home-building’s rapid exclaimed “It’s like using Legos”. She was right, scheduling or that the upfront cost does for that portion of the process. The BIM process not outweigh the end cost savings. But that takes many other steps to refine and complete a building’s design. There is not just process levels sentiment is beginning to change. but levels of detail, development, and levels of BIM has been regularly used in the investment into BIM to gain specific results. There commercial design and construction of are procedures to follow and many aspects of multi-story buildings, bridges, industrial powerful results to be harvested and used. facilities and other multi-disciplined and multifaceted projects with long- What we did to design and build before the term timeframes. Architects, engineers, computer age is totally similar to how the process construction management firms and currently works today. In other words, we have owners have all reported outstanding results been using a “BIM process” since the creation of in improved efficiency on commercial the first hand written plan set hundreds of years projects, and BIM was the essential toolset ago. In more recent decades, Building Designers for their success. But how can this translate and Architects would collaborate with their clients to come to an agreeable design. The design into the residential building industry? would be assigned specific materials, depicted First, a bit of background; while many and detailed within a paper plan set. The plan people define BIM as 3D design software, it set is given to Structural Engineers, Component is meant to be regarded as a procedural Manufacturers and possibly other Design Trades system to manage construction projects to be further detailed within plan sets. Finally it is from conception to the end of a building’s handed off to developers or owners to be cost life cycle, encompassing all facets of the estimated, permitted, scheduled and built. The residential design, construction, repair, process has not changed; only enhanced
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within a virtual environment before a shovel The last myth I would like to address is the time hits the dirt. it takes to design and eventually finalize the plan sets using BIM. After some training with Elbowing its way in a popular myth arises: the software I chose, I can now design a virtual BIM equates to a higher liability. We as home in significantly less time it took me to Designers, within any facet of the process, enter it in a two-dimensional software program take possession of liability of our work already. and complete plan sets within an automated So what would make this a worse choice if process. Components are easily entered into we can now depict everything within the the model and are directly parametric to their exact three-dimensional property where surrounding components. The sheet sets are the components belong? Everything is easily setup to pick up levels and layer systems for seen and understood, not just imagined that particular composition. This saves copious from two dimensional drawings or left to field amounts of time and great effort. interpretation. The buck being passed, half explanations pawned off to the next trade, The time it takes for the collaboration efforts and field repairs within a revision at a later of multiple trades and getting the design date is a thing of the past. In other words, “right” between all is what takes time. But we if you are a knowledgeable professional in currently do this. Typically in the same amount your industry, wouldn’t it make more sense of time or more because of misinterpretations to prove beyond a doubt that your design and misunderstandings from two dimensional is correct? Than this is your new tool chest! drawings. Truss design or Mechanical design The greates of liabilities is omission, intended can feasibly be designed in less time using or not. BIM based programs because the software has capabilities of interchanging information Another myth is that BIM is software. It is not between trades, or as now understood as IFC just a software application, it’s a process. Compliance (Industry Foundation Classes). An instrument for “visual virtual reality” These efforts of different software having the collaboration among Design Trades’ capability of exchanging information has been platforms via the use of technologically spearheaded in collaborative groups headed advanced software. We virtually build the by the National Institute of Building Science buildings and can now prove our designs (NIBS) and the Building Smart Alliance (bSa) and even find ways to make them more along with the National BIM Standards (NBIM-us) efficient. The collaboration between trades in cooperation with CAD software developers. becomes more open, powerful, and more easily understood because of the virtual So why is the residential industry being left visualization, and forces us to talk to each behind? Because of myths, cold feet and other more openly, more often, thoroughly. misunderstandings? Unwillingness to change software platforms, methods and procedures of
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Why Not BIM?
their office? With the more recent upgrades of leading BIM systems software better suited toward home building, is it not time for the residential industry to get serious about BIM toolsets?
This article is one of many to follow regarding Technology, BIM and the Building Designers new foothold in today’s world. Check in regularly for news, information and advice. AIBD
We now have National BIM Standards in the United States (NBIM-us) and across the world and there are goals being met by multiple countries to standardize the practice of BIM for any type of building, residential and commercial. Again, the residential industry in the United States is being left behind because the BIM focus has been on the commercial industry and the fast-pace production builders focus for fast delivery and monetary gains. They could gain so much more ground with a BIM-based procedure within their office and design teams. Their design teams and sales staff could gain a great amount of traction as well. I have joined forces with multiple groups as an AIBD Representative to change that. As Building Designers we need to band together for many reasons, this being just one of them. Another reason for my involvement is to bring more awareness of AIBD Designers in general. If you have interest in aiding any of the efforts feel free to contact me anytime. The AIBD is currently working on getting a BIM-r Certificate Program up and running. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements in the AIBD Monday Minute and this magazine for updates and call to action announcements.
