Healthy Remodel and LEED Platinum Home, Piedmont

“The HBS team was great. They helped us define goals for sustainability early on and ensured that these goals made it to the drawings and specifications. Most of the team was familiar with some healthy building practices, but HBS brought the project to a whole new level with their expertise, broad scope of knowledge, and sophisticated research. They did testing during and after construction to verify environmental quality and make sure specifications were followed. Knowing HBS was by our side during the entire process provided peace of mind.

From EMF abatement, healthy materials research, LEED and energy efficiency consulting to water and air quality testing, we could count on Alex and his team to take care of our green building needs. With their leadership, we earned LEED Platinum and created a beautiful, healthy home for our family.

-Owner

Project Summary:

The family wanted an artistic, modern home with all the healthy building bells and whistles. What started as a minor remodel project turned into a gut remodel, and in the end only some structural elements remained of the original home. The end product is lovely and healthy, state-of-the-art, yet simplistic and easy to operate; this is a LEED Home unlike any other.

LEED for Homes Under Construction – Piedmont

LEED Home Piedmont – Framing

LEED Home Piedmont – Solar Thermal

Process:

HBS was initially hired to perform an EMF survey, then the owner realized we had more to offer the design team and it snowballed into Building Biology & LEED Consulting through design and construction. HBS worked closely with the interior designer, architect and builder throughout the project. Detailed drawings and project specifications provided clear direction to the builder and HBS weighed in providing guidance and quality control where valuable.

LEED Project Highlights:

Low VOC and natural finishes
Insulation without Halogenated Flame Retardants (HFRs)
Almost entirely PVC and formaldehyde free construction
Whole-house water filtration
Solar thermal tubing hidden underneath the slate tile roof and integrated into the radiant floor heating system of the home
Solar electric panels (PV)
Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRVs)
Rainwater harvesting for irrigation
Grey water reuse for toilet flushing
Radio Frequency (RF) mitigation from radar and cell phone signals in the Bay Area.
Panel wiring and house designed to minimize magnetic and electric fields (EMF)