Jun 1 2016
BONE Structure®, designer and builder of luxury custom homes using a patented light steel frame building technology and integrated process has broken ground on its first California net zero-energy project.
Charles Bovet, Vice President of BONE Structure, U.S., and Mark Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of Atmosphere and Energy Program at Stanford University in Jacobson's new Zero Net Energy (ZNE) home under construction in Stanford, CA. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Laval (Quebec) Canada-based company with US operations managed from San Francisco, began assembly last week on the 3,200 square foot home in Stanford, CA that will meet California’s 2020 Zero Net Energy (ZNE) new home building requirements.
The home was commissioned by professor Mark Jacobson, the head of the Atmosphere and Energy Program at Stanford University to serve as his personal residence. “I wasn’t in the mood to build a house, but after having looked at a lot of houses, I thought I could make the home more energy efficient and to my liking if I built it myself,” said Professor Jacobson. “I looked into a couple of prefab companies to reduce waste and disruption on the jobsite. I selected BONE Structure because it allows for a custom design to make the most of my odd-shaped lot.”
While any architect can utilize BONE Structure’s revolutionary steel construction system in its design, Professor Jacobson opted to have one of BONE Structure’s in-house architects design the new Stanford home. “The steel frame system allows for exciting design features that would not be possible using traditional building methods,” said Professor Jacobson. “Interior spaces and window lines can run up to 25 feet between columns.”
BONE Structure homes can have a very large open plan interior space and double height ceiling allowing for natural light throughout and future reconfiguration is simple as needed. The home’s shell produces near zero waste, is made of 89 percent recycled steel, and is 100% recyclable, seismically resilient and safe from damage by termites and mold.
“This is a great first project for BONE Structure in California and a perfect example of the benefits of our system,” said Charles Bovet, Vice President of BONE Structure, U.S. “Stanford is an academically and environmentally focused community and a perfect location for our first net zero home. Our shells are net zero ready, meaning they are extremely energy efficient and with the addition of a small solar system they can produce more energy than they consume,” he said.
BONE Structure creates custom homes built from columns and beams that are laser cut in a manufacturing plant and delivered to the site for assembly. A licensed BONE Structure assembly crew of five workers will assemble the shell of the home in days, each using battery powered drill, and one type of self-tapping screw to secure the steel columns and beams in place.
Electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems are easily connected thanks to precut openings acting as “highways” within the structure. Precut insulation panels clip into place between the steel columns and polyurethane foam insulation is sprayed on the exterior that tightly seals the building and acts as a vapor barrier. Together, the steel structure, insulation panels, spray insulation, and the roof create a tight, energy efficient envelope.
BONE Structure expects to build 50 new homes in California in 2016. The company is scaling up to produce 1,000 residences per year to address growing demand for this disruptive home construction technology making it the only net zero-ready energy builder that can produce homes on a large scale.