BEYOND Applied Building Science is an initiative of the BASF Center for Building Excellence, offering consulting, plan reviews and other services to assist builders in constructing homes that go beyond typical new construction in a wide range of metrics and features.
The program emphasizes cost-effective techniques to reach an extraordinary level of efficiency. All homes built to the BEYOND requirements must achieve a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index score of 50 or lower.
The first home to achieve the program's honor (with a HERS score of 47) was built in Fredericksburg, Texas by Sierra Homes, a veteran Texas Hill Country 
high-performance builder. "We applaud Seirra Homes' owners, David and Teresa Franksik, for their commitment to building science and sustainability, and we are delighted that these recognized leaders now have the distinction of being the first builders to construct a home under the BEYOND program," said Rick Davenport, director of sustainable construction for BASF in North America.
The Fransik's noted that the BASF Center for Building Excellence team assisted them in evaluating multiple approaches to determine cost effective solutions. "BASF supported us by modeling the performance of various systems and materials, which helped guide our choices and resulted in an overall level of cost efficiency we would otherwise not have achieved," Fransik said.
"A central idea in the BEYOND Applied Building Science program is our contention that sustainable construction isn't sustainable if it's not affordable," said Davenport. "It is very gratifying that a builder with Sierra Homes' experience and reputation was able to utilize the BEYOND program to delver a cost-effective, high-performance home. This is a win-win for the builder, the homeowner and the planet."
The Fransik's three-bedroom, 3,280-square-foot hillside home's cutting-edge features include:
- Staggered-stud advanced framing
- Multi-zoned HVAC system
- Heat pump water heater
- Whole house attic fan
- Autoclaved Aerated Concrete exterior cladding
- Whole house integrated rainwater collection system
- Prefinished cement siding with built-in rain screen
- Spray-applied flashing on the exterior as a superior air and moisture barrier
- Hybrid insulation design in the roof decking
- Digital monitoring system that provides the homeowners with feedback on their energy use
User Comments