Environmental Actions and Initiatives
Buildings: Design, Structure, and Services
- We create durable, high quality products and structures with long life spans.
- Our Open-Built® system allows for easy maintenance and long-term changes in building use.
- When tested for energy efficiency, Bensonwood homes have exceeded Energy Star standards by a significant margin.
- We can provide energy modeling so clients can make more informed decisions about energy choices.
- We offer blower door testing, which helps to ensure that the building envelope is sealed for greatest thermal efficiency.
- Our-foam filled wall and roof panels provide thermal insulation values that exceed Energy Star standards. Our cellulose walls offer important environmental advantages.
- We use gaskets and/or spray-foam sealant on our panel joints to ensure a tight thermal envelope.
Use of Raw Materials
- We seek to use materials that have low levels of embodied energy, such as wood rather than steel.
- We use wood products from known sources that have a long history of responsible forest management.
- We offer salvaged or local woods as options in all of our projects.
- We can provide wood products certified through the American Tree Farm System and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
- We use several types of engineered lumber that are made from lower grade and/or smaller diameter trees, which helps support sustainable forest management.
- The use of timbers effectively function as carbon storage batteries to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
- Certified by Greenguard for low emissions, the Advantech sheathing on our floors and walls does not contain urea-formaldehyde and has a fifty year warranty because of its superior moisture resistance.
- Our timber and ceiling board finishes are environmentally benign.
- Timbers that don't make the grade for a timberframe are resawn for use in wall panels, finishes, and trim.
- Our foam insulating products are ozone friendly.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- We invest research and development funds into minimizing resource use and lessening production waste.
- We conduct material-optimizing routines using 3-D computer modeling software to increase resource efficiency while reducing waste.
- In-shop fabrication reduces on-site waste and allows us to recycle more of our shop waste.
- We reuse or recycle 60% of the packaging materials used for shipping to site.
- We use our wood waste and burn it to heat our buildings.
- We recycle containers, cardboard, paper, metal, and wood.
- Waste, such as small off-cuts and sawdust, is made available to the local community for reuse.
- The New Hampshire Pollution Prevention Program concluded the following about Bensonwood's waste handling practices: "It is always refreshing to visit a company that carefully evaluates their potential waste streams, and any corresponding potential negative environmental impacts, and then tries to be creative in their solutions to minimize waste."
Facilities, Vehicles, and Equipment
- Energy-efficient lighting is used throughout our facility.
- We purchase equipment and products with the lowest energy consumption.
- Our facilities meet or exceed thermal insulation code requirements.
- We used recycled materials in constructing our Walpole facility, including salvaged timbers and recycled floor coverings.
- Our parking surfaces are water-permeable, reducing runoff and water waste.
- Our grounds are naturally landscaped, reducing maintenance, watering, and mowing.
Environmental Outreach
- The Ecological Continuous Improvement Team (Eco-CIT) is constantly researching new environmental building ideas and technologies.
- Our company's giving and outreach efforts include support of local and national environmental associations and programs.
- Roughly an acre of our land is given over to a community garden.