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PUTTING TIGHTNESS TO THE TEST
Have
you ever said or heard others say that “we build houses too tight”? I have been addressing this concern for the last 30 years and I hope this article helps you understand the metrics of air tightness and how improving air tightness can help you meet the ever-increasing expectations of homeowners. First know that constructing tight buildings is a requirement in an everincreasing number of communities, building codes and energy efficiency programs. For example, at the time of writing this article, 16 states in the US have adopted either the 2012 or 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) that require mandatory air tightness levels. Similarly, every energy efficiency program such as ENERGY STAR, NAHB Green and the various LEED programs all require some form of air tightness testing. Even where not required, air tightness testing is a very cost effective way to know where you stand and to improve the training of building crews and subcontractors to optimize air leakage control in the homes you design and build. Just before we get to the technical aspects of the metrics or air tightness ask yourself this: how many holes do you think your typical new home buyer wants you to leave in their walls or attic? The answer is of course none. Homeowners understand that with unwanted air leakage comes noise, dust, pollen and other allergens with a negative impact on heating and cooling bills. If you recall your building science training you will also recognize that unwanted air leaks in walls and attics introduces water vapor into
those cavities. Imagine a cold day in winter, with warm moist air rising into an attic space that has gotten colder and colder over the years as we added more and more insulation as part of the ever-advancing code requirements. That warm vapor condenses in the attic, compromising the roof deck with potential mold or rot. Conversely, imagine that hot, sticky summer day with the air conditioner cranked down. Any air leakage from outside into the wall or attic assembly could result in condensation inside those cavities that are now filled with insulation. The critical connection we all need to remind ourselves of is that as we added insulation to buildings, we created temperature differentials across the building enclosure elements and any air leakage across that temperature differential can result in condensation in those cavities. In short, the more you insulate, the tighter you need buildings to be.
Understanding the metrics
The method of choice for measuring a home’s tightness is a blower-door test. The most common techniques follow the ANSI/ASTM-779-99, “Standard Test Method for Determining Air Leakage Rate by Fan Pressurization” or the CAN/ CGSB 149.1 “Determination of the Airtightness of Building Envelopes by the Fan Depressurization Method.” These standards follow similar test protocols and give very similar results or modified versions of this protocol to suit specific energy program parameters. Additional blower door testing information can be found at:http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/ blower-door-tests
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Gord Cooke is a Partner with Construction Instruction Inc. He is a professional engineer with over 25 years of experience in the low and high-rise residential building industry. He has developed and delivered a multitude of workshops in these fields, as well as sales and marketing courses for builders and real estate agents to help them best promote the features and benefits of high performance houses
Metric 1: ACH@50Pa
(Air changes per hour at a pressure difference of 50 Pascal.) This metric takes the CFM@50Pa number, multiplies it by 60 (minutes in an hour), and divides that result by the volume of the heated area of the house. This metric makes comparing houses of different sizes possible and has become the most common metric referenced in codes and energy efficiency programs. A good goal for most builders in any climate zone is anything under 2.5 ACH@50Pa.
Metric 2: ELA@10Pa
A large fan is installed in one exterior door of the house. It creates a pressure difference of 50 Pascal across all sides of the house or building at once. This is roughly equal to the pressure of a 25 mph wind. While a house would never experience this naturally, it does enable simple and accurate leak detection. The fan is calibrated and the operator records the cubic feet per minute (CFM) that the fan is delivering at 50 Pascals of pressure (CFM@50Pa). Often a range of pressures and airflows is recorded so that the results can be reported in a variety of ways, including the three preferred metrics discussed later.
(Equivalent leakage area) Technically this is a calculated, extrapolated number used for energy modeling but for your purposes you can think of it as the size of a theoretical hole in a wall if you combined all the air leakage points in a house into one round smooth hole and measured the amount of air flow at a pressure of 10 Pascal. This metric allows for simple communication as crews, subcontractors, and homeowners can often relate to the size of a hole in square inches better than trying to imagine CFMs of air flowing through multiple small leaks. Using a 2,000-square-foot house as a reference, a good tight house would be less than 100 square inches of leakage – think the size of a piece of paper.
