Energy Source Builder

Simplicity Slashes Cost

Only about 55 percent of American households qualify as “traditional nuclear families” with a mother, father and children all living in the same home. Even so, virtually every new housing unit built seems to be intended for that dwindling group. Bill Reed, owner of R&R Energy Resources, is jumping ahead of many developers by providing a housing product that meets a growing population of non-traditional households.

“We try to think about the way people actually live,” he says.

Bill, who owns and manages over 100 rental units in Portland, Oregon, asked around 200 single renters about their housing needs. Based on these discussions, Bill developed a “quint,” a shared residence for five unrelated adults.

Five identical 12x20 bedrooms offer plenty of room for a bed and small lounging area. Each room has a full bath and a walk-in closet. “We included built-in storage units in the closet to save floor space in the room,” explains Bill. The living room and kitchen is a common area, but each occupant has an 4x8 pantry with its own refrigerator.

Interior walls between bedrooms are insulated to reduce sound transmission. An exterior grade, insulated steel door on each bedroom adds to the feeling of security.

Each unit rents individually for $325, including utilities and cable TV. Because R&R retains ownership and pays the energy bill, they have lots of incentive to keep construction and operation costs down. Bill’s goal when designing and selecting materials and equipment: “Make it bullet-proof.”

“Bill’s success comes from carefully planning every project and looking at every angle and detail for efficiency, affordability and community benefit,” says Judi Hoestra, Pacific Power energy services representative.

Keep It Simple

Astounding as it seems, Bill says the cost to build the quint was $25 per sq. ft. That doesn’t include overhead, permits, fees or land. Cost savings started during design.

“I try to simplify the design to bring down the complexity of construction,” says Bill. These simplifying aspects include:

• pier foundation,
• rectangular shape with a simple gable roof,
• 24 in. stud spacing with all window and door openings on the framing module,
• balloon framing using 12 to 18 ft. studs
• exterior walls drywalled before interior walls are framed.

Simplicity saves material, but it also cuts labor costs. Bill’s crew consists of one “master builder,” one journey level carpenter and three laborers. “This crew is on site from foundation to finish,” says Bill. “The only jobs that go to sub-contractors are electrical, plumbing and drywall texturing.” He believes he saves a bundle by avoiding the sub’s overhead and higher labor cost.

The simple design allows the laborers to frame, hang drywall, insulate and complete other jobs quickly and successfully. Using the same crew from beginning to end also lends consistency to the job. Finally, the job leader focuses on production rather than scheduling.

Energy Features

“Keeping up with Bill is a challenge, because he’s constantly improving his building techniques,” says Judi, who helps Bill fit his ideas into Pacific Power’s Super Good Cents program.

Building an energy efficient home is a central element of Bill’s philosophy of affordable housing. A very tight, well-insulated building shell allows Bill to install a less expensive heating plant. Each room in the quint has its own 750 watt electric wall heater. The living room has a unitary heat pump with just over one ton of heating and cooling capacity. Because it mounts through the wall, the package is inexpensive and easy to install. (See page 2 for more detail on the energy features.)

Bill also takes advantage of new heating and ventilating technologies. His two most recent projects included ventilating heat pumps. These systems maintain good indoor air quality and transfer heat from the exhaust air to the domestic water tank (See February 1993).

An Efficient, Affordable Package

When you put the whole package together, you get housing that benefits everyone involved. It meets a growing need in the housing market. It saves money for the residents and makes money for the developer/builder.

Energy Saving Features

Floor Insulation: R-38
Wall Insulation: R-24.4
Ceiling Insulation: R-60, advanced framing
Windows: U-0.37 double-glazed, vinyl frame, gas-fill
Doors: metal, insulated
Space Heating: one 1.25 ton unitary heat pump,
five 750 watt electric wall heaters
Air Leakage Control: advanced air sealing
Ventilation: ventilating heat pump
Location: Portland, Oregon (4700 heating degree days)

This article appeared in Energy Source Builder #27, June 1993 ©Copyright 1993 Iris Communications, Inc.