SEVILLE CONSULTING
Decatur, Ga.
sevilleconsulting.com

Project name: Wallace Residence
Project location: Atlanta
Square footage: 4,300
Total project cost: $750,000

The objective for Seville Consulting in Decatur, Ga., was to replace an existing deteriorated 1930s-era house with a high-performance executive-style residence appropriate to the established high-income neighborhood. A goal in making this house efficient was to avoid any techniques that would keep it from fitting comfortably within the neighboring homes or cause significant cost increases while incorporating all the basics of green building: energy efficiency, durability, healthy indoor air quality and resource efficiency.

Project challenges included recycling most of the demolished house as well as new construction waste, in lieu of disposing of all the debris in a landfill. High-level moisture control, both from the exterior and interior humidity, required consultation with HVAC specialists to size the equipment properly as well as regular site inspections to confirm that all moisture management systems were complete and correct. Finally, selection and management of interior finishes that minimized off-gassing of toxic chemicals was required to maintain indoor air quality.

Using a mainstream green philosophy, this project incorporated as many readily available high-performance materials and processes as feasible within the project design and budget.