Project 001
Building the Avalon Standard from the ground up.
Project 001 is the first ground-up application of the Avalon Standard — a custom residence in Foley, Alabama, being documented from preconstruction through long-term ownership.
Healthy · Durable · Efficient · Beautiful · Responsible
Foley, Alabama · Alabama Gulf Coast
The Purpose
A standard becomes more useful when it is tested against real decisions.
The Avalon Standard is designed to be applied to real decisions. Project 001 creates the first opportunity to use the framework from the beginning of a ground-up custom home and document what those decisions look like in practice — across design, health, durability, efficiency, beauty, maintenance, cost, and long-term ownership.
The project will help Avalon Haus:
- Test its owner-advisory methods
- Refine documentation systems
- Develop field-observation and documentation processes
- Evaluate products and assemblies
- Understand real decision tradeoffs
- Build future homeowner education
- Improve the Avalon Standard over time
Build it. Document it. Learn from it.
Project at a Glance
Project 001 at a glance.
01 / Site
Good decisions begin with the place the house will sit.
Before a floor plan is finalized, Project 001 begins with the conditions of the site itself. Some of these conditions are already known; others remain under review as design and engineering proceed.
- Climate & rainfallKnown
- Humidity & drainageUnder Review
- Solar exposure & orientationUnder Review
- Wind & storm conditionsFuture Project Decision
- Vegetation & site accessObserved
- GradingTo Be Determined
- Utility conditionsTo Be Confirmed
- Soil / geotechnical informationTo Be Determined
- Surrounding contextObserved
Site Conditions — Avalon Standard View
The site is already part of the Avalon Standard before a wall is built.
Healthy
Moisture, drainage, humidity, and indoor/outdoor pollutant considerations.
Durable
Rain exposure, drainage, wind, materials, and long-term weathering.
Efficient
Solar orientation, shading, envelope loads, and mechanical demands.
Beautiful
Views, approach, orientation, landscape, and architectural relationship to the site.
Responsible
Climate-appropriate systems, resilience, maintenance, and site impact.
02 / Define
Define how the home should live before deciding what it should look like.
The Owner's Design Program is one of the first applied Avalon Haus tools being used on Project 001 — a project-specific brief translating priorities into a usable reference for design and construction decisions. A selection of the categories it covers:
The public case study shares selected decisions and lessons, while the complete Owner's Design Program remains part of the private project record.
- Daily living & routine
- Health & comfort
- Durability & energy use
- Architecture & entertaining
- Storage & pets
- Aging in place & accessibility
- Technology & maintenance
- Outdoor living & future use
The Standard, Applied
Five principles. One project.
What each Avalon Standard principle means specifically for Project 001 — not a repeat of the general framework.
Indoor air quality and moisture strategy are being considered from the earliest design decisions, not added at the end.
Current Priorities
Additional Project Considerations
Filtration · Humidity control · Cooking exhaust · Material emissions · Wet-area design
Gulf Coast rain exposure makes durability one of the strongest categories on this project — water management runs through nearly every early decision.
Current Priorities
Additional Project Considerations
Flashing & roof/wall transitions · Windows & doors · WRB · Cladding · Foundation moisture management
Equipment and assemblies aren't selected before the envelope strategy is settled — efficiency starts with reducing demand, not adding capacity.
Current Priorities
Additional Project Considerations
Insulation · HVAC design · Duct location · Controls · Commissioning
Performance requirements are being integrated into the design from the start, not layered on after the architecture is set.
Current Priorities
Additional Project Considerations
Material palette · Windows · Functional-system integration · Aging of materials
The goal is intentional performance — using systems and materials that make sense for the climate, budget, lifespan, and realities of ownership.
Current Priorities
Additional Project Considerations
System complexity · Repairability · Lifecycle · Budget allocation
Decision Log
The project is built one decision at a time.
A scalable record of major Project 001 decisions — status entries now, individual Journal posts as each is resolved.
Exterior Wall Assembly
To Be EvaluatedHealthy · Durable · Efficient
Why It Matters
The wall assembly affects water management, air sealing, insulation performance, and long-term durability all at once.
Options Considered
Assembly types suitable for Gulf Coast conditions will be evaluated during design development.
What We're Asking
How will the assembly manage bulk water and vapor drive in a hot-humid climate?
Status
To be evaluated — no assembly selected.
Window System
To Be EvaluatedDurable · Efficient · Beautiful
Why It Matters
Windows affect solar heat gain, water management, comfort, and the architectural character of the home.
Options Considered
Performance data and installation requirements will be compared across manufacturers during design development.
What We're Asking
What service life and repairability are realistic for this climate and orientation?
Status
To be evaluated — not yet selected.
Foundation Strategy
Future Engineering DecisionDurable · Responsible
Why It Matters
Foundation moisture management sets the baseline for the entire building's durability strategy.
Options Considered
Geotechnical information will inform available options once that work is ordered and completed.
What We're Asking
What does the soil data indicate about drainage and moisture behavior on this site?
Status
Future engineering decision — geotechnical work not yet ordered.
HVAC Strategy
Future Design DecisionHealthy · Efficient
Why It Matters
System sizing and duct location depend on the envelope strategy being finalized first.
Options Considered
Options will be evaluated once envelope design and load calculations are available.
