Breathe clean, fresh air year-round with the HRV Systems for Passive Homes by Marvel Homes. Designed specifically for ultra-efficient living spaces, this advanced Heat Recovery Ventilation technology continuously cycles out stale indoor air while drawing in a steady stream of fresh, filtered air from outside. During the exchange, the system smartly captures and reuses the existing thermal energy, maintaining a perfectly balanced and comfortable temperature inside your living space. You save significantly on energy bills without sacrificing warmth or indoor air quality. Enjoy a healthier, draft-free home where every breath feels as crisp and pure as a gentle outdoor breeze.
Can You Incorporate As Many Passive House Principles As Our Budget Allows?
Exquisite new family homes in the London commuter belt, including Scocles Court.
Developers of New Passive House / Passive Home Developments within 1 Hour of London.
Vilasana Homes make some of England’s most exceptional new homes, Despite featuring an almost endless list of luxuries and conveniences, our homes are still comparable in price to standard executive homes.
Our latest top-producing recruit Bo Poulsen from our Village Office sat down with one of the top Passive House Builders in the country, Stas Zakrzewski, to discuss the latest in the evolving building technique advancements.
Bo: Stas, thanks so much for taking part in this conversation today. You have been involved in sustainable and energy-efficient design concepts for over two decades, what inspired you most to get involved?
Stas: I found that regular “construction” as we know does not produce airtight buildings and was interested in providing a higher-quality end result for my clients. After a bit of exploration, I came upon Passive House as the ultimate high performance home that we should all strive for.
Bo: What is “Passive House” and how has it evolved over the years?
Stas: Passive House is essentially a super-insulated house with a special ventilation system and envelope that provides a higher quality living environment. I would argue that as Passive House becomes more recognized, the ability to source materials and products for this level of construction has become easier and more competitive.
Bo: A lot of people think that “Passive House” design is only about environment
and energy efficiency, but one of the more important aspects is a healthy and
comfortable home, tell us more about that.
Stas: Yes, in these types of houses there will be a constant flow of filtered air, a consistent air temperature without drafts and the triple glazed windows will filter out street noise.
Bo: When people ask you about the cost of going “Passive” it seems like there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding it, especially from industry professionals. What are your thoughts?
Stas: For the typical high-end work we do in NYC, upstate and Long Island, we can build to the Passive House standard for the same cost as regular construction. You spend more on the mechanical system and triple-glazed windows but you save money on not having to install a heating system, so it’s a break even. The real savings starts with the money you save from reduced energy bills. I would also recommend working with a contractor who is familiar
with building high-performance projects; a contractor who is unfamiliar with the detailing may build in a contingency for a learning curve.
Bo: One thing I have noticed about living in a “Passive House” myself versus other homes is the quality of materials is very high, it seems this would translate into longer lifespans for the homes. Is that accurate?
Stas: Yes, I would agree the quality of the building components and the execution of the details is quite refined. Also, because the temperature inside a Passive House is very consistent, you will tend to get much less movement between materials and this can translate to longer longevity.
Bo: At first over view it seems like getting a certified "Passive House” could be quite daunting. Can you recommend practices that one might be able to implement without going to a full renovation.
Stas: Getting Passive House certified is setting the bar high for the entire team but in my experience, I have found that it is a great incentive for all to do good work and meet the standard. In fact, when we execute the blower door test which measure the airtightness of the project, there is great excitement among the architect, the owner and the contractor and his crew as it is a measure also of the team’s ability to communicate and succeed. Building a team that is invested and excited about the quality, makes meeting PH standard quite doable. Practices that I would take away from Passive House are investing in good quality triple-glazed windows, this will reduce drafts and noise. Also taking the time to insulate your project well will certainly reduce loss/gain of heat.
Bo: Your project at Stratford Road set a world record for airtightness, what were the main drivers that led to how you achieved this in an old Victorian home like this?
Stas: We reached a world record of .29 air changes per hour, which we understand from Passive House Institute (PHI) is a world record for a certified EnerPHit building. (EnerPhit is a certification for existing buildings). I think we achieved this level of airtightness for a number of reasons. First, we decided early in the process to wrap the building on the exterior rather than insulate between exterior framing, to save time and money, and in the end, the strategy worked very well. Second, we have very good windows with very low air leakage. And most important, we also had a great team – the contractor and his guys took the effort very seriously and were extremely diligent.
Bo: There are several larger buildings in New York that will try to achieve “Passive House” standards over the next few years. Where do you see the challenges of scalability vs using standards like LEED?
Stas: We are seeing a big uptick in Passive House Design and Construction at the moment. We are doing 5 Passive House projects, ranging from 3 to 24 stories. With lots of European precedents, scaling Passive House is not a
problem. Contractors, preparing to work on larger projects, are taking Passive House Tradesperson Courses to understand the essentials. The product vendors are also more than willing to come to the site and give handson
tutorials to the contractor’s men, so we encourage that. We at ZH, and our consultants, are also willing to provide additional consulting to bridge the knowledge gap where required.
Bo: One exciting "new /old " building material that is making a comeback that I know you are involved with for larger buildings is using wood as a structural element to replace steel and concrete. Could you talk a little about your upcoming project here?
Stas: We are currently designing an 8-story Passive House Condo that uses Cross Laminated Timber (mass timber) as its structural system. The advantage of marrying these construction techniques is that you address both the operational energy of the building (lower energy bills), and the embodied energy required to construct a building. Building out of wood requires far less embodied energy than steel or concrete. We hope to reach Passive House
Plus Standard with these Condos, just like Stratford Place. It’s a very exciting project, and fingers crossed, we hope to get approvals for this groundbreaking project by the city in the next few months.
Bo: Where do you see the future of building construction going over the next 20 years?
Stas: For the past few years, Energy codes around the world, but, particularly in the US, have been getting stricter, and are mandating higher insulation and minimum air-tightness standards, around the world, there are whole cities, such as Brussels, which mandate the standard on all new construction. It just makes so much sense to make a High Performance home that provides greater comfort, filtered air, quieter interiors and saves you money. Why wouldn’t you want to live in this type of home?
Bo: I agree, Stas, thanks for taking the time out today to share your insights with us!
Stas: Thanks Bo, my pleasure, best of luck at your new home, Halstead.
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Interview Of: Stas Zakrzewski, Owner at Zakrzewski