While energy efficiency is seldom the most important issue to home buyers, Bruce finds virtually all customers are concerned about it. “It’s never a hard sell,” says Bruce. “I just tell them that I want to make the house energy efficient, and they let me handle it.” Like electricity and plumbing, energy systems simply need to work and fit the budget.
“I’m committed to energy efficiency, because it’s the right thing to do,” says Bruce. “If a home is going to stand for over 100 years, then it should not be wasteful.

Energy efficient details have been an ingredient of his work from the beginning. He was one of the earliest participants in the Eugene Water & Electric Board’s Super Good Cents program. In 1985, one of his designs won an EWEB-sponsored design contest. That design—a 1200 sq. ft., story and a half cottage with a 12-in-12 roof pitch—reflected a design trend that continues to dominate his current work.

Ancient Style Meets Modern Needs

In the story and a half design, living space is tucked under the steep roof. This style goes back to the days when thatch was a common roofing material. Today, the roof pitch and inevitable dormers appeal to style conscious home buyers. The design also has a practical side. It makes efficient use of living space, land, materials and energy.

Most of the space under the roof serves as living area, making good use of the enclosed house volume. A small foot print reduces excavation and foundation costs. It also makes better use of small city lots.

Materials are used efficiently. The exterior wall area is drastically reduced which saves materials. Some of this savings is lost when the roof pitch is increased to make more head room, but overall the story and a half generally requires less material.

High insulation levels are possible. (See the drawings on page 3.) In his latest project, every opportunity for more insulation was used in order to qualify for the 1992 Super Good Cents program’s higher thermal standards. He was able to qualify without installing rigid insulation on outside walls.

Kneewalls were insulated to R-38 with a double thickness of standard R-19 fiberglass batts. Flat ceilings got R-49. Steep roof framing allowed the full insulation value all the way to the outside wall, where a lower slope would have pinched the insulation around the perimeter.

The steep roof also leaves vertical space under the ridge that begs for high ceilings. Bruce usually puts 10-foot ceilings upstairs with 45 degree coves that angle down to the knee walls. The Goldenridge crew frames the roof from 2x8s, which are inexpensive and easy to find. However, 2x8s don’t leave enough room for adequate insulation in the coved sections, which are really just short vaulted ceilings. To beef up the R-value, the crew installs 2 inches of polyisocyanurate foam under the rafters.

Story and a half designs can also be made from “attic trusses.” A 2x8 bottom chord serves as the floor joist. The upstairs living space occupies the space between vertical web members.

Full platform on the second floor

In the typical story and a half frame, rafters rest directly on wall plates. Framers balance on the floor joists while framing the roof and then lay sub-floor in the living area. Bruce’s designs always include a fully framed second floor platform. There’s extra cost for the rim joist and plywood, but it’s easier and much safer when framing the roof.

The floor also contributes to the energy saving system. Because rafters set on top of the deck, there’s room for an R-30 high-density batt underneath the floor deck and an R-19 batt above. That’s R-49 without compression all the way over the exterior walls.

The plywood also blocks a potentially major pathway for air leakage between the floor joists and the kneewall attics.

The story and a half design is a major design element in the “Bergby Look.” It’s enduring appeal is one reason that Goldenridge Construction has survived the ups and downs of the custom home market through the 1980s.

Energy Saving Features