What We're Asking
What does the finished envelope's actual load look like, once decided?
Status
Future design decision — dependent on envelope finalization.
Additional entries — waterproofing, roofing, insulation, plumbing, electrical, materials, wet areas, landscape/drainage, and maintenance access — will be added as research and design proceed.
How We Think
Start with the question, not the product.
Project 001 documents questions before jumping to products.
Instead of
Which window should we buy?
Ask
- What climate conditions must it manage?
- What solar exposure will it see?
- What water-management strategy surrounds it?
- What maintenance will it require?
- How does it support the architecture?
- What service life and repairability are realistic?
Instead of
Which insulation has the highest R-value?
Ask
- Where is the air-control layer?
- What assembly is being insulated?
- How will it manage moisture?
- How will it be installed?
- How will installation quality be verified?
- What does the HVAC design assume?
Construction Documentation
What disappears becomes part of the record.
When construction begins, Project 001 will document important visible conditions before they're concealed by subsequent work.
These owner-side observations and records do not replace required municipal, engineering, specialty, or other professional inspections.
Site + Foundation
- Drainage
- Waterproofing
- Foundation conditions
Structure
- Framing
- Connections
- Blocking
- Structural details visible before concealment
Envelope
- Windows
- Flashing
- WRB
- Transitions & penetrations
- Roof/wall conditions
Systems
- Plumbing rough-in
- HVAC rough-in
- Ductwork
- Mechanical penetrations
Pre-Drywall
- Air sealing
- Insulation
- Service access
- Concealed conditions
Wet Areas
- Waterproofing
- Membranes
- Penetrations & transitions
Typical owner-side actions:
Documentation
Build the house. Build the record.
A well-documented project gives the homeowner both a finished home and a usable record of what was built, why major decisions were made, and how important systems should be maintained. Project 001 will develop that owner-side record alongside the house itself.
- Owner's Design Program
- Project drawings
- Specifications
- Selections
- Decision log
- Field observations
- Dated photographs
- Issue tracking
- Product information
- Warranties
- Manuals
- Testing records
- Commissioning information
- Maintenance requirements
- Important changes
- Final project information
Project Timeline
Site + Programming → Design → Build → Commission → Occupy → Maintain.
Current Project Phase: Preconstruction. This timeline represents the Project 001 documentation path rather than mutually exclusive contract phases — Site and Design Programming both fall within Preconstruction.
Site conditions under review; Owner's Design Program underway.
Architectural design development informed by site findings and owner priorities.
Construction, with milestone documentation and field observation throughout.
Systems testing and verification by qualified professionals.
Move-in, completion review, and project record handoff.
Long-term maintenance informed by the project record and manufacturer guidance.
The Project Record
Show the decisions. Show the work. Show what changed.
Project 001 is being documented as evidence, not just content. The record will connect each major decision to the drawings, specifications, field conditions, photographs, testing, and lessons that support it.
Decision Logs
What was considered, what was selected, why it was selected, and what tradeoffs were accepted.
Assembly Verification
Critical hidden work documented before it is covered, with location-based photographs and open-item tracking.
Field Notes
Observed conditions, questions raised, coordination issues, corrections, and practical lessons from the site.
Testing + Commissioning
Performance testing and professional verification where appropriate, tied back to project goals and specifications.
Lessons + Changes
What worked, what did not, what changed because of cost or constructability, and how the Avalon Standard evolves.
Field Notes
Lessons worth carrying forward.
Project 001 is still in preconstruction, so the learning library will grow with the project — each entry will document an observation, a decision, what worked, what created difficulty, and how it reinforces or changes the Avalon Standard.
Products in Context
Products are evaluated in context.
Research considers climate suitability, durability, manufacturer requirements, installation, compatibility, maintenance, availability, repairability, warranty, lifecycle, health information, aesthetics, and cost/value — not any one criterion alone.
- Windows
- Waterproofing
- WRB
- Insulation
- Roofing
- Cladding
- HVAC
- Filtration
- Ventilation
- Plumbing fixtures
- Finishes & coatings
- Flooring & cabinetry
Research in progress — relevant findings may be published as research and project decisions develop, with any manufacturer relationship disclosed if one exists.
Follow the Build
Follow the decisions, not just the finished photographs.
Site + PreconstructionOwner's Design ProgramBuilder SelectionDesign DevelopmentEnvelopeHealthy HomeMaterialsField NotesVerify Before It's CoveredCommissioningMaintenance
Project 001 reporting begins in preconstruction.
The Project Team
One project. Different responsibilities.
Project 001 involves architects, engineers, builders, trades, manufacturers, inspectors, and specialists, each responsible for their appropriate discipline. Avalon Haus uses the project to demonstrate how an informed homeowner can maintain clarity across those relationships — without replacing the professionals responsible for design, engineering, construction, or inspection.
Framework Meets Application
The Standard is the framework. Project 001 is the application.
Healthy
What supports the occupants?
Durable
What will help the home age well?
Efficient
What reduces unnecessary demand?
Beautiful
What makes the home worth caring for?
Responsible
What makes sense over time?
Follow the project from the decisions forward.
Project 001 will document the decisions, questions, assemblies, materials, field conditions, and lessons that shape the first ground-up application of the Avalon Standard.