Von Löwen Designs

As addressed in my previous post Green Remodeling Defined – green remodeling involves both design and construction methods which principal aim is to produce the healthiest home possible, increasing it’s life cycle, while reducing the structure’s environmental impacts. With that said, it becomes obvious that the importance of a design approach that is rooted in the concept of durability is essential.

Durability should remain the backbone of any green building project and applies to design, materials, and construction. Efforts should always be made to combine these ideas in such a way that the project responds to forces that challenge its lastingness and longevity including water, wind, ultraviolet radiation, pests, use and abuse, and even natural disasters. It is also about designing a project with lasting aesthetics and utility. Ensuring durability involves quality assurance of both design and material’s selection, in addition to quality construction management.

Designing for durability and permanence is about integrating energy efficiency with indoor air quality, energy efficiency with moisture management, and materials selection with all three. In remodeling, all of these need to be integrated with the existing home.

In last weeks post The Holistic House – Part II we talked about the subject of noise pollution and the idea that good design and proper selection and installation of building materials can reduce unwanted noise whether it originates inside the house or out.

It’s no secret that noise can be troublesome and have an effect on indoor environmental quality. Along with the direct impacts of noise, such as impaired hearing; problems such as elevated blood pressure and heart rate, cardiovascular constriction, sleep loss, depressed learning rates, and the production of stress hormones are now being attributed to noise.

Strategies including installation of layers of sound-control materials in floors, ceilings, or walls; offset wall studs or resilient channel (hat-track) furring on framing members; cellulose or mineral wool cavity fill insulation even in interior walls; sound-control wall panels; cork or other sound control underlayment in floor systems; carpeting or cork flooring; vibration control brackets for mechanical equipment and ducting; minimal duct elbows and constrictions; and of equipment with low sound ratings (often listed in sones for exhaust fans and dB for appliances) can be very effective.

Now don’t forget what I mentioned in my post Greening Your Kitchen Remodel and all those opportunities to select sustainable materials when remodeling your kitchen; because your kitchen appliances can be a significant source of unwanted noise as well. When selecting refrigerators, dishwashers, and other appliances, look for noise ratings which are usually listed in the logarithmic decibel-A scale (dBA). Appliances vary considerably in noise ratings. The quietest dishwashers have noise ratings below 45 dBA, which is almost unnoticeable in a kitchen if there is conversation.

Getting quantitative information on sound levels of appliances can be very difficult. Most manufacturers do not provide dBA sound ratings for their appliances. It is common to see reference to a ’sound control package’ or a qualitative description of sound levels, but consistent metrics are needed to gauge noise from appliances. The best source for this information may be Consumer Reports.

Hard, monolithic surfaces like high-density wood composite paneling, gypsum board, and ceramic tile, do not absorb sound; while softer, variegated surfaces such as carpet, cork, or loosely woven materials help manage it.

Some sound control measures can add significant cost to a remodeling project. Sound control measures can also add thickness to a wall system, taking away usable floor area. In many cases, there is good synergy between managing air leakage and managing noise generated from outside the home.

I’ve spoken a lot about the importance of IAQ, especially in my prior posts Indoor Air Quality – Part I and Indoor Air Quality – Part II and mentioned that the Environmental Protection Agency has identified indoor air quality as one of the foremost environmental risks to public health. Yet still surveys suggest that most people are not even aware of the inherent dangers associated with poor IAQ or any steps or measures they can take to rectify and improve the air quality in their home.

Considerations related to IAQ should always be taken into account during the design phase of just about all remodeling and interior design projects and should be sure to address ventilation, materials selection, filtration, and both deconstruction and construction methodologies.

Back in 2002, the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality division developed a very comprehensive guidance tool designed for commercial building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality. Although the IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model or (I-BEAM) was designed for managing indoor air quality in commercial buildings, it can be a great resource for residential construction and remodeling.

I-BEAM is now broken up into two core parts – ‘text modules’ and interactive animation/visual modules. The text modules are broken up into eight components: Fundamentals of IAQ in Buildings, Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning (HVAC), IAQ Maintenance and Housekeeping Programs, Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency, Diagnosing and Solving Problems, Renovation and New Construction, Managing for Indoor Air Quality, and IAQ Budgets and Accounts.

The animation and visual reference module is pretty hip and contains ‘hot spots’ (although they never worked for me) within each picture to identify IAQ problems and solutions. It’s an interactive way to learn about IAQ issues and find explanations using visual guides showing air flow, or pollutant flow, as various elements in the building change.

Check it out, just don’t stare at those arrows for too long. . .

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.