Nearly identical floorplans, similar foundations, multiple levels of green building.

Click on the image to access the Going Up Going Green web , track the project's progress and get a copy of this flier.

Three Louisiana-style homes are being constructed in Gonzales as part of an educational demonstration project called “Going Up, Going Green.” Each home is designed and built as an example of one of three levels of the Green Building Standards created by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council (ICC). The homes also demonstrate best practices for raised pier foundations, a popular architectural style in Louisiana and much of coastal Southeast United States.

Currently, there is no prescriptive code for pier and beam foundations in the International Residence Code (IRC). The Going Up, Going Green project will demonstrate cost and safety factors that may be used to develop uniform codes for the construction of homes on piers. These “field classrooms” will provide unique opportunities for training programs for the construction industry and other groups and will help create an understanding of how to achieve greater energy and resource efficiency. The public will be invited to tour the three homes through a variety of scheduled training sessions and classes, as well as on free open house days. Special events and trainings can be arranged with the builder.

Southern Louisiana is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and floods; therefore homes must be built to withstand these conditions. It is also imperative that construction efforts incorporate materials and designs that mutually benefit the environment and the homeowner. Best practices learned from this project will be submitted formally to the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council (LSUCC) and the International Residential Code Council in hopes of improving standards and educational programming for members of the construction industry and other groups.

Additional project details

• Available summer 2010 for 12 months
• Continuous educational classes for industry professionals (CEU credits)
• An open-classroom format
• View project designs and products used to achieve NAHB’s three levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold)
• Unfinished interiors showing structural and insulation techniques
• Rough-ins of wiring, lighting, HVAC, appliances and some interior finishes
• Special Open House events and by special appointment for large group educational sessions
• Raised building techniques
• Featuring cutaways and educational signage
• Exteriors basically complete with cutaways

Project partners

The LSU AgCenter has worked with builder Roy Domangue of Wooden Creations Homes and partners in the wood producs industry to develop the designs and select green building certification options. AgCenter educators will participate in some on-site educational programs. The full list of partners with Wooden Creations in this program are listed below:

• CRBA-Capital Region Builders Association, Green Building Council
• GNOHBA-Greater New Orleans Home Builders Association, Crescent City Green Building Council
• LHBA-Louisiana Home Builders Association
• NAHB-National Association of Home Builders and NAHB Research Center
• RaisedFloorLiving.com (Southern Pine Council and The Engineered Wood Association, APA)
• GBRAR-Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors
• LAR-Louisiana REALTORS® Association
• LSU AgCenter

Directions to the Demonstration Project
The Going Up, Going Green site is located in Gonzales, LA.
Take I-10 south to Hwy 44 exit #179 (Gonzales\Burnside exit).
Turn south on Hwy 44 , then left on LA Highway 941
Go approximately 1 mile, homes are on the right side.
Find a map and track the project progress by visiting  the builder's web site 

Roy Domangue was the builder for the Louisiana House Home and Landscape Resource Center and has chaired both the Capital Region Builders Association and Louisiana Home Builders Association education committees.