 | Background In 2000 the Departments of Environment and Housing in Chicago held a competition to solicit designs for 'green' family homes. The winners were selected based on four criteria - affordability, energy efficiency, sustainability and context. A panel of 12 architects, designers and builders selected 5 winners from 73 design proposals from across the U.S. and five foreign countries. The industry standard - HERS (Home Energy Rating System) was used to assess the energy efficiency of the homes. To be considered an 'Energy Star' (five star home), the home must receive a HERS score of at least 86. The monitoring of these homes spanned 18 months. |
One of the award recipients for this competition was architect Sean Garrett, of Sean Garrett's Architecture in Denver, Colorado. The primary focus of Sean's design was energy efficiency. Icynene® was used in the construction of the home. Icynene® was applied to the walls, ceilings and floors to create an effective air barrier that completely seals the building envelope. The Garrett home, which used Icynene® was given a 5-Star HERS rating. | |
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