Bensonwood “Unity” house design
Gene_Davis
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
Does anyone know anything about these designs and this program?
Tedd Benson began as a timberframer and has progressed his New Hampshire business to encompass related specialties such as engineering, architecture, prefrabrication, modularization, high-tech manufacturing incorporating CNC machining and cutting, and more.
This series of house designs all seem to have superinsulated walls and flat superinsulated roofs, frost-protected shallow foundations with a lot of rigid foam under the slabs, and high tech mechanicals.
Replies
I like what Ted Benson has done However his panelized house concept makes trades that I don't think have real value..
He sources material from all over the country assembles it up in New England and then sends it all over the country..
Fine if you want a Bensonwood house but an expensive way to get a timberframe..
Fine if you want a Bensonwood house but an expensive way to get a timberframe..
The thing is, the effort for this quality of construction suffers from detrimental factors like time, exposure to the elements and availability of local craftsmen.
There is more here for consideration then cost. Benson has dealt with a lot of issues here. His efforts to apply this as well to affordable housing is very commendable.
Just A Guy With A Hammer
Uhhh, Bensonwood and affordable should never, I repeat never, be used in the same sentence.
He builds homes that cost in the millions. I do agree that his package goes up exceedly quickly in an attempt to minimise weather damage to the package.. However any damage that is saved is saved at a massive cost compared to normal construction. The shipping costs alone would be horrific..
You missed an episode where he showed an affordible application of his system.
Just A Guy With A Hammer
Frenchy,
This is a whole new conception he has developed that doesn't involve timber framing.
the project took place in Unity ,Me. - about 40 minutes from me.
The guys who did the " waiting for a crane " house subbed on it since they were local.They had a lot of stories some not so flattering.
I can understand some of the not so flattering things. I've spoken to some who have helped assemble some Bensonwood homes and there are details unseen which aren't really great. I see why he's gone to using almost all reclaimed wood rather than building with new timbers.. If you look at some of his work even in his books you can see massive gaps that opened up after assembly when the timbers went through heating cycles and dried out..
I now know that's part of timberframing since I took pains to air dry my timbers for 3 years before I started construction on my house.. My joints which were extremely tight (I mean you couldn't get a tissue paper between them) when assembled have serious gaps.. with reclaimed timbers you can avoid much of that..
Frenchy,
This process is completely different in nature than his timber framed buildings.
They had a web cam going my friends told me. I don't remember all the stories but they thought overall it was too much hoopla for the results.
Is it like the panels they use on their homes without the timberframe portion? Sort of a modified SIP? with wiring etc.. inside?
http://www.unity.edu/NewsEvents/News/UnityHouse08.aspx
This might give the details to which I've only heard heresay and innuendo.
Sounds exactly like his panels for timberframed homes.. minus the timberframing.. His panels include a "chase" for wiring/plumbing and all wiring and plumbing done in a factory rather than on site.. the only connections done on site are between panels so within hours of arrival the house can be up, wired and plumbed. Panels include flooring with built in radiant heat.
Saving greatly on on-site waste and inefficency.
The speed and ease of assembly has to be seen to be appreciated.. both in shop and in the field.. However shipping panels like that around the country is a massive user of energy.