West Hartford Architects Receive 'Carbon Challenge Design' Awards

Three West Hartford architects were among the winners in the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Lab (FPL) and APA-The Engineered Wood Association Carbon Challenge Providence Design Competition.

During last month's award ceremony, Joseph Campanella of Design Alliance, LLC, and Anne Lissett and Benjamin Moore of LEAF Architecture were honored for their designs of a Habitat for Humanity home which could reduce fossil fuel use and decrease the structure’s carbon footprint.

The contest was open to architects from all over the country, and there were 144 participants.

According to a news release, the competition participants were tasked with developing a Habitat for Humanity home design for a vacant lot at 24 Hannah St. in Providence. Life-cycle assessment software from the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute was used by designers to determine the impact of the greenhouse gas emissions from the products in their design.

The criteria included the design's carbon footprint, use of wood, its cost effectiveness, and its aesthetic, according to the release.

Campanella placed third in the competition, while Lissett and Moore's design was recognized for "Best Use of Wood."

Campenella's design incorporated a "more modern floor plan while remaining within the square footage parameters of a Habitat house and fitting contextually within the neighborhood," according to a news release. In addition to employing building science strategies and advanced framing techniques, Campanella's design utilized proper site orientation for "solar gain" and to take advantage of prevailing breezes by situating primary living spaces to the south and west.

The LEAF Architecture design used "advanced framing techniques combined with the wood truss wall [to] optimize framing materials and reduce thermal bridging. The basement lifts out of the ground to the extent possible, reducing the amount of concrete used." The "open-concept living space" in the design also reduces the amount of wall construction needed and provides flexibility in use. 

“We were extremely impressed by the entries to the Carbon Challenge Design Competition; the designers took innovative approaches to reducing the home’s carbon footprint while achieving both aesthetic appeal and optimal building performance,” Bob Clark, senior engineered wood specialist for APA said in the release. “The entries clearly reflect the excitement of their designers for creating sustainable building solutions. These designs will improve not only the livability of homes, but also of the surrounding community.”

“The goal of the Carbon Challenge is to educate designers about the role of building materials in a home’s environmental footprint. By designing with consideration to life cycle assessment, participants are able to adapt their designs and product selections to maximize efficiency and energy performance,” said Mike
Ritter, assistant director for FPL in the release. “In turn, the resulting home designs showcase to the public the attainability and lifelong benefits of sustainably built, wood-framed homes.”