Before we get into the Nuts & Bolts of Green, lets talk about Greenbacks. Did you know that by deciding to design smaller and greener today, you will increase your home's future sale's $/sf value over a conventionally built bigger non-green design. And your smaller home will cost less to build, own & operate, so the financial return on your investment of hard earned dollars will be even better. This trend has been demonstrated in other industries. Intellichoice 2009 study said 'Of the 51 clean diesel or hybrid cars tested, 35 deliver a cost-of-ownership that is somewhat or significantly lower than gasoline versions of the same vehicle'. It is the same reason why used SUV's lose their value much faster than used fuel efficient vehicles, even though our gas $/gal has come back down. We are certain that future studies will confirm that 'green' designed homes, with lower ownership costs, healthier indoor air, and generally better dwelling experience, will consistently yield a higher $ per sf price when those homes are sold in the future. And it is so easy to do.
Eco-Holdings Engineering can provide the nuts & bolts of green building, but also can design in a true 'Shelter-In-Place' Design. Ike's 'only' CAT-2 experience strengthened our argument that every new home or building should be designed for 'Shelter-In-Place' ("S-I-P") including a limited onsite power capability. We can show any client how to include S-I-P with onsite power cost effectively. Okay, on to the green stuff...
GREEN IS THE NEW GOLD
ECO "Digs for Green" On 10/31/08 ECO's Gary Beck (2nd from right) participated in a green low income 99Khouse ground breaking ceremony with Mayor White and 9 others. ECO was the engineer-of-record for the contest's winning 1250sf ORA-Hybrid design. The international contest was sponsored by the City of Houston, the AIA, and the Rice Design Alliance. See www.the99Khouse.com.
Green is certainly the new Gold as in 'Gold Rush'. It is everywhere you look. It is in our ads, our news clips, and in every candidate's speech. Eco-Holdings LLC was formed in 2003, and the rush to Green has been so fast and so all encompassing it makes a gold-rush look slow. If your company is not already green, and not ready to accept a good old fashioned 'green-washing', some will say your CEO is in a coma and your company is doomed. We are 'down with green' (ask a 25 yr old) but green is also going down. Green is going down. Yes down. Because what goes up, must come down. And Green has gone up fast! The 'green-wash' roller coaster is now at its peak and will soon be heading down. But does that mean an end to the green movement? An end to our planet? Probably not. We just planted our tomatoes. We plan to be here for a while longer. We think you should plan to do the same.
PLAN That is what engineers do. We plan. We design. ECO's founder has been designing something since he was 10. Converting a yard tractor to a powered sled in the 60s. Buying electric car conversion plans from Mother Earth News in the 70s. Designing composite and polymer products in the 80s. Watching AAC Block home construction in Germany in the 90s. While working as an engineer for larger firms, he realized the best way to impact the environment was to show people how to improve efficiency. Eco-Holdings was formed in 2003 to more directly impact our environment by applying outside-the-box thinking to sustainable design and energy efficiency.
All engineers plan sensibly and act on facts. Some engineer's push the envelope with the hope of making positive change faster. Call it sustainability, energy conservation, green, ecological, or environmental. We just call it smart design.
So when 'green' is everywhere, to the point of not meaning anything special anymore (like now?) we will keep doing what we are doing. Planning and designing based on the facts. Working with the nuts and bolts of sustainability, energy conservation, and efficiency. ECO will be designing the details so 'green' can happen, even when it is no longer called green. Then it will just be called smart design.
Green Blue Prints
We often work for customers who purchase home plans online. These plans are typically high in quality, ...but that are often from design firms located in other states. To be built in Texas, these plans need to be adjusted by the addition of structural pages that assure that the construction will be in accordance with local codes, materials, and design requirements. The renderings to the left started as a customer's paper plan. We adjusted it from wood frame to SIP construction using our 3D design software which will also produce revised construction blueprints. If you are planning to buy plans online, call us for free advice on the benefits of applying this unique process.
BLUEPRINTS CONVERTED TO 'GREENPRINTS' ! Now this is where it gets interesting. By combining the above plan conversion and basic engineering capability, with our experience in green building systems, we can convert any ‘standard’ blue print to a 'green' home design - without loosing the original floor plan in the process. This process involves early discussion of building structure and system options, and then the conversion or addition of selected green features. Green building structure choices included green wood framing and insulation techniques, or conversion to SIP, AAC, or ICF structural systems. Green system choices are too many to list here, but include green energy, water, wind, solar, hobby, garden, shelter, transportation, maintenance, and lifestyle choices. Call us or stop by our office to learn more.
