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The term High-Performance home is often used synonymously with Green and Sustainable homes though this is not entirely accurate. Understanding the distinction between design objectives and building practices of Green vs High-Performance will lead to better choices made by homeowners to meet their ultimate goals.

Green Home Definition

A Green Home is a home designed and built to reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the natural environment and the human body. In construction and operation, Green Homes preserve precious natural resources and enhance quality of life. Green practices conserve raw materials, energy, water, AND money!

High-Performance Definition

The Energy Act 2005 defines a ‘high performance building’ as one that “integrates and optimizes all major high-performance building attributes, including energy efficiency, durability, life-cycle performance, and occupant productivity.”  The central focus of a High-Performance home tends to be energy efficiency and utilities reduction.

Green design can be a component of High-Performance if the material selections and building practices also minimize the impact on the environment, though this is not a requirement.

High-Performance homes can be designed such that the home performs highly, is airtight and insulated well, utility bills are minimized, it’s durable, and comfortable without having minimized environmental impacts during its build or materials selection.  These homes are not Green though they may be High-Performance.

At Pippin Home Designs, we educate our clients about the possibility for a home that achieves the attributes of BOTH!

Introducing Pippin IMPACT Homes!

Intentionally Maximizing Performance, Adaptability & Comfort for Tomorrow

In planning for the longevity of your health, Pippin IMPACT Homes combine the sustainability benefits of Green design and the efficiency benefits of high-performance to help our clients create their homes with the highest health quality they desire.

Is Your house making you sick?

How are Pippin IMPACT Homes Different?

Pippin IMPACT Homes achieve all the aspects of Green and High-Performance homes by creating whole house efficiency, sustainability, and unparalleled ease and comfort, with health and wellness as the central focus.

These homes are designed to improve your quality of life and make you happier and healthier. A value that is priceless!

Note: The full Pippin IMPACT Package is not for everyone, and that’s ok. The elements of Pippin IMPACT are an added benefit and value that we offer, if you so choose. We tailor all our designs custom to the individual, so each house performs differently.

Homes of all shapes and sizes can have an IMPACT and each home will perform differently depending on your desires, goals and budget.

*Did you know that most of the Habitat for Humanity homes
in the Carolinas are built to be high performance?

What Can a Pippin IMPACT Home Achieve?

There are 9 objectives these homes achieve, though the ways in which each home achieves these objectives may vary.

1.  Unparalleled Ease & Comfort: Functionality designed into every space, stable indoor temperatures, fewer drafts and better humidity control, daylighting based on the path of the sun create feelings of comfort and happiness.
2.  Peak Health & Wellness: Superb air purification creates healthier indoor air quality, materials without toxins, plenty of sunlight, healthy spaces accentuate views of the natural surroundings.
3.  Enhanced Energetics: Implementing feng shui practices, inviting positive chi energy, enhancing the way you FEEL in your home; balance, peace, calm, and joy.
4.  Environmentally Friendly: Considering eco-friendly materials, reduction in waste, longevity of construction methods, and a smaller carbon footprint.
5.  Lower Operating Costs: Less expensive utility bills due to energy and water efficiency measures.
6.  Increased Home Value: Instant return on investment through high quality of design, materials, and construction.
7.  Low Consumption of Resources: During construction AND throughout lifetime.
8.  Reduction in Repair Costs and Maintenance: Using highly durable building materials and carefully considering the environment the home is built into, lawns require less weeding and watering.
9.  Accessibility: Accommodates guests and/or residents with mobility limitations, ease for visitors of all abilities, age-in-place with grace.

How Does Design Impact Performance?

Significantly!  Pippin IMPACT homes use intuitive design to approach your home as a whole which alleviates demands placed upon your home such that very little or no additional upfront costs are required to make your home perform higher than a standard house.

Our IMPACT design methods begin with selecting the optimal location on your property for your home, driveway, septic system if needed, and any outdoor living spaces desired.  While visiting your homesite we study the natural beauty your property has to offer, determine direction of best views, and consider how we can do minimal harm to the natural habitat by preserving trees and protecting waterways.

We utilize the natural habitat and preserved trees to maximize shading, sheltering, and protection from the elements to extend the lifetime of building materials.  This saves money in utility bills, repairs, and reduces the need to replace raw materials.

Designing for the path of the sun across the site will indicate where to place rooms within the home to take advantage of morning sunlight, and where the home will need porches and overhangs for shade from the hot summer afternoon sun.  The views available to the property are able to be maximized and enjoyed year-round.  By working with the path of the sun in all seasons, utility bills can be greatly reduced.

Planning the home appropriate to the site and taking into consideration the environmental challenges the home will be facing allows the home to coexist with the natural elements and local climate.  When completed, a Pippin IMPACT Home looks as though it belongs in the location it was built, as opposed to being forced upon the land.  Everything flows, inside and out!

Designing functionality right into your masterplan can save you LOTS of hassle and money down the line, not to mention make your life as easy and comfortable as possible from the moment you move in.  By evaluating the intended use of each space in the home, we design a home that works for all the people living in it.

Planning for accessibility allows the home to accommodate guests and/or residents with mobility limitations.  This provides ease for visitors of all abilities and allows the homeowner to age-in-place with grace.

Implementing feng shui practices invites positive chi energy into your home, enhancing the way you FEEL and creating a balanced, peaceful, and joyful living experience.

