Arcadia 3248+4 in New Hampshire Development Stage:  Complete Bed/Baths:  2 / 3 Square Feet:  2946 Location:  New Hampshire Project Images Floor Plans The Story The Arcadia 3248+4 measures 32' by 48'. This largest Arcadia home gives room for large master bath and walk-in closet. Four additional courses of timber incease the head room and allow the sunspace floor to be on the same level as the main floor. Arcadia 3248+5 The Arcadia is a small home designed to feel spacious. All of the necessities for living are on the main floor, with the more optional activities located in the lower level. By using the Sunspace for the stairway, the use of the inner shell of the home is maximized. The Arcadia is the perfect home for a small family, couple or a single person looking for an affordable home with architectural style. As in any building project, the foundation is the critical first step. The subfloor is built with 2x10 framing, including a triple outer band. The subfloor is built with 2x10 framing, including a triple outer band. The Enertia® home kit arrives in covered bundles on flatbed trucks. The smaller Arcadia homes are one-truck deliveries, but the 48' Arcadias are two-truck deliveries. The owner/builder hires a forklift to unload the truck. The lower level of an Enertia® home is characterized by a string of windows on the South that let light and solar heat into the basement. The concrete shear wall between the lower level sunspace and the rest of the basement serves as a support for the inner timber wall above. The timbers and posts that form the lower South wall above the foundation are are part of the Enertia® kit in the Arcadia models, but are an option in other models. This is because the Arcadia has a dropped, split-level Sun Backtracking just a bit, this is the beginning of the Kit phase of construction in an Arcadia. Anchor bolts are embedded in the foundation wall. Corresponding holes are drilled (on site) to match so that the 2x10 plate and first row of timber can be tightly fastened to the foundation. Here the top plate has been installed and putty tape adhesive is being affixed to it. The putty tape insures a tight bond between the top plate and the first row of timbers. A timber has been drilled and lowered over the anchor bolts. From this point forward, the timbers will be spiked to the row below with 10" and 12" twisted spikes. After the subfloor has been flashed, the door frames are set and braced. The door frames provide "markers" for the timber positions. Metal spline is set in each door frame to match with end grooves on the timbers. This systems keeps the timbers properly aligned and also allows for timber settlement. Doors and windows will be set within their frames after the roof is on the house. The Enertia® home is also distinguished by its double North wall with an 8" air space between two solid timber walls. At the door openings a buttress is installed to stiffen the double timber wall. Door frames are slotted to allow for settlement. Each component of the kit is approriately labeled to match the construction "chart." This is a closer view of the base flashing which is part of the Enertia® kit. The lapped corners will be covered by vertical corner boards, which are also included as kit components. Enertia® homes are solid timber all the way to the peak of the gables. The South Wall is essentially a timberframe wall with openings for large windows. On the East wall the sloped beginning of the gable wall can be seen. After the main level South wall is complete, the "Towers" are timber framed. Jumping ahead a bit, you can also see the structural insulated panels (SIPS) that form the roof. These panels can be ordered through Enertia, or the owner/builder can order them elsewhere. Once the wall timbers are all in place, the ridge beam (a large glulam) can be set with a crane, and the rafters can be raised into place one pair at a time. When all the rafters are set, the Enertia® kit is complete. The next step for the owner/builder is to install 2x10 collar ties to rigidify the roof system. These are readily available at a local lumber supply, so they are not included in the kit. By the way, it was not bright and sunny every single day. This Arcadia will use SIPS panels for its roof. Once all the wall timbers and the roof system are in place, the panels can be installed. The crane that set the ridge and rafters can be used to quickly raise the panels to the roof. The SIPS have been ordered in the correct width, but there are some cuts needed to get exact lengths in some locations. A special chainsaw attachment facilitates quick cutting of the panels. Special eyelets are screwed to the panel so the crane can hook it and raise it in a controlled manner. Some panels are best maneuvered into place from the outside and some from the inside. Panels that will be in the Sunspace will be seen from below and have tongue and grooved wood on their lower side. The SIPS panels in this thickness have an R40 insulation rating. The backup heat source in a typical Enertia® Home is radiant heat. A network of Pex™ plastic tubing runs through floor joists under the main level floor. Reflectix bubble-foil insulation will be positioned an inch below the tubing to guide the radiant heat upwards. Hot water will run through the tubes and heat the floor above, and the home's occupants. A similar network of tubing was run through the slab of the lower level to provide occasional heat to the secondary space downstairs. After the SIPS panels are all installed, the roof is "trimmed" with fascia boards. Windows are installed. Most window installation is done from inside the house, but the upper sunspace windows can be set from outside with a lift truck. At this point, the house is "dried-in," and the interior work can be done out of the weather. Materials for the finished roof are just waiting for their turn to be installed. The green shingled roof is a nice contrast to the light wood, and blends in perfectly with the surrounding natural setting. The kitchen is usually the heart of the home. After the drywall is hung and painted, the cabinets were installed and then the appliances set in place. Meanwhile, on the lower level, framed walls for the bathroom are erected, and the stairs have been built. Heavy timber stairs look just right in a heavy timber home. The medallion is 41" square and is called "Rosone." The tiles were made in Italy by Delconca. Each medallion is hand made and must be ordered several weeks in advance. The tiles come in four sections on a mesh backing, so installation is fairly easy. Metal grates are installed in the Sunspace floor before the tile is set. Interior walls are framed and can be finished with wood paneling, with painted drywall, or with a combination of both. The bathroom has marble tiles on the floor and a skylight above. The lower level in an Enertia® home is a bright and pleasant space. Here, the sunlight has been brought inside with paint as well as naturally. Work still continues outside. Like most construction sites, there are times when it is a muddy quagmire. The homeowners have chosen a low maintenance rock landscaping which will also reflect extra sunlight into their beautiful Enertia® home. The wood walls of the Enertia® kit are complimented by the wood and leather furniture The green stain on the kitchen cabinets looks great with the stainless steel finish of the refrigerator and the dark granite countertops. The SUN is evereywhere in this Enertia® home. Until the barn is built on this foundation, the lower level is a storage area, so finished pictures are not available yet. The homeowners love their Enertia® home and are pleased with their Enertia® lifestyle and energy savings.