Habitat Project Produces Some of the Most Efficient Homes in Wisconsin

Focus on Energy recently announced the locations of the most efficient new homes built in Wisconsin in 2013, and six of the top 10 are in the Eco Village development in River Falls, which one of our vice presidents helped design in support of St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity, which is building the compact, walkable 18-home development.

Ayres Associates’ new River Falls office – the former Frisbie Architects – donated at least 800 hours of design time to the project.The project required coming up with unique solutions to incorporate many donated and reduced-cost products from various vendors. Minimizing the footprint and total cost of the homes also presented challenges.

Sustainable construction magazine Green Builder also announced that the Eco Village is a finalist in its annual Home of the Year Competition, which will land the project in this national magazine’s December 2014 issue.

Eco Village homes are built beyond typical code standards, following the strict energy-efficiency standards of Focus on Energy’s New Homes program, according to Focus on Energy, which is Wisconsin utilities’ program for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Eco Village homes go even further by incorporating ultra-insulated construction that drastically reduces heating and cooling demands. Each Eco Village home approaches or exceeds net-zero energy consumption, thanks to roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, integrated solar hot water systems, LED lighting, and energy-efficient windows and mechanical systems. These efficiencies minimize the homeowner families’ utility bills.

The most efficient home in the Eco Village has been independently tested to be more than 100 percent more efficient than a home built to the state’s Uniform Dwelling Code. The top six Eco Village homes are at least 83 percent more energy efficient.

Ayres architects are likely to implement virtually all of the various efficiencies of the Eco Village into clients’ future projects as opportunities present themselves.

Eighteen homes and a community center are being built on the Eco Village’s 5 acres. Ayres hopes to design the community center. The development features rainwater harvesting, community produce gardens, edible landscapes, green spaces, and a proposed fleet of shared electric automobiles. You can read more about the project here.