10 Things Your Green Design Team should do
1. Build Smaller! Reduce your square footage, material usage, and your cost through optimized designs.
2. Improve and manage drainage and flood impact on your area.
3. Select low energy building systems with enhanced sealing
4. Optimize natural breezes, shading, and overhangs
5. Design a light colored reflective roof that has low emissivity
6. Optimize water efficiency, collection, and reuse
7. Increase natural lighting & views while reducing up-lighting
8. Specify durable, resource efficient materials and designs.
9. Optimize occupant flows, access, health & safety
10. Design and include a ‘Shelter-In-Place’ capability!
An example of application these above items is our own in-house E! design:
"E!" (Plan#4) is a 1600sf 3/2 ona 36'x36' footprint. Consider adding some of these design ideas to your own plans. E! rests on an elevated Slab-on-Grade that incorporates Under Floor Air Delivery. The exterior walls are both dry stack aerated concrete block & SIP planels. The exterior block finish is concrete lap siding on SIP walls, and then polymer stucco 'brick stain' on blocks. The interior walls covering is rough finish plaster with natural clay paint on. The roofing system is either a standing seam metal roof or composition shingles.
E!'s 2nd floor is designed as as either 2x6 tongue & groove 'cargo' decking , or 2" of stained concrete cast on ¾” plywood supported by 12” I-Joists. The HVAC system applies a HEPA filtered Under Floor Hi-Velocity Air Distribution ducting system combined with PEX radiant heating system. Electrical circuits are separated for 110V appliances and parasitic 110V load devices. A separate DC circuit allows the direct use of onsite generated Solar PV energy. Low power appliances are specified ('Full-Off' capable LCD TVs, Amplifiers, and Computers. Energy Star Refrigerator, Dishwasher, Washer and Dryer.) Oversided triple kitchen wash basin for manual washing and and clothes line for air drying. PEX manifolds for potable and live water.
Before we get into the Nuts & Bolts of Green, lets talk about Greenbacks. 
ECO "Digs for Green" On 10/31/08 ECO's Gary Beck (2nd from right) participated in a green low income 99Khouse ground breaking ceremony with Mayor White and 9 others. ECO was the engineer-of-record for the contest's winning 1250sf ORA-Hybrid design. The international contest was sponsored by the City of Houston, the AIA, and the Rice Design Alliance. See 
Green is certainly the new Gold as in 'Gold Rush'. It is everywhere you look. It is in our ads, our news clips, and in every candidate's speech. Eco-Holdings LLC was formed in 2003, and the rush to Green has been so fast and so all encompassing it makes a gold-rush look slow. If your company is not already green, and not ready to accept a good old fashioned 'green-washing', some will say your CEO is in a coma and your company is doomed. We are 'down with green' (ask a 25 yr old) but green is also going down. Green is going down. Yes down. Because what goes up, must come down. And Green has gone up fast! The 'green-wash' roller coaster is now at its peak and will soon be heading down. But does that mean an end to the green movement? An end to our planet? Probably not. We just planted our tomatoes. We plan to be here for a while longer. We think you should plan to do the same.
PLAN
All engineers plan sensibly and act on facts. Some engineer's push the envelope with the hope of making positive change faster. Call it sustainability, energy conservation, green, ecological, or environmental. We just call it smart design. 
So when 'green' is everywhere, to the point of not meaning anything special anymore (like now?) we will keep doing what we are doing. Planning and designing based on the facts. Working with the nuts and bolts of sustainability, energy conservation, and efficiency. ECO will be designing the details so 'green' can happen, even when it is no longer called green. Then it will just be called smart design. 
We often work for customers who purchase home plans online. These plans are typically high in quality, ...but that are often from design firms located in other states. To be built in Texas, these plans need to be adjusted by the addition of structural pages that assure that the construction will be in accordance with local codes, materials, and design requirements. The renderings to the left started as a customer's paper plan. We adjusted it from wood frame to SIP construction using our 3D design software which will also produce revised construction blueprints. If you are planning to buy plans online, call us for free advice on the benefits of applying this unique process. 
BLUEPRINTS CONVERTED TO 'GREENPRINTS' ! Now this is where it gets interesting. By combining the above plan conversion and basic engineering capability, with our experience in green building systems, we can convert any ‘standard’ blue print to a 'green' home design - without loosing the original floor plan in the process. This process involves early discussion of building structure and system options, and then the conversion or addition of selected green features. Green building structure choices included green wood framing and insulation techniques, or conversion to SIP, AAC, or ICF structural systems. Green system choices are too many to list here, but include green energy, water, wind, solar, hobby, garden, shelter, transportation, maintenance, and lifestyle choices. Call us or stop by our office to learn more. 
1. Build Smaller! Reduce your square footage, material usage, and your cost through optimized designs.
"E!" (Plan#4) is a 1600sf 3/2 ona 36'x36' footprint. Consider adding some of these design ideas to your own plans. E! rests on an elevated Slab-on-Grade that incorporates 
E!'s 2nd floor is designed as as either 2x6 tongue & groove 'cargo' decking , or 2" of stained concrete cast on ¾” plywood supported by 12” I-Joists. The HVAC system applies a HEPA filtered Under Floor Hi-Velocity Air Distribution ducting system combined with PEX radiant heating system. Electrical circuits are separated for 110V appliances and parasitic 110V load devices. A separate DC circuit allows the direct use of onsite generated Solar PV energy. Low power appliances are specified ('Full-Off' capable LCD TVs, Amplifiers, and Computers. Energy Star Refrigerator, Dishwasher, Washer and Dryer.) Oversided triple kitchen wash basin for manual washing and and clothes line for air drying. PEX manifolds for potable and live water. 
