SIP ECO-Friendly Desert House Placitas NM

Location: Placitas, NM

Awards/Certifications: Building Excellence Awards

BEA: 2024 Building Excellence Award - High Performance Runner Up

Introducing a remarkable Emerald Green-built home nestled in the picturesque beauty of Placitas, New Mexico. This eco-friendly masterpiece harmonizes sustainable living with exquisite design.

Designed with you the homeowner in mind. As you step inside the thoughtfully designed floor plan seamlessly connects the living, dining, and kitchen areas, creating an ideal environment for hosting gatherings or simply enjoying quiet evenings with loved ones.

The kitchen is a chef's dream, boasting state-of-the-art energy-efficient appliances, sleek countertops, and cabinetry designed to optimize storage. Whether you're a culinary enthusiast or a casual cook, this kitchen provides the perfect backdrop for creating delicious meals.

The home features innovative green technologies, including solar panels, ERV air purifiers, a car charging station, 8" thick SIPs walls with R35+ performance and energy-efficient insulation, ensuring reduced utility costs. Embrace sustainable living without compromising on luxury or comfort.

Unwind in the spacious master suite, a sanctuary designed for relaxation and rejuvenation. The ensuite bathroom features a double vanity, a luxurious walk-in shower, and a soaking tub where you can indulge in moments of tranquility. The walk-in closet offers ample space to organize your wardrobe. With additional bedrooms and versatile spaces, there's room for everyone and every purpose. Create a home office, a guest suite, or a hobby room to suit your lifestyle needs. Step outside onto the generous patio, where you can bask in the surrounding breathtaking view. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Placitas while enjoying the serenity of your private outdoor oasis. Placitas offers a thriving community with a rich artistic and cultural scene, as well as access to hiking trails and outdoor recreational activities. Located just a short drive from Albuquerque and Santa Fe, you can easily enjoy the best of both worlds - the tranquility of rural living and the conveniences of city life.
 

Building use:  single family home.

How did SIP construction help you get this job?
I utilize Sips for all of my construction Projects. As a performance home builder I have not found a better way to build a highly insulated, air tight home. I really enjoy the process of building with sips panels, the efficiency, the lack of framing waste and thermal bridging. With energy efficiency, sustainability, and cost effectiveness in mind on all of my homes, SIPS is never a question for me.

SIP wall thickness and core material: 8 1/4” wall panels, EPS foam
SIP roof thickness and core material: Traditional truss roof (Flat roof), open cell spray foam cap, batt insulation.

Describe the benefits of using SIPs on this project. Did SIPs help save time, labor, construction costs, or energy?
Absolutely. I can typically install all of my exterior panels in under two days. I love that I do not have to have a dumpster onsite until after framing stage is complete. It saves me on Labor, waste costs, and really helps me reach my energy efficient standards for permeance homes. Last year I was award most efficient home of the year in New Mexico. On 8 Ocate Ct, we ran into issues on our soil testing. Essentially too much sandy soil/ non load bering soils content. Traditionally when I have built with SIPS, I will design a stem wall foundation (3 part pour), so that we have full bearing on our stem wall for our SIPS. With the complications of the soils, we needed to use either helical piers, or pier system to support the weight of the home, with an engineered slab. This limited us to pour a monolithic slab (single pour) and insulated on the exterior of our slab instead of on the interior walls. This led to some interesting engineering of cantilevering a treated LSL on flat, to cover the load from the 2 inch cantilever of the SIPS walls. We made it work!

Please list any certifications the project received, such as ENERGY STAR, LEED, National Green Building Standard, WELL, Passive House, Green Globes or local green building programs:
Build Green New Mexico, Emerald. (Highest level certificate available)
Comparable to LEED Platinum

HERS: 37 (we did not include the solar in this rating), Net Zero Home, 120% annual usage offset.

ACH50: 1.09

kBtu/ft2: 4.41

HVAC:
Air-source heat pump
Water Heating

Duct Leakage to Outside Ventilation System Programmable Thermostat Electric: Htg: 10.5 HSPF. Clg: 19.0 SEER. Electric, Htg: 10.4 HSPF. Clg: 19.4 SEER.

2 mutisplit mini split condensors. Dual zone home. Individually controlled heating and cooling for master suite and rest of home. Ducted Mini Split sytem, no wall mount units. Also two electric Simpli Fire Fire Places in home.

Also whole home ERV system.

Air source heat pump, electrical htg 10.5 HSPF CLG 19 seer
Air source heat pump, electrical htg 10.4. clg 19.4 seers
Water heating, heat pump, electrical, 3.45 ef, 65 gal
Ventilation system, Balanced ERV, 66 cfm, 35 watts
Programable thermostats
Annual Demands
Heating -5.9 kw
Cooling .09 kw

Describe any other energy-saving materials used in the building envelope other than SIPs. List U-values of windows used and the U or R-value of any insulation materials:
Building shell features.
Ceiling, Flat
Sealed attic, R-55
Above Grade walls, r-39.3 8 1/4 Sips Panels
Slab, R-10
Window type, Anderson 100’s (post consumer fibrex) U values .270, SHGC .0210
Infiltration rate 639 CFM50 (1.09 ACH50) Blower door

Please list any energy-efficient products or design features, such as lighting, hot water heating, appliances, passive solar:
100 % LED lighting
Energy Smart Fisher Paykel Appliances
10 K watts of solar for a net-zero home.
Heat pump hot water heater, with recirculation buttons at all water sources.
Minimized glazing on north side, covered patios on east and west.

Were any solar panels installed on the project? If so, indicate the size of the system:
10 KW system size
Estimated annual generation of 17,542 kWh
117% consumption offset
15,000 kWh annual electricity Usage
All electric home, no Gas
Solar Panels - Q cells, 25 x 400 watt panels (q.peak duo blk ml-G10+ 400)
Inverter, SolarEdge 10,000 Kw total inverter rating,
Power Optimizer, 440 w power optimizer for residential installations 25x s440

Please list any sustainable materials or design features not listed above, such as recycled materials, low-VOC finishes, landscaping, etc.
No VOC Sherwin Williams paint
Sustainably harvested carb 2 compliant J&K solid birch ply cabinets
Carb 2 compliant flooring from Fusion Floors, green floor score,
Sustainably harvested and managed forest (Forest stewardship council)
Engineered hardwood floor, no VOC glue
All low water/ no water all native landscape planting. Small drip irrigation on timer.

Documents

• Other: 2024-BEA-SIP-ECO-Friendly-House-Placitas-NM.pdf
• Other: SIP-ECO-Friendly-House-Placitas-NM-Final.pdf

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