Strategy 3.1: Minimize house size to reduce material and resource consumption
Wilder House One was design and built to maximize efficiency of materials. The house is small at 996 sq ft. This choice immediately reduced material consumption and contributes to the affordability. All space within the house is intended as habitable, there is no wasted space in the home.

Strategy 3.2: Incorporate daylighting, natural ventilation, and passive heating
Daylighting was a primary design consideration. The home utilities large windows to allow ample light, and extended views. Operable windows on all sides of the house, an open floor plan, and narrow foot print allow for effective passive ventilation.

Strategy 3.3: Reduce complexity and use modular dimensions
A modular dimensioning of 8', 12' and 24' maximized material efficiency of the structural engineered panel (SEP) construction system. The Huber panels used for the primary structure arrived on the site in 8' by 24' sheets, by including this consideration in the design of the house, the design team was able to avoid waste and decrease construction time.

Strategy 3.4: Design the house location, layout and window placement to optimize indoor environmental quality
The house placement on the site, orientation, window placement, and interior layout were designed with an emphasis on the indoor environmental quality. The main living space is oriented south with large glazing to insure good daylight. The kitchen is oriented to the backyard to create a visual connection to the yard.

Strategy 3.5: Consider eliminating the basement
The house was originally designed without a basement. To provide needed storage a 4' by 12' shed was incorporated into the design of the back deck. A basement was added to the house when soil conditions would have required extensive remediation to achieve adequate bearing.

Strategy 3.6: Consider including flexible, adaptable, and/or unpartitioned spaces
The house contains a 12' by 24' main living area intended to provide residence with a large flexible space for a variety of functions.

Strategy 3.7: Include expansion space
The house includes 500 sq ft of expansion space in the unfinished basement. The basement was built to "livable" standards. It has 8 ft ceilings and three large egress windows, located in anticipation of future build out. It has R-10 insulation to the footing, an insulated slab, and perimeter drainage. It has a radon sump, and a sealed floor.

A second and third bathroom on the upper level and basement respectively were plumbed but not finished to allow for easy in future expansion.

Strategy 3.8: Consider providing "do-it-yourself options"
The house was designed with several "do-it-yourself" projects. The kitchen was built with lower cabinets only in anticipation of future upper cabinets and shelves being added by the owner. Opportunities of built-in storage or shelves under the eave were left unfinished to reduce cost.

Strategy 3.9: Consider curb appeal and added value
The house has a large wrap around front porch. Careful attention to detailing on the exterior, including two colors and sizes of siding, make for an attractive addition to the street.

Strategy 4.1: Select assemblies that are resource efficient and durable
The house was designed and built using the structural engineered panel system also referred to as SEP. This innovative wall and roof assembly is constructed of OSB panels which made of waste and rapidly renewable wood making them resource efficient.

Strategy 4.2: Design assemblies to reduce material consumption and minimize waste
See 4.1 above.

Strategy 4.3: Use assemblies that optimize indoor environmental quality
The SEP construction system eliminates the stud cavity decreasing the opportunity of air and moisture migration through the assembly. This effectively reduces the likelihood of mold and mildew problems in the home, which has become common in tightly sealed conventional residential construction in the United States.

Strategy 4.5: Use energy efficient glazing assemblies
High performance low-E windows were used through out the house to insure thermal performance and comfort are maintained. The windows have the following characteristics, U-value = 0.35, SHGC = 0.32, visible light transmittance = 0.52.

Strategy 5.1.3: Use insulation and air sealing for energy efficiency
The SEP construction system is well air sealed using a bituthene 60mil exterior membrane. The exterior has continuous insulation avoiding any thermal bridges, which could cause cool walls and floors leading to increased heating to achieve thermal comfort.

Strategy 5.2.1: Select heating and cooling systems that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR ratings for energy efficiency
A power-vented two pipe 92% energy efficient furnace was used for the house. Due to the small size and tight construction of the house a 40,000Btu unit is adequate. An efficient 1-1/2 ton 14 SEER AC unit was also installed to provide cooling.

Strategy 5.2.3: Select efficient water heating systems
Domestic hot water is supplied by a energy star power-vented 40 gallon natural gas hot water heated.

Strategy 5.2.6: Design heating and ventilation systems to optimize indoor environmental quality
The house uses three primary strategies to insure indoor air quality. First, a centralized exhaust only system was installed to provide ventilation for occupants of the house. Pick-up points are in the kitchen, main floor bath, second floor, and basement. Second, a direct exhaust fan was installed over the range in the kitchen. It will provide approximately 150cfm of exhaust air for cooking byproducts. Finally, all combustion equipment (furnace and DHW) are sealed combustion or power vented.