Projects

Institute of Noetic Sciences

11 New Sustainable Lodges – Petaluma, CA

A View of Two New Sustainable Lodges

This project began at Healthy Buildings Technology Group and will be built with Healthy Buildings Construction Group in the lead!

In 1971, Edgar Mitchell took an amazing journey to the moon. Yet it was on the return trip, as he viewed planet Earth, he made his true discovery. An inward journey which formed a vision, and manifested itself as the Institute of Noetic Sciences in 1973.

This vision has grown over the last 40 years… and now it seeks to grow again.

Aligning with Healthy Buildings was a natural progression in the evolution of the IONS vision. HBUSA is a fully integrated design,construction and project management company whose inner focus and outward sustainable practices will help to complete our present and future vision.

In Phase I, this exciting journey will begin with providing 11 new lodges; comfortable and inviting residences for our visitors to relax and take their personal journeys. Recognizing the important needs of the land and its people, the waste management system will be transformed into one that will reuse wastewater and provide lasting water solutions for the next 40+ years.

In Phase II we will embark on visioning the full scope of the campus to provide a world-class education, research and healing center where opportunities for human consciousness evolve. Reaching out to the world requires new paths to be forged. We may bring more activity to EarthRise through the addition of a state of the art research center and a community teaching facility. In all cases, improving the existing buildings for energy consumption and efficiency.

The future vision of the IONS campus is one of allowing the dream to become a reality and creating the most sustainable educational/spiritual campus in the world.

Watch this inspiring video to learn more about IONS and Healthy Buildings

Vineyard Oaks

12 Green Luxury Home Subdivision – Yountville, CA

Healthy Buildings is pleased to announce the completion of all site improvements at the Vineyard Oaks of Yountville. This LEED for Home Gold targeted residential project of 12 Craftsman-style, net zero energy, luxury homes will back to the vineyards with the Stags Leap hills in the immediate distance.Healthy Buildings and the Knight Family bring eco-friendly living to an entirely new level. Together they are creating a landmark residential project for the Napa Valley that minimizes the impact on the environment and optimizes building performance for the comfort and health of its residents. These net zero energy homes set a new standard in building environmentally conscious homes that also deliver on the taste, comfort, and style desired by the discerning home-buyer. It is this vision that will set Vineyard Oaksapart.A range of sustainable building strategies will be implemented, including appropriate HVAC sizing, passive solar design and the use of renewable energy systems. Water use reduction including grey water systems, drought tolerant plants and low-flow fixtures are included as are, enhanced indoor air quality, energy-saving appliances, the use of highly durable, renewable and recycled materials.

Those who will become part of this community will be doing more than just buying a luxurious new home, they will be part of the vision for a cleaner, brighter, more sustainable future. Visit the project’s Website here!

Supportive Housing Project for the Gasser Foundation

Napa Valley’s First LEED-Certified Multi-Family Development

Healthy Buildings is excited about being involved with the Gasser Foundations Supportive Housing Project, Napa Valley’s first LEED Certified Multi-Family Residential Development, due to complete construction in January of 2012. Healthy Buildings served as the Owner’s Representative for the project, and as its LEED Consultant. The project is targeted for LEED Silver.

Please recommend our newsletter to your business partners. Invite them to sign up and follow the progress of projects like Supportive Housing as they develop.

COMPLETED PROJECTS

Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

Vineyard Lodge Expansion – St. Helena, CA

The CIA’s Vineyard Lodge Expansion is now complete and fully occupied by 60 new culinary students from all across the country. Healthy Buildings is proud of the finished product, and even more proud to have been involved in the construction of one of the few LEED® rated dormitories in the country. The Culinary Institute was adamant about building a dormitory that had as little impact on the environment as possible. The partnership with Healthy Buildings as Project Manager, LEED® Consultant and General Contractor was a successful relationship for all.The Vineyard Lodge is a prime example of how smart decisions about building, and experience in building green can result in a high performance building with little added cost over conventional construction. The total energy savings at the Vineyard Lodge is a result of combining both high tech and low tech building solutions. Some high tech systems that contribute to the overall building performance are an 18KW Photovoltaic System, which provides 30% of the building’s energy; a highly efficient Solar Hot Water system, which during clear days provides 100% of the dormitory’s hot water needs; and a high efficient and programmable VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) HVAC system. Other more low-tech, but equally important, elements are Passive Heating and Cooling, i.e. building orientation and increased glazing; using a light colored roof; and increasing insulation throughout the living areas and attic.

Healthy Buildings would like to extend its thanks to The Culinary Institute for pioneering such a successful project and helping to advance sustainable building in the Napa Valley.

Gasser Solar / Napa, CA

The Gasser Solar installation was part of an overall building performance upgrade for the Napa-based Gasser Foundation’s office building. Prior to the installation of the photovoltaic system, various energy efficiency measures were implemented such as the installation of improved insulation, occupancy sensors and the application of a solar film to the windows. These improvements to the building shell resulted in a reduction in the size and cost of the photovoltaic system needed. After a lengthy vetting process, we chose Borrego Solar to install a 115 kW system which served to offset almost all the building’s electrical usage. To achieve a system of this size, an elevated rack system on the roof and three cantilevered carport structures were installed, supported by singular steel posts as opposed to dual posts which are more commonly used.

