Greenbuild 2015 Showcases Unity Home

This year’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo will feature the 2015 Greenbuild Unity Home. Builder magazine, along with New Hampshire-based builder Unity Homes and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2C) have partnered to construct the demonstration show home that will be displayed at Greenbuild Nov. 18 to 19 in Washington, D.C.

Construction began in October at Unity Homes’ production facilities in New Hampshire. Unity Homes was chosen for this project because of its use of a “montage process.” The process integrates all aspects of the process from design, engineering and planning to in-house construction. This approach connects design directly to quick construction. Before construction began a “virtual-build” was used to see how the project would be completed.

Using a system of pods and panels, most of the construction will take place in Unity’s shop. Pods containing the bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room and mechanical room are being laid out, assembled and shipped to the construction site. Floors, walls and the roof are being built and shipped as panels. The panels will be complete with framing, insulation, sheathing, subflooring, wiring, windows and doors and interior and exterior finishes. On-site assembly of the shell on the foundation is typically between one and three days. The team will have six days to enclose, finish and furnish the 1,620 sq. ft. home before tours start.

When the Unity Home is moved to its permanent site in New Hampshire, it is expected to achieve Platinum LEED Certification and be WaterSense certified with net zero-energy consumption.