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Being the largest environmental advocacy group in the state of Michigan,
MLUI knew they had to make a statement with their new facility.
They opted not to contribute to sprawl by building new and locating
themselves away from an urban area. So
they purchased a 1960-61 building in the heart of downtown Beulah, a walkable
village center with many amenities, thereby utilizing existing
infrastructure. The building
was a plain concrete block and brick structure, poorly insulated, poorly
lit and segmented into 4 separate units. It was begging for an
overhaul. 
Harmony Home Construction, with the
help of MLUI volunteer workbees, gutted the interior. All usable
lumber and hardware was sorted and denailed for future reuse in the
building. Some of the
fiberglass and mineral wool insulation was bagged
and resold. Concrete rubble was hauled offsite to a crusher for
reuse as roadbed aggregate. A MLUI benefactor donated a house that was
slated for demolition and removal. The
Harmony Home Construction team had a few days to remove windows, doors,
cabinets, trim lumber and a weathered redwood deck.
Many of these were incorporated into the design of the project;
leftovers were sold. The redwood deck lumber was planed, milled and reused in
custom made conference
tables for the Institute. The
uninsulated concrete block walls were encapsulated with an exterior
insulating finishing system (EIFS) and fibercement siding. The
ceiling insulation was also moved to the exterior, exposing the metal roof
trusses and the tongue & groove cedar roof decking.
Combined with the switch from forced-air heating to radiant baseboard,
the resultant upgraded building assembly and equipment dramatically
reduced heating costs. With the help of Jim Rupert at Generations
Electric, a more human and consequently energy efficient lighting system
was designed and installed.
Solar Tube skylights, well placed windows, interior glass and an open
office plan maximized daylight with compact fluorescent light fixtures
supplementing rather than dominating the “lumen” requirements.
Clay, sand and straw used in the plasters were locally derived.
Cast iron drain pipes were used throughout in lieu of PVC.
The result is a comfortable and uplifting place to work and gather. Downtown Beulah has benefited from the facelift
aesthetically, socially and financially. The remodeling contagion has
taken hold as other buildings here are getting freshened up as well.
Harmony
Home Construction, LLC.
8122 Barney Road
Traverse City,
Michigan 49684
Ph: 1-877-45-GREEN Fx: 231-932-9193
info@harmonyhomeconstruction.com
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