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GREEN TOWNHOME PROJECT DEVELOPED BY RUBICON HOMES
First LEED-certified homes in Valley County
2008 Directory Building Systems Councils
Edition Date 1/2008
Today’s construction industry faces numerous challenges – including a short supply of qualified construction labor, continually rising costs and a heightened level of consumer expectation. At the same time, there is a growing obligation for the industry to rethink how new homes and building are construed while considering the impact on the environment.
Using the modular building system, Rubicon Homes (Boise, ID) is stepping up to meet these demands by setting a benchmark for the construction industry with concepts that are unprecedented in Idaho. Rubicon is developing the first homes certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in Valley County using modulars built by Guerdon Enterprises (Boise, ID).
“Rubicon Homes has decisively committed to change the expectations of systems-built technology and to redefine what the terms ‘affordable, quality and green’ mean to home building and construction,” says Nic Stover, president and founder of Rubicon Homes.
NEARLY DOUBLING GREEN PROJECTS
Working closely with Guerdon Enterprises, Rubicon has taken monumental steps toward the production of LEED- and Energy Star-certified homes. Rubicon’s current Cabarton Townhomes project in Cascade will become the first LEED-certified homes ever construction in Valley County – nearly doubling the number of LEED homes that have been constructed to date in the entire state.
“For me, the reasons I have gone modular and only modular are pretty simple,” says Stover. “There are many companies that strive to use green products in part of their projects or to incorporate some aspect of Energy Star or LEED principles as an option for their customer. But at Rubicon, Green Systems Built Construction is all we do. We are 100% committed to delivering a home or building that can meet all the requirements of the LEED rating system and utilizes eco-friendly strategies from start to finish. This becomes increasingly easier when you look at constructing in a climate-controlled environment, and with a company like Guerdon that already incorporates many of the practices needed for an Energy Star home – like 2x6 walls, high-efficiency windows and mastic on all ducts.”
Going modular has saved the company significant time and money, not to mention hassles, Stover says. “Conservatively, this project is saving me six to nine months compared to site construction. From there, we need to look for a two- to three-day weather window and we can have the project dried in. In constructing in a mountain environment like Cascade – that sits at close to 5,000 feet and gets over 200 inches of snow a year – the cost savings really add up when you look at eliminating things like snow removal, temporal heating and taping. But more importantly, I have the peace of mind of not having to hunt for labor to construct and be concerned about weather damage and things like mold or squeaky floors,” Stover says.
SAVING ON HARD & SOFT COSTS
“I am estimating that I am saving between 10% and 15% in straight-across cost savings by being able to use the System Built Construction process, an additional 1% to 3% for having to contend with winter conditions, around $75,000 carry costs, and around $4 per sq.ft. in LEED/Energy Star upgrades for the items that are already standard in the construction process of a systems-built home. Good stuff.”
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