The Building Envelope: Innovations in Planning, Materials and Budgets Video, 72 minutes

While salvaging the timber frame of the farmhouse, Alex built a new foundation, an unusual super-insulated envelope, window system, garage, and mechanicals, using innovative design approaches and leading-edge green products at every step along the way.

It all starts with planning

Alex has always been a process advocate, and he and Eli share how they kicked off the project with an integrated planning session, used 3D modeling to show how the envelope would come together, and worked from the outset to incorporate impact-reducing steps like a smaller footprint, the right orientation, and creative use of prefabricated components to maximize performance, minimize waste, and save money.

Why choose newly introduced—and re-introduced—high-performance products and materials?

Alex was willing to push the envelope, so to speak, to use products that haven't been adopted yet by the mass market. He and Eli will discuss the significant choices they made and why, including:

• How Alex made peace with fiberglass—and which innovative product, specifically
• Getting bang-for-the-buck with windows: premium quad-glazed windows where they're needed, and more affordable but still high-performing window-storm combinations elsewhere
• Imports? Yep, we'll talk about imports: air barrier housewraps and tapes selected for durability and performance
• Cork insulation, popular in the first half of the 20th century, sounds cool—now let's figure out how to install it.
• You want a full basement super-insulated, and you don't want to use a lick of foam? How Alex and Eli got it done.
• Icing on the cake: the little tweaks that allowed them to make the building envelope on this old farmhouse super-airtight, as well as resilient in case of natural disasters and power interruptions.

But was it affordable?

Spoiler alert: Pushing the envelope involved cost premiums.

But as longtime advocates for affordable green building, Alex and Eli will share what they learned from this deep-green project that the rest of us can apply to save first costs while still achieving big operational cost savings.

They'll share their thought processes on how to set priorities, where to save money with smart choices, and what Alex's heating and electric bill is today.