Because your house is a functioning system, all of its processes, from heating and air conditioning, ventilation, insulation, and window placement, to how well the building is sealed are all interrelated and determine the outcome of the performance of the home.  Careful planning of these components will provide a healthy, high performing, environmentally conscious home that preserves nature, saves you money, and enhances your home’s value.

What Does it Cost to Build or Remodel to a Pippin IMPACT Home?

Designers and builders are now able to find easily sourced healthy materials and affordable solutions for homeowners.  The increased demand for energy efficient homes has spiked competition among suppliers, driving down costs for the consumer.  Advances in technology have led to more efficient products, providing the homeowner with more options that fit into their budget.  Awareness of toxic substances used in building materials is growing and more homeowners are demanding sustainable, healthy alternatives.  Though sometimes the initial cost of a Pippin IMPACT Home can be greater, the cost saving benefits quickly adds up to a lower total cost of ownership.

NOTE: The ICC 700 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) is a residential standard that offers a flexible above-code program to design and construct homes that are sustainable, cost-effective and geographically appropriate.  The degree to which each home performs varies greatly (from the ultra-high performance of a Net Zero Energy Building to a Passive House to a LEED certified home).

There are many cost variables to consider depending on the finishes and materials you choose, the features you initially incorporate, and the ones you plan to add in the future.  The following are our suggestions in the most important areas that will offer the greatest bang for your buck.

1) Airtightness: How well-sealed the home is and how resistant it is to unintentional inward or outward air leakage.  The more airtight, the better!

Make sure the building envelop (walls, windows, roof, attic, and crawl space) are all of good quality and well-sealed. Invest in Energy Star rated double or triple pane windows and doors, depending on what climate zone you’re in. It’s very important to make sure that any holes through the exterior walls, roof or floor of the building are sealed completely. No holes should ever be left unsealed!

2) Insulation: How well the home is able to maintain desirable temperatures inside relative to outside ambient air temperatures. Utilizing the right kind of insulation for each area of the home will save you money and provide maximum comfort.

Do not skimp or cut corners on what’s behind the walls! If on a super tight budget use the pricier energy-efficient foam insulation only in the attic and the more affordable batt or other blown-in insulation in the walls and floors. If you can afford it, upgrade your insulation package in the entire home.

3) Whole House Ventilation: How effective the HVAC system is at delivering controlled air throughout the entire home. Enhanced HVAC systems can significantly improve indoor air quality and reduce trapped moisture and mold, making your house a healthy home.

Make sure the indoor air quality is as good as you can afford to make it (being mindful of the materials installed and the out-gassing they emit).
Increasing the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) of your HVAC units will significantly decrease your energy bills. The higher the number the more efficient it will be.

4) Duct Efficiency: How efficient the ducts are at transferring air to the desired locations throughout the home. Highly efficient ducts require less energy and therefore lower your energy bills.

Efficient design and installation of the duct work goes hand-in-hand with the energy efficient HVAC. Ductwork and the indoor HVAC unit should be placed in conditioned or semi-conditioned spaces. This is often overlooked. The harsh environment of an unconditioned crawl space or attic forces these products to work harder, thereby reducing efficiency. Well-designed HVAC systems are required to meet the current energy code and is critical for achieving the best results.

Ask Us a Question

Listed below are additional Green features we recommend you include if your budget allows.  Each one of these features will contribute to money savings, planet preserving, and health enhancing goals.

•  Water efficient plumbing fixtures
•  Energy Star rated appliances
•  LED light fixtures
•  No VOC paints, cabinets, flooring and other interior finishes with no toxic compounds
•  Readily renewable products, such as bamboo or cork flooring instead of carpeting
•  Tankless gas water heaters or solar panels for hot water
•  Photovoltaic panels or shingles for generating electricity
•  Rainwater harvesting

Green: It's not just a color, it's a way of life

Where Do You Begin?

If you are interested in upgrading your current home in a remodel, first, you’ll want to run some tests to see how your home currently performs. A HERS (Home Energy Rating Service) rater will provide an energy analysis of your home. A blower door test will determine the air tightness of your home and help to physically locate air leakage sites in the building envelope. A duct blaster test will determine how leaky the HVAC duct system is and how well the system provides the required air flow to the individual rooms. Once you know how your home currently performs you can begin talking to Pippin Home Designs and a builder about incorporating the Pippin-IMPACT features that will benefit you and your budget most.

If you’re building a new home, first, you must determine which features are most important to you and the degree to which you want your home to perform.

Begin by making a list of your desired items and schedule a
meeting with us and your team to discuss ways to
incorporate as many features as your budget will allow.

Well-Built is Better Than High Tech!

Smart technology that controls climate in your house will only be as efficient as your HVAC system, insulation and windows.

Investing in quality insulation, air sealing, and Energy Star rated windows, doors and appliances means the HVAC system can be smaller, which translates to savings in purchase price that offsets the cost of a higher SEER rating, which in turn saves money in the ongoing operation of the house.

A smart home is not necessarily for everyone. For those who want it it’s easy to integrate smart technology into a highly performing home however, a better built home won’t need this technology in order to save you money and make your life easier.

Spend some time getting to know what you want vs what you don't need, and this will help you and your entire team determine what will work best for you and your budget.

To see a more complete list of all the options for a Pippin IMPACT Home CLICK HERE for our Pippin IMPACT Basics Checklist.

Our Award-Winning Homes with a View are designed to fully support your life and those you love! Give us a call or email us today!

Pippin IMPACT HomesSM

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