Home About Us Projects Speciality Contact Us

JARVIS HOUSE UNIVERSAL HOME™ PROTOTYPE

DESIGN AND PURPOSE

JARVIS HOUSE is a hybrid CEB designed home, consisting of a 14-inch thick exterior CEB wall system with Natural Lime Plaster permeable veneer and 2x4 lite frame interior partition walls. The interior ceiling height was set at 8 foot 4 inches, and the attic was not ventilated. Overhangs were set at 24 inches allowing for a 50% summer shading coefficient. Nominal seasonal external heat loading is non conditional as per earthen wall system advantages and architectural integration strategies, however, as with LMI-1 study, internal heat and moisture production were above predicted levels and directed related to occupancy load and behavior. Confirmed in year 3 of the study, moisture generation within the interior envelope was being absorbed by the CEB wall systems as observed and predicted in other prototypes, however the absorption rate was strictly fixed and proportional to ambient humidity levels consistent in the climate zone. Due to wall permeability, exterior humidity level, heat flux slowed or stopped proportionally to wall balanced saturation limit allowing for moisture accumulation in home during fall and winter. Summer and Spring demonstrated greater performance.

Ceiling height again became an issue. As with the LMI-1, a ceiling height of 9-foot 4 inches might allow for greater control and balance over natural internal environmental conditions. Field observations conclude that ceiling heights are required to be determined based on exterior relative humidity levels, occupancy loading, occupant behavior and practices. The thermostat setting reflected an average cool setting of 68.2 degrees Fahrenheit, however the home still performed substantially better than the control home. Occupants showered long and cooked daily within the living environment producing substantial heat energy and moisture, as observed CEB wall systems removed and balanced internal temperature and humidity levels proportionally to exterior conditions, with a buildup occurring in early mornings.