DOE Tour of Zero: The System Home by Evolutionary Home Builders LLC (formerly Weiss)
Photos
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This 3,600-square-foot home built by Weiss Building and Development in River Forest, Illinois, is a certified U.S. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home and meets Passive House Institute U.S. requirements.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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The green roof above the door of this high-performance home is one of many techniques the builder used to manage storm water runoff on the narrow site. Other techniques include underground retention wells, rain barrels, and a water-saving landscaping design.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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Even without a solar electric system, this high-performance DOE Zero Energy Ready Home is expected to save its homeowners $3,000 a year in energy costs compared to a similar-sized minimum-code home.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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All of the paints and finishes in the home are low-/no-VOC certified to help meet the requirements of the EPA’s Indoor airPLUS program. All finishes and adhesives are also UL GreenGuard Gold certified.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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Ultra-efficient, R-9, triple-pane windows include insulated wood frames, argon gas between the panes for additional insulating benefit, and clear advanced technology coatings that keep heat out in the summer and inside in the winter.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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Numerous triple-pane windows allow sunlight to fill the natural daylight home.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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Any holes through the vapor barrier installed over the basement floor slab are thoroughly sealed as part of the foundation water barrier system.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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This home is built with insulated concrete foam (ICF) construction. ICFs are hollow foam insulation blocks that are glued together and filled with steel reinforcing bar and concrete to form sturdy walls that are resistant to pests, storms, wildfires, and severe winter storms.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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In addition to the continuous thermal blanket provided by the insulated concrete form walls, the interior walls were framed and filled with dense-blown fiberglass for additional comfort and quiet.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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For comprehensive draft protection, all wall penetrations are double- and triple-sealed.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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The high-performance homes have 19-inch-thick walls consisting of 11.5-inch-thick ICF walls, plus 2 inches of coated rigid foam sheathing on the exterior and a 2-by-4 framed wall on the interior filled with dense-blown fiberglass insulation.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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The rigid foam insulating sheathing is tape flashed to the foundation of the airtight home.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
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This plumbing stack and other penetrations through the roof were both gasketed and tape flashed to prevent air leakage.
Photo courtesy of Evolutionary Home Builders
“To ensure the air quality … is safe for our family, Brandon went the extra mile to find materials that would provide a healthy environment.”
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"To ensure that the air quality in this house is safe for our family, especially our young children, Brandon went the extra mile to find materials that would provide a healthy environment. He called in a consultant from the Healthy Child Organization. She and Brandon worked together to get us healthy materials at a discounted rate so that we could stay within our budget."
– Weiss homeowner