Metric 3: CFM/ft2@50Pa
(Normalized leakage rate) This is another way of comparing houses of different sizes. The CFM at 50 Pa is divided by the building enclosure area to get CFM/square feet of enclosure. Many building science folks think
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this is the simplest and fairest way to assess true enclosure air sealing effectiveness.
Comparing Blower Door Test Results: Older Home IECC 2009 Reference IECC 2012 C.Zone 1-2 C.Zone 3-8 Canadian R-2000 Passive House Tightest House Measured by Ci
Tight is good, but ventilation is critical
We used to rely on windows and natural infiltration of air into a home to maintain air quality. This wasn’t particularly effective and certainly wasn’t energy efficient. Moreover, because of noise, dust, security and energy concerns many homeowners are now reluctant to leave windows open for a sufficient length of time to ensure adequate fresh air ventilation. Fortunately, mechanical ventilation is now a requirement in the International Residential Code for houses that have an air tightness of 5 ACH@50 Pa or less. Better yet, there is the very helpful ASHRAE Standard 62.2, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings. This standard lays out essential requirements for proper ventilation. There is a helpful table that makes it very easy to determine the capacity for continuous ventilation requirements in most
Common Air Tightness Metrics for a Typical 2000 ft2 , Single Story Home Without Basement ACH@50 Pa 7 - 20 7
CFM@50 2100 - 6000 2100
In2 ELA@10Pa 250 - 800 250
5 3 1.5 0.6 0.16
1500 900 450 180 50
200 150 70 30 10
homes. Below are excerpts from the sizing table in ASHRAE 62.2 – 2013 to demonstrate the order of magnitude of continuous ventilation required. For example, from this table you can see that a common 4 bedroom, 2500 sq.ft. home needs just a capacity of 120 CFM of ventilation air to maintain acceptable air quality. This capacity can be accomplished with a simple selection of quiet bathroom fans, designed to be able to operate continuously. Of course, a more energy efficient way would be design for an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) with a capacity of up to 120 CFM to provide the continuous ventilation capacity. Experience has shown in jurisdictions that have a history with ERVs, they are typically installed for well under $2000.
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PUTTING TIGHTNESS TO THE TEST
FLOOR AREA SQFT <1500 1501 - 2500
# BEDROOMS 1 2-3 60 CFM 75 90 105
4-5 90 120
2501 - 3500 120 135 150 3501 - 5000 165 180 195 Excerpts from Table 4.1a in ASHRAE 62.2 – 2013.
about a continuous line around the cross sections of the building – we refer to it as the red dotted line. A line that indicates the placement of the air barrier and the connections to make sure it is continuous. Materials such as drywall, wood, wood sheathings, many housewraps, foam insulation, windows and poured concrete are all excellent air barriers. We just need to help builders and their trade contractors with strategies that ensure they are continuously sealed. Remember the sum total of all the holes should be no more than the size of a piece of paper. There are many resources for detailing air barriers such as the materials provided by the ENERGY STAR for New Homes program. You will also fine excellent details and animations on our free APP. Go to www.constructioninstruction. com or download the App from the iTunes store.
Therefore, you can go ahead and get rid of all the unwanted holes in walls and attics with the confidence that there will be two ventilation systems in the homes you design and build; the traditional window approach and the controlled, continuous mechanical ventilation system described in ASHRAE 62.2. The result is a quiet, efficient home with controlled, continuous fresh air that can be filtered, heated and cooled to provide the Tight is good, tighter is better. Designers healthiest possible air for your clients. empower better air tightness by properly As you read this article you may well have detailing plan sets and identify air barrier been convinced that air tightness is a good components. Then, to be even more helpful thing, but you may want to know your to your clients, encourage them to measure responsibility in making it happen. Certainly, air tightness, whether it’s a code requirement the proper application of techniques by or not and communicate the results to their trade contractors such as framers, insulators trade contractors. These results will empower and drywallers has the most significant you to continually improve the performance impact on the final air tightness level of the homes you design and build and meet achieved. However, experience has shown the ever-increasing requirements of codes and that if the building designer has clearly expectations of homeowners. AIBD identified the air barrier on the plan sets and has shown air barrier details in critical areas such as roof to wall transitions, cantilevers, rooms over garages and ceiling height changes, trade contractors find it much easier to create air tight enclosures. In this regard, as you are designing start thinking
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