Search
LaHouse is a display of high-performance building practices to create more sustainable, resilient and healthy homes in the gulf region. The research-based facility is located on LSU's Baton Rouge campus and displays home-building techniques and solutions for Louisiana's unique climate. LaHouse is open weekdays from 10 am to 4:30 p.m. for self-guided tours or can be toured completely virtually.
Experience the Lahouse via virtual tour
A semi conditioned space is indirectly air conditioned by being connected to adjacent spaces. They are only slightly conditioned compared to the rest of the house to create a comfortable temperature more passively. Insulating the attic ensures that the conditioned air stays inside. A semi conditioned attic can help keep the rest of the home cool by preventing hot attic air from seeping into other parts of the home.
In most homes, ducts are installed in unconditioned attics where they are hidden out of sight. If hot air surrounds the ducts, the air inside is heated, which causes your HVAC system to work harder. Ductwork within a conditioned space is more efficient than in an unconditioned space because the temperature difference between the air inside and outside of the ductwork is reduced.
Finding a room in a conditioned space without impacting the interior design of your house can be a challenge. LaHouse’s ducts are placed between levels via open web joists.
An R-30 rating means that this spray foam can reduce heat conduction by 97% to keep the attic space cool in extreme heat.
Open cell spray foam is a good insulator because of its expansion upon installation. Unlike other types of insulation, this expanding foam grows in a way that ensures it does not miss any corners or seams and creates leaks in the attic.
SIPs are a manufactured panel most commonly utilizing two exterior faces of oriented-strand-board encasing a core of expanded polystyrene foam insulation.
SIPS panels are good insulators and can keep the home at a comfortable temperature with less work from the HVAC.
Unventilated attics help mitigate energy loss through leaks in ducts or ceiling fittings.
An attic knee wall or pony wall is a short wall that extends from the attic floor to the roof. Knee walls are notoriously hard to insulate because both the insulation and the air barrier must be continuous to prevent outside air from coming inside. Outside air will be able to enter the attic through soffit vents, wash through insulation, and flow through joist bays without a continuous air barrier sealed to the roof. Having a sealed knee wall prevents this energy loss.
The attic has no gas equipment because there is no ventilation. Ensuring the room is adequately ventilated when gas equipment is used is extremely important for safety and air quality. Gas products can release combustion byproducts into the room and the HVAC system, polluting the air quality in the rest of the building.
Placing a gas furnace in an attic will reduce the system’s efficiency. Since warm air rises and cold air sinks, the ideal place for a furnace is on the home’s lowest floor. As the cold air sinks and passes through the furnace, it warms and rises, filtering through the home.
