We have just added this amazing book to the resource list of the GHP site.  The author, Lucinda Dyer leaves no stone unturned in finding new and ingenious ways to be eco-friendly in the horse world. 

CLICK HERE to go to the GHP photo album

Rainwater Catchment Pond Plan

Huasna Valley averages 20 inches of rainfall annually.  In other words every drop counts.  When looking at the water use for this project we wanted to ensure that we were being responsible with the water that would be used.  The two areas we focused on were Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater systems to provide water for landscaping features and irrigation.

Recently California and San Luis Obispo County have loosened their regulations for using Greywater.  Working with Michael Robertson of Green Goods (www.slogreengoods.com) we calculated the amount of Greywater that could be diverted from the septic system and used for landscaping.  Michael provided the gallons per day diversion.  The Civil Engineer took these figures and was able to reduce the size of the leech field, in our case by about 30%.  This meant that the money saved in installing the extra leech lines could be used to pay for labor and materials to install the new Greywater system.  Now we will be using less potable water to irrigate landscaping and reduce the area of disturbance of natural pasture due to a smaller leech field.  Michael Robertson also provided the plumbing subcontractor with line drawings and a materials list so that even plumbers with little to no Greywater experience could install a simple system.

For this project at the Grooms Quarters which is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, single family residence we were able to divert Greywater from two vanities, one shower and the washing machine.  At the Stables we were able to divert water from two vanities and a washing machine.  We decided to go with a very low tech, low maintenance system in which the exiting Greywater will go to a mulch pit that will supply enough water for several medium sized trees.  Also water used for washing the horses and stalls will be collected in drainage pipes which will supply water to landscaping in the courtyard of the Stables.  Costs do increase if you plan to use more advanced irrigation, drip systems for example.  Still as the cost of water increase, either from a utility bill or the cost of energy to pull it from a well, the cost of installing a Greywater System can make financial sense as well as conserving potable water.  For more information on Greywater go to http://slogreenbuild.org/Library/documents/general/Graywater_08_20_09.pdf .

Next we looked at Rainwater Harvesting for use in landscaping.  We have over 15,000 sq. ft. of roof area from the Hay Barn/Grooms Quarters, Stables and covered riding Arena.  I started by visiting the NRCS offices in Templeton and spoke at length with Susan Litteral who is passionate about water conservation and has a wealth of knowledge on the subject.  The NRCS is a federal agency that provides free information/consultation to agricultural businesses primarily and time permitting anyone who wishes to integrate conservation into their property.  She suggested we have our civil engineer calculate the amount of rainwater to be harvested and design a “holding pond” that would meet NRCS standards.  They could then sign off on the design and we could build the holding pond to these specifications.  As it turns out with our project we will be under one acre foot of water that needs to be stored.  This meant we did not need to get NRCS approval or a county permit because the lots are zoned Agricultural.  We now have the design for the catchment pond and placed it on the property.  Now we are just waiting for things to dry out from all the rain we have been having and we will start excavation.  For more information on Rainwater Harvesting visit http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/.

-Frank Cullen; President; Cullen Construction, Inc.

Click on images to enlarge.

Frank Cullen, President of Cullen Constriction, Inc.

Frank Cullen grew up in New England.  He started his building career in 1994 when he moved to Santa Fe New Mexico.  He worked for a company that embraced sustainable building practices including: Photovoltaics, rain water catchment and natural building materials.  Then he made the move to Central California to work with a ‘green’ building company as their ‘Straw Bale’ construction expert.  And then worked for a custom home builder bringing his expertise and running jobs for the local construction and design company.

Frank Cullen is a ‘hands on’ general contractor. He started Cullen Construction in 2002 and focuses on custom homes and rebuilds.  His forte is exploring new building systems as well as making traditional methods more efficient and sustainable.   Cullen Construction,Inc has earned a reputation for quality and customer satisfaction.
Frank Cullen is a founding member and past board member of SLO Green Build (see link on nav bar), an organization formed to promote environmentally friendly building practices.
Frank, his wife Kirsten and their two daughters, Nora and Piper live in San Luis Obispo.

Vitruvian HIPS panels being assembled.

