Green Sand Inc

Sep 2013

Hale Kalawahine is an award winning project. Renovation of an existing circa 1939 home. The primary project goal was to improve the indoor environment quality of the home, specifically thermal quality. The home became very hot in the early afternoon and by mid afternoon the second floor was unusable until well after sunset. The owner's primary goal for the renovation was to cool the house so that it was comfortable year round, all day long and most importantly, without the addition of air conditioning. The owner's established the following secondary goals to be done simultaneously during construction: modernize the kitchen, replace the roof and expand the lanai. The final goal was a net zero energy home. AWARDS: BIA Renaissance Award for Sustainable Energy Residential SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES INCLUDE Renovation of an existing home. Retaining almost 100% of the structure. Renovation of an existing home or reuse of existing building saves the embodied energy of the existing materials, labor, and transportation for the original building. Eliminate the need for mechanical air conditioning systems saves the resources required to manufacture, transport, and install and AC system. In addition, on-going energy and carbon footprint savings resulting the use of natural ventilation vs. mechanical ventilation. Natural ventilation helps contribute to a healthy indoor environmental quality. Reduce the need for using lights during the day, saves energy use and the resulting carbon footprint. Solatubes and additional windows in the kitchen reduce the need for using lights during the day. Solatube in the powder room further reduce the need for using lights during the day. R30 Insulation was added to the attic A radiant barrier was added to the attic. A whole house fan was added to mechanical assist the natural ventilation. A dormer was added to catch the trade winds and bring in more natural light. Roof vents were added as part of the strategy to cool the attic, which results in a much cooler home. New double wall construction was insulated with R15 batt insulation. The lights in the ceiling/attic are all ICAT rated to reduce heat transfer from the attic to the interior space. Natural materials were used when feasible. Low VOC materials such as paints, coatings, sealants, and adhesives were also utilized Energy is produced on-site by a photovoltaic system with a goal of providing 100% of the existing electrical load through net metering with HECO. The PV system was the last piece of the puzzle after appropriate strategies regarding natural ventilation and daylighting were implemented to avoid the need for an AC system and reduce the energy load. A right-sized PV system was purchased to offset the remainder of the electrical load of the home.

$350k

Honolulu, HI

Sep 2013

Hale Koloa is an award winning project. Renovation and addition to a 1950's single family home in popular Kahala, Oahu, Hawaii. In Kahala the trend is starting to shift from demolition and building mcmansions to major renovations. This residential renovation of a mid-century modern home is seen as an opportunity to refurbish and enhance the qualities of a piece of Honolulu?s lesser known contemporary history. AWARD: BIA Renaissance Building and Remodeling Awards SUSTAINABLE FEATURES INCLUDE Adaptive reuse Saved about 75% of existing structure Reused almost 75% of the tongue and groove redwood siding that was removed Passive design Natural ventilation focus, three roof vents were added to aid/stimulate natural ventilation, the vents allow hot air to escape from the vaulted ceiling which then helps to draw in cool fresh air Natural light focus

$500k

Honolulu, HI

Sep 2013

New Hawaiian Home. The New Hawaiian Home was a demonstration project to act as an educational tool for the building industry and the public to show what comprises a sustainable project. This project is LEED for Homes Platinum certified. SUSTAINABLE FEATURES INCLUDE Passive design Careful site planning & placement Natural ventilation Water conservation Energy efficiency On-site power generation (PV) Integrated design

$600k

Honolulu, HI

Oct 2013

EcoLiving Hale is an ulta-eco home just minues from downtown Honolulu. Client focus is on healthy and sustainable living "off-the-grid" but in an urban context. Features include natural materials with an emphasis on healthy and non toxic materials. Vegetative roof is the main entry to the home. Water catchment and storage is a main features as well as the living wall inside the house with acts as the lungs for even better indoor air quality. EcoLiving Hale is a registered Living Building Challenge project with a goal to turn imagination into reality and building a truly self sufficient project. EcoLiving Hale is a demonstration project for sustainable living for both new construction and renovation projects. EcoLiving Hale was designed and developed by Green Sand to showcase various strategies and concepts that encompass a holistic sustainable project. The goal was to build a project close to city center that was within the grid but eliminate the need to tie into the existing utility systems. Pushing the envelope to show how sustainable a project could be. The project was developed to demonstrate various sustainable strategies such as rainwater harvesting, independent energy production, independent waste handling etc. These strategies can be used independently depending upon the projects needs or all together as demonstrated at EcoLiving Hale. The modularity of the process makes the lessons learned easy to implement into new construction or renovation projects that want to add an element of sustainability or that wants to go all the way and also be off the grid. EcoLiving Hale is designed to inspire people to begin the steps necessary to change the built environment. Without demonstration projects to inspire, success will be limited. EcoLiving Hale is intended to go beyond hypothetical to reality.

$1.5m

Honolulu, HI

Sep 2013

Hale Pacific Heights Place is a renovation and addition to an existing three-story home designed and built circa 1975. The existing home was designed by a local architect and has good bones. However, the design does not suit the lifestyle of the new owners, it is too small and needs to be modernized and refreshed with expansive spaces verses the current chopped up compartmentalized spaces. The site is 10,776 square feet, which slopes away from the street and opens to Pauoa Valley views and city views to the south and the pacific ocean beyond. The project aspires to connect intimately with this place and reflect the spirit of its inhabitants. The former will be achieved by an objective response to the conditions of this place - climate, site geology, sun, wind, temperature, terrain, structure and orientation. The latter will be achieved through a simple humanist approach that buildings are for people. Through the strategic use of decks, covered lanais, and glass walls the distinction between interior and exterior will be erased. These "in between" spaces will open to a variety of exterior experiences and interactions with nature, from intimate private gardens to expansive city and ocean views.

$1m

Honolulu, HI