Project Information
Description
Mosier Creek Place has 34 residences in 8 structures on 2.4 acres of a 5 acre site. The balance of the site contains a year-around creek and grasslands.
Development Team
Developer: Urban Fund Inc. www.urbanfundinc.com
Architect: Surround Architecture, Inc www.surroundinc.com
Landscape: AKS Engineering: Jim Hensley jimh@aks-eng.com
Contractor: Glacier Construction korwin@gorge.net
Site work: Crestline Construction www.crestlineconstruction.com
Civil Engineering: Tennenson Engineering www.tennesoneng.com
Renewable Energy Planning: Cascade Solar Consulting doug@casacadesolar.com
Photvoltaics: Common Energy LLC tjllefevre@gorge.net sssorenson@gorge.net
Solar Thermal: Mr. Sun Solar www.mrsunsolar.com
Design Principles
LEEDs (leadership in energy and environmental design) Elements:
Mosier Creek Homes is certified LEEED-H Silver and is as part of the national LEED for Homes Pilot Program. As a 34 unit residential project incorporating the use of solar energy it is one of the first production housing LEED/SOLAR developments participating in the Certification Process as part of the USGBC's pilot program for residential construction. As part of this process is Energy Star rated and approved. A LEED / Energy Star rated residence practices the following sustainable-development principles.
- The efficient use of energy resources
- The efficient use of water resources
- The efficient use of building construction resources
- The efficient use of land resources
- Enhanced indoor environmental quality to safeguard the health of the home's occupant
- Each unit has roof-mounted photovoltaic electric roof panels on a net-metering arrangement with the local utility facility (See this web's 'Alternative Energy' attachment)
- Each unit has solar thermal roof panels providing approximately 40% of the energy needs to pre-heat water.
- The residences will be EPA Energy Star rated (using 38% less energy than required by the national standard as established by the 1993 Model Energy Code)
- HVAC is provided by an Energy Star approved and rated heat-pump air-conditioning system
- Lighting and Appliances are Energy Star rated.
- Windows: meet LEED standard for low emission e-glazing and high insulation values
Sound Insulation:
Sound mitigating glazing is provided at all windows on the view riverside which is also exposed to the highway. Additional sound insulation between units is provided at party walls to reduce noise transference.
Solar Energy: (See Mosier Creek Alternative Energy web tab)
Each roof contains photovoltaic and solar thermal panels to generate electricity and to heat water for each residence. It is anticipated that 50% of each unit's energy needs will be supplied by this system.
Construction:
The units are built to the LEED standard requiring framing at 24 inch centers, insulation of sills, corner and partition butt-plates, the application of sill-plate sealant and the satisfaction of an overall building air tightness test standard.
- During the building process all construction remnants (wood, paper and sheet rock) are recycled as services are available within the county.
- Non-toxic, low VOC materials are used throughout
- Use of materials with re-cycled content is used where possible.
Materials:
- Exterior cladding: stained cedar siding
- Floors throughout living areas are of a renewable hardwood (bamboo).
- All glazing meets the LEED standard for low solar emission and temperature insulation values.
- Sound-mitigating glazing is used on the north or riverside of the units.
- Sound insulation is used between units at party walls.
View:
Each unit is oriented and glazed to maximize the Gorge and river views to the west and the escarpment cliffs to the north.
Landscape:
Half of the 5-acre site is devoted to maintaining an enhancing the existing creek and grasslands. The developed half is landscaped using exeriscaping principles based on the use of drought
tolerant plants. Storm water run-off and rain from the site is channeled through marsh-grass covered hollows, or bio-swales, that filter and disperse water into Mosier Creek.