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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
Air registers supply cooled or heated air to a room. They are sometimes called “throw” air registers because they must push or “throw” the air so it can be felt across the room. If the “throw” register is not efficient enough, the air will stop moving across the room, and the air circulation will suffer which leads to uneqven temperatures in the room.
Each room in a building should have a high-performance return-air register and a supply register to ensure optimal efficiency. If a home is not designed this way, a space under the door is enough so that airflow can circulate out of the room and find its way to a return-air register elsewhere. For optimal efficiency, it’s ideal to have return registers installed in all rooms.
To ensure efficiency during the summer, a home should have high registers. High return registers draw the hot air that has risen to the ceiling back into the HVAC system to be cooled. If a home does not have a high register installed, the home’s low register will draw cooler air back into the system, and the room will be left with warm air at the ceiling.
In the case of a two-story home, having high-performance returns installed on the second floor will increase comfort and energy savings. Supply registers should be installed on outer walls and underneath windows, while return registers should be installed on interior walls. High return registers draw the hot air that has risen to the ceiling back into the HVAC system to be cooled.
The ductwork is located between levels in web ceiling joists. Having ductwork in a centralized location minimizes the length of the ductwork, preventing temperature loss that can occur as air travels through them.
The great room demonstrates the concept of open planning, which gives you more space and livability in your home. It also allows for more airflow to maximize energy and comfort in the home.
The HVAC distribution systems are efficient when designed with adequate supply and return registers. They provide conditioned air to all rooms in the house and return stale air to the furnace for reconditioning.
This room features its own programmable thermostat as part of the zone control system. The programmable thermostat can be set to fit your schedule to ensure certain parts of the home are only heated or cooled when in use.
Efficient throw registers keep a room temperature at comfortable levels
