The EarthCraft Design Review is an opportunity to identify project goals and look carefully at the building and site plans to determine how the EarthCraft program can be best applied to meet the project goals. The EarthCraft worksheet and energy modeling results will be used to guide the discussion. The Multifamily Developer and General Contractor are responsible for following-up on any program compliance issues identified during the Design. An EarthCraft Design Review must be conducted on each multifamily project.
Scope
During the EarthCraft Design Review, the EarthCraft Multifamily Developer, General Contractor and EarthCraft Technical Advisor should discuss the program requirements for construction specifications, documentation and submittal timelines, inspection visits and testing, fees and payment timelines, and communication strategies. The EarthCraft Multifamily Developer, General Contractor and EarthCraft Technical Advisor will review the building plans for project goals and EarthCraft criteria incorporation. If available, the Multifamily Developer, General Contractor and EarthCraft Technical Advisor should also utilize the energy model to identify optimum building strategies and systems for maximizing energy performance while minimizing construction costs. EarthCraft encourages the Multifamily Developer and General Contractor to invite other project team members to participate in the EarthCraft Design Review for maximum coordination and project communication of project goals, program requirements, and roles and responsibilities.
Note: The team may hold the design review at the conceptual design phase prior to full plan development.
Objectives
Successful EarthCraft Design Reviews will accomplish the following objectives:
- Establish rapport building between EarthCraft Multifamily Developer, General Contractor and EarthCraft Technical advisor, and other team members
- Define a communication strategy
- Develop EarthCraft compliance strategies as well as roles and expectations
Agenda
Every EarthCraft Design Review should include the following agenda items and additional items as identified by the Multifamily Developer, General Contractor, EarthCraft Technical Advisor and project team members:
- EarthCraft Program Introduction/Summary
- Review of technical guidelines and design review packet
- Confirmation that the project can meet mandatory items and minimum point requirements in every program category
- Review EarthCraft documentation requirements, including EarthCraft forms
- Thermal Bypass Checklist
- Requirements:
- Kick-Off meeting
- Air sealing inspections
- Discussion on air sealing requirements
- HVAC rough in tests
- Discussion on duct sealing requirements
- Insulation inspections
- Discussion on insulation requirements
- Final inspections
- Sampling procedures (if applicable)
- Review of builder sampling application
- Review of load calculation (Manual J) and most current fresh air requirements
- Confirmation that the HVAC load calculation is appropriate and accurate
- Confirmation that the fresh air ventilation strategy is appropriate
- Review of preliminary energy model
- HERS report and summary
- Construction Specification Sheet
- Review of selected items on the EarthCraft Multifamily worksheet
- Questions
EarthCraft Technical Advisor Responsibilities
Preparation
In preparation for the EarthCraft Design Review, the EarthCraft Technical Advisor must:
- Confirm Multifamily Developer has completed Step 1: Project Registration
- Complete Step 2: Project Information Submittal
- Complete Step 3: Preliminary Energy Model(s)
- Complete Step 4: Preliminary Energy Model Report Submittal
Facilitate meeting
Review and explain each item in the agenda (see above)
Collect documentation
- Fresh air Ventilation Acknowledgement (available online)
- Load Calculation Acknowledgement (available online)
- Sign In sheet
Documentation to hand out to all design review participants
- Manual (including sponsor list)
- Copies of all reports (worksheets, fact sheets)
- Directions on how to download or view on ftp, if applicable
- Directions on Quality Assurance Plan for Sampling, if applicable (available online)
Discuss Preliminary Energy Model results, unless the Design Review is taking place at the conceptual stage.
Notification of the project’s:
- Eligibility to meet program requirements
- Projects meeting program requirements and seeking to advance their construction practices may work on additional variations in construction techniques to further improve the energy efficiency, comfort and durability of the project
- Effective cost trade-offs for improving building performance
- Options developed to meet program requirements if a project is ineligible
Multifamily Developer Responsibilities
Preparation
In preparation for the Design Review, the Multifamily Developer must:
- Complete Step 1: Project Registration
- Complete Step 2: Project Information Submittal
- Complete Step 3: Preliminary Energy Model or Analysis of Prescriptive Compliance* *Design review may be held before Step 3 is completed
- Determine project goals and probable strategies for EarthCraft compliance
- Generate a copy of the site plan and unit plans for use during the Design Review
- Generate a copy of Erosion Control Workshop Certificate
- Complete Fresh Air and Load Calculation Acknowledgment Forms (available online)
Schedule the EarthCraft Design Review
The Multifamily Developer is responsible for scheduling the EarthCraft Design Review with the EarthCraft Technical Advisor and other project team members prior to construction starting on the project. EarthCraft Design Reviews typically take three to five hours depending on project size, Multifamily Developer’s and General Contractor’s prior experience working with energy efficiency or green building programs, and Multifamily Developer’s and General Contractor’s knowledge and familiarity with EarthCraft Multifamily.
Arrange for all relevant stakeholders to attend the meeting:
- Required
- EarthCraft Technical Advisor
- Multifamily Developer (and Owner’s Representative, if applicable)
- General Contractor
- Project Manager
- Site Supervisor
- Quality Assurance Designee
- Architect
- Mechanical Engineer
- Optional but strongly recommend
- Trade representatives
- Air Sealing
- Insulation
- Framing
- HVAC
- Weather Barrier/Window flashing
- Civil Engineer
- Landscape architect
- Other consultants involved in the development process
- Trade representatives
Attendance
Attend meeting
General Contractor Responsibilities
Attendance
Attend meeting
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