Mascord Efficient Living-Why,What,How?
Why Build Green?
The construction and operation of homes in the U.S. is one of the largest contributors of energy consumption and environmentally harmful waste, and many people are looking carefully at the construction of their homes to allow lower energy bills, protect the environment and live healthier. These attitudes toward sustainable practices have created a large market demand for green homes.
As energy prices continue to rise, and educated through first hand experiences, news, and other media, the American public have become aware of how their lifestyles affect the environment.
Green homes benefits:
The built environment has a vast impact on the natural environment, human health, and the economy. By adopting efficient construction strategies, we can maximize both economic and environmental performance. Green construction methods can be integrated into buildings at any stage; from design and construction, to renovation and deconstruction. However, the most significant benefits can be obtained if the design and construction team takes an integrated approach from the earliest stages of a building project. Potential benefits of green building can include:
Economic benefits
- Reduce operating costs
- Create, expand, and shape markets for green product and services
- Improve occupant productivity
- Optimize life-cycle economic performance
Social benefits
- Enhance occupant comfort and health
- Heighten aesthetic qualities
- Minimize strain on local infrastructure
- Improve overall quality of life
Environmental benefits
- Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems
- Improve air and water quality
- Reduce waste streams
- Conserve and restore natural resources
Satisfaction with green homes is extremely high: over 85% of green home owners are likely to recommend a green home to others. • The total green building marketplace is expected to be worth up to $75 Billion by 2012 (one in ten new building starts) • In a struggling housing market, green features differentiate your home in the marketplace.
What is Mascord Efficient Living™?
Mascord Efficient Living is a set of tools and resources to help you build a more energy efficient, sustainable and healthy home. Available for purchase with any plan from the entire Mascord collection, Mascord Efficient Living makes it easier than ever to build "green". In addition to setting the bar for your environmentally conscientious home, the Mascord Efficient Living package makes it a breeze to build "green" and also earn valuable green building certifications such as LEED®, NGBS™, or ENERGY STAR.
How to build with Mascord Efficient Living™
A Mascord Efficient Living home plan set comes filled with notes, details, and accompanying information needed to help you build your home to leading third party certification standards, ranging from Energy Star to the USGBC's LEED for Homes program.
The notes and details pages that are part of your drawing package outline not only what you need to do to accomplish the basic needs of efficient construction, but also show you areas you can choose to 'upgrade performance' -and what affect that will have on the outcome of your project (in terms of LEED points). This makes it incredibly easy to communicate your goals to sub-contractors, as well as calculate your expected level of certification compliance.
Stock Home Plans usually come detailed to meet the minimum construction requirements set out by the International Residential Code- widely adopted by local and state building departments (if they come detailed to meet any code at all!). The IRC Code basically outlines the minimum requirements a builder needs to meet without violating state laws.
If that is your goal - to build a home just barely able to meet state minimum requirments - you should buy a standard drawing package, and go for it.
On the other hand, if your goal is to construct a quality, efficient, healthy home for you and your family; you should seriously consider an Efficient Living Home.
What your Efficient Living Home Plan Package includes:
Full Construction Documents
During the development of your home plan we calculate the required efficiency of certain elements (such as windows) - and detail these, along with many other elements - in the notes and detail pages that accompany the regular plan sheets used throughout construction. These pages include quality management tools to ensure the result you require is communicated to your team and describe, in detail, how to construct your home to meet your chosen certification goals.
Project Information File
This supplemental information package includes details about certification standards; instructions on using the Efficient Living plan set and achieving certification; forms to give vendors, sub-contractors, and officials; and additional important information for the final occupants of the home. In essence, the package contains everything you need to get your certified home built with:
- An efficient and tight building envelope through advanced wall, floor and roof systems that will discourage water intrusion, mold growth, and air infiltration.
- High performing mechanical systems to save on utilities, keep the home comfortable in all seasons, and promote healthy indoor air quality.
- Healthy, durable, and environmentally friendly materials on the inside and outside of the home.
- An home which is environmentally sensitive with respectful landscaping and site planning.
Consultation Time
Your initial package purchase price includes up to one hour phone conference or personal meeting time with a Mascord Efficient Living Support Team member to get you on track and to help answer any questions. If you feel you need additional support in the initial stages or throughout your construction project, custom consultation services are available for purchase.
A written guide to Efficient Construction
Alongside your drawing package, we include a copy of the Mascord Efficient Living hard back book and accompanying CD. With the foreword written by acclaimed author Sarah Susanka, this book provides an overview of the theories, philosophies and thoughts behind efficient construction practices, outlines things to consider when building an efficient home, and offers tips for living in one thereafter.
This book also includes a CD Rom featuring:- Google™ Sketch Up software, for customizable 3D kitchen plans
- 3D kitchen models featuring the Digital Green™ Portfolio and Google 3D Warehouse interactive features
- Access and support for required forms for green building certification
- Access to over 500 more efficient house plans