During the design phase of the Hay Barn/Grooms Quarter’s  the Architect, Thomas Brajkovich; Paragon Designs ( http://www.paragonarchitects.com), arranged a tour with Duane Heil, Owner of Vitruvian Built Systems, at his manufacturing facility in San Luis Obispo.  Duane has developed a system using Extruded Polystyrene Foam and light gauge tube steel to create structural wall and roof panels (www.vitruvianbuilt.com).  First we toured his home made from this system.  As a builder with straw bale construction experience I first noticed the thick walls.  Duane explained that typically the walls are 7 inches thick, and roof panels are 12” thick, but you can specify the thickness to anything you want.  Exterior and Interior wall finishes can be standard building materials which are attached to the tube steel studs.  Duane did mention that he likes to add a plaster coat for interior surfaces to smooth out bumps an add some mass to the interior space.  Next we toured the manufacturing facility which is a large barn.  The heart of the operation starts in the office area where CAD drawings are entered into a computer and the structure is “built” digitally.  This process allows not only manipulation of the building to maximize the efficiency of the materials but also will allow precise shop drawings that can be used in the field for assembly.  The CAD drawings are then sent to a large CNC machine that Vitruvian has developed specifically for the HIP panels’ production.  The CNC machine carves out grooves in the Foam panels for the tube steel and shapes the panels to the buildings exact dimensions.  A crew then attaches the tube steel and the panels are ready to be shipped to the site.  Panel are raised similar to a SIPS building or even a concrete “tilt-up” system.  Panels are fastened together, which could allow for disassembly vs. demolition at the end of the buildings life, and then the roof panels are installed.  Plumbing and electrical conduit channels are cut out of the foam using a hot knife.  For the most, installation of all other finish materials is no different than standard construction.

We have begun assembally of the panels.  The first couple weeks we fought a steep learning curve, but now that we are to the roof panels things seem to be moving quickly.  I am holding final judgement on the system until the project is finished.  However, check in periodically and I will be sure to tell you the things I like and don’t like about the HIPS system.

-Frank Cullen

President, Cullen Construction, Inc.

The foam walls of the Hay barn are going up!
Thanks to Frank Cullen for this photo!

Don’t forget to click on photos to enlarge!

If you compare this photo to the last taken of this view (post: 2/6 Preparing the Foundation) you will see changes in the barn foundation in the foreground.  Also notice that our pasture on the left is starting to grow in and you can see the foam building material for the barn structure.

The photo on the left shows the very beginning of our new arena with the planted pasture in the background.   And the photo on the right is a closer look at the foam barn building material.   If you look closely at the arena photo you can see all the puddles that indicate the amount of rain we have had.

Last but not least…Jackie and Ubaldo did some weed-eating along the new fence line.

]]> http://www.greenhorseproperty.com/2010/03/progress/feed/ 2 http://www.greenhorseproperty.com/2010/02/preparing-the-foundation/ http://www.greenhorseproperty.com/2010/02/preparing-the-foundation/#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:10:02 +0000 Diana http://www.greenhorseproperty.com/?p=427 In mid January after some delays, we finally got the permits for the stable, arena and hay barn.  Frank Cullen went right to work digging the foundation for the buildings.

In this photo the hay barn foundation is in the foreground.  Beyond the equipment you can see the 20 acres of planted pasture and on the right the foam walls  for the barn are waiting to go up.  We have had a lot of rain and will need to wait until it drys a bit to pour the concrete.

This is a photo of the new fence along our road front.  We selected wood from a sustainable source and
it has a 40 yr guarantee with the preservative that was added.  The chemicals in the preservative are natural and much less toxic than traditional wood treatments.

This is our new south fence.  It is a combination or three strand wire and woven wire.  (This fence is for cattle) We chose wire made in the US as opposed to China to lower the carbon footprint.  And as it turns out is was also better quality and less expensive.  That’s what I call a triple win!

Here the Contractor and Architect discuss the location and position of one of the residences.  Both homes will be energy efficient with passive solar design and environmentally friendly materials.

to see more photos of the property go to the Huasna Ranch photo album.   Click here