Construction on Rasbach Environmental House Started
by Vicki Wolf March 2009
After extensive designing and planning, construction on the Rasbach Environmental House has begun. The house is scheduled to be completed this summer. Citizens League for Environmental Action Now (CLEAN) and Federation of American Scientists (FAS) are partners in building this house. Their goal is to demonstrate that a beautiful, livable home can feature construction that is energy efficient and withstand hurricane force winds at an affordable price.
The Rasbach Environmental House features Thermasave cement board faced structural insulated panels (SIP) with expanded polystyrene cores. These panels have passed rigorous test requirements established by the International Code Council (ICC), which dictates standards for building in the United States, as well as additional tests conducted by FAS that looked at structural and fire safety under extreme conditions.
“What we are doing here is showing that getting engineering and design together can be attractive and energy efficient,” says Henry Kelly, FAS president.
The Rasbach Environmental House is named in honor of the late Roger Rasbach, Houston architect. Rasbach was an advocate for energy conservation and protecting the environment long before it became popular. He was a leader in designing homes using passive solar, and introduced builders from all over the world to homes built out of structural panels.
Jane Dale Owen, president of Citizens League for Environmental Action Now (CLEAN), remembers first meeting Roger Rasbach and his enthusiasm and passion for building environmental houses. “I saw photographs of many of his houses,” she recalls. “They were beautifully designed, and it was hard to imagine how functional they also were.”
At around the same time Owen met Kelly. “Sadly, a few years later, Roger passed away, and that inspired Henry Kelly and myself to build the first environmental house using these magic panels in Houston,” Owen says. “Roger’s passion has become mine,” says Owen. “I cannot think of a more appropriate house for Houston’s climate and the current energy and economic crisis.”
“Roger Rasbach is one of Houston’s great architects for elegant design,” says Henry Kelly, FAS president. “He’s the one who brought everybody together and introduced us to the panels. He makes it clear that you don’t have to live in a mushroom-shaped house to have energy efficiency.”
Kelly also notes that the project could not have been possible without CLEAN and the donation of land at 205 Payne Street made by Jane Dale Owen. “It is a perfect location as we try to find ways to reduce commuting,” Kelly says. “The house is right downtown.”
The unique construction of the Rasbach Environmental House:
- Reduces energy use 50 - 70 percent, compared to a conventionally constructed house
- Can be assembled more quickly than conventional stick-built houses, reducing construction costs
- Is built without the use of wood
- Is virtually termite-proof, fire-proof, and mold-proof
- Does not release toxic fumes
- Is structurally sound to survive severe storms, hurricanes, and earthquakes
- Can last a century or more with minimal maintenance
Construction will be closely monitored to document all aspects of the process, including cost savings. The house will be carefully inspected and appropriate monitoring equipment will be installed to track energy use. After the house is sold and new owners move in, FAS and the Department of Energy will monitor the home to document energy savings.
Currently, FAS is working on low income housing for hurricane relief in Mississippi. They have built 5,000 small units that are energy efficient and meet hurricane codes. “These houses are built at the same price as those that didn’t offer energy efficiency,” says Kelly. “If you are going to provide shelter for people, it does not have to be inefficient. Energy efficiency lowers the cost of living.”
Energy efficiency also is the most effective thing that can be done to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. “ Study after study shows that building efficiency is most cost effective thing you can do to reduce the carbon footprint,” says Kelly.