Vineyard Residence / Sonoma, CA

Completed in 2007, this project serves as an excellent example of Healthy Buildings’ integrated design approach which resulted in a near zero energy custom single family home. The slab on grade foundation was used as the finish floor by scoring and staining it in an attractive pattern. In addition, hydronic heating was used in the slab to efficiently warm the house throughout. The structural frame is a hybrid of ICF’s (Insulated Concrete Forms) in the below grade section of the home and light gauge steel framing above grade. The open space plan and large glazing areas with protective overhangs all contributed to this high performance residence.

Valley Oak Villas / Napa, CA

Valley Oak Villas, made up of 46 units in the Westwood neighborhood of Napa, was conceived in 2003 as a multi-family project to push the envelope of sustainable design. In 2003, LEED® for Homes did not yet exist and Build It Green™ was in its infancy. However, these two models did provide enough of a framework to allow us to determine the direction of green building technology and create a sustainably-designed and thermally-comfortable building. The project was designed as workforce housing to provide entry level homes for first-time homebuyers. Our efforts to make an attractive, livable and environmentally-friendly community paid off and the project was named one of the Top 15 Best Neighborhoods by Solano Magazine. The Green Affordable Housing Coalition also developed a case study about the project, available at the following website: Green Affordable Housing Coalition – VOV Case Study

Presbyterian Church Headquarters / Napa, CA

After considerable searching, the Northern California Headquarters of the Presbyterian Church decided to build its new headquarters in Napa. Their goal for the buildings was a sustainable, healthy workplace that would be a showcase for members throughout the Presbytery. We took on this challenge in 2004 and built a structure that was framed in panelized light gauge steel comprised of 40% recycled content with a concrete finish floor and countertops. Other notable features included one of the first uses of Pex plumbing in the Napa Valley and two coat EFIS and fiber-cement cladding. The only timber wood used in the building was the characteristic Craftsman entry elements, which partially included recycled lumber from a prior Healthy Buildings’ project.

Durand Drive / Hollywood Hills, CA

Durand Drive was constructed in the mid-1990’s as a speculation house, located near the Hollywood Sign in the Beachwood Canyon section of Los Angeles. This was the first project where we made heavy use of structural steel with a high-recycled content. The project’s most visible feature is that it is a “stilt house” and truly has a very small building footprint. This type of hillside construction, pioneered by Architect John Lautner in the 1960’s, involved very little earthwork. Two features are notable with respect to this project. First, the entry door and the large living room fireplace are clad in copper which was recaptured from old water tanks from the industrial section of Los Angeles. The second notable feature is that within weeks of completion, Los Angeles was hit by the 1992 Northridge earthquake, a 6.8 trembler whose epicenter was less than ten miles from this home. The new owners were sound asleep when the earthquake hit in the early morning hours. They were pleased to report that the house rocked considerably on its stilt foundation, but the home experienced no damage.

Bluewater Drive / Malibu, CA

The Bluewater Drive project was comprised of two high-end custom homes, built on speculation, in the early 1990’s. The challenge here was to design and build two relatively large custom homes (+/- 4500 square feet each) and yet still keep sustainability as a goal. The core design element was to site the homes in such a way as to take advantage of early morning warming sun and cooling afternoon breezes. The thermal mass of the concrete floors and the positioning of the large north-facing and smaller south-facing glazed surfaces also helped to maintain thermal consistency throughout the house.

Holy Cross Medical Center / YMCA Child Care Center / Mission Hills, CA

Holy Cross Medical Center, a regional medical center located in Mission Hills, California, required allowances for future expansion, leading to the design of relocatable buildings. The operator, the YMCA, wanted a healthy building since this +/- 10,000 square foot structure was designed primarily as a childcare center to service infants and toddlers. As a result this project, built in the late 1980’s, was a catalyst for expanding our knowledge of healthy materials and methods of construction. It also presented challenges for thermal performance due to the very hot climate of its West San Fernando Valley location. Indoor thermal comfort was achieved using a high performance building envelope and continuous overhangs to provide shading. Almost twenty years later the project continues to perform as designed and still operates as the YMCA’s local center serving children and their parents.

Passmore Drive / Hollywood Hills, CA

Passmore Drive started as a custom home, built on speculation, and was purchased in mid-construction by a movie producer. A three-story residence on a down slope, the challenge here was to finish the home with many wood features, as per the buyer’s request, while staying away from non-sustainably harvested woods. Built in the mid 1980’s, before FSC or SFI lumber, the solution was to use recycled hardwood (oak), in this case recaptured from the demo of an old whiskey barn in Virginia, and softwood (mahogany) purchased from an old ship yard in San Pedro.