Continued: The 5ive house is a 10

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New Changes for LEED?

Thought you might like to know about a welcome proposal to amend LEED cerification standards. At last, enlightened thinkers are recognizing … read more that a building should not be considered "green" if one of its salient design features is a death trap for birds. American Bird Conservancy, the Bird-Safe Glass Foundation, New York City Audubon, and Architect Hillary Brown recently met with the U.S. Green Building Council to discuss changes to the Leed standards in the U.S. * Here's the problem they discussed: One of the unexpected consequences of large expanses of green building certification programs has been the promotion of large expanses of glass. Which seems ironic, since as early as the 1970Ã¢â¬â¢s it was estimated by a leading scientist, Dr. Daniel Klem, Jr., that between 97.5 and 975 million birds were killed by collisions with windows in the United States every year. Bird-Safe Building Guidelines: NYC Audubon has a publication of the Bird-Safe Building Guidelines, written by Hillary Brown, AIA and Steven Caputo, this is a manual for architects, landscape designers, engineers, glass technicians, developers, building managers, city, state, and federal officials, and the general public. It reveals the magnitude of bird-collisions with glass and describes the conditions that cause these deadly collisions. Bird-safety in buildings is integral to the "green" sustainable building movement, and the guidelines suggest strategies that complement the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating system. The guidelines also suggest ways to retrofit existing buildings. NYC AudubonÃ¢â¬â¢s Bird-Safe Building Guidelines are an important resource for all people in the building and design industries as well as policy makers. * To download a pdf of the Guidelines visit http://www.nycaudubon.org/home/BirdSafeBuildingGuidelines.pdf * To request a printed copy of the Guidelines, please email info@nycaudubon.org

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Although more and more green-friendly modern homes are going up nationwide, few are as remarkable as the 5ive house in Minneapolis.

The project is the brainchild of Jeff and Salena Gallo, whose goal was to build Minnesota's first LEED-certified-platinum home.

The Gallos decided to build something modern and environmentally friendly well before it had become all the rage and in 2005 signed on to the LEED program for homes, then in its infancy.

They looked for an architectural partner that shared their values and vision, while being mindful of their budget. After a long process, they settled on Minneapolis-based Shelter Architecture.

The partnership would prove fruitful for both parties.

Jeff and Salena had purchased a lot with a home in disrepair on Minneapolis' western edge. The house was razed, but the couple were able to recycle about 60 percent of it.

Then they broke ground on what would become known as the 5ive house. The project included a variety of alternative materials and building practices inside and out.

For an energy-efficient envelope, R-31-rated precast walls and Energy Star windows and doors were used. Exterior elements included a landscaping plan for prairie restoration, a 93 percent permeable site and rainwater harvesting and irrigation systems.

Inside, highly efficient faucets and toilets use a fraction of the water of most household fixtures, there's a water heater with 97 percent efficiency and Energy Star appliances and lighting fixtures.

Even cosmetic elements such as countertops, paints, window treatments and plumbing were selected for low-VOC (volatile organic compound) ratings, helping to ensure that the home's indoor air quality matched its environmentally healthy image.

As Minnesota's first LEED-certified residential project and a winner of the 2008 Minnesota RAVE Award, the 5ive house has also become a resource for other homeowners and architects interested in adding green-friendly elements to their projects.

To learn more about Jason Hammond's house and to see photos and previous blog posts, go to www.startribune.com/newhouse. Or e-mail him at hammond@mojosolo.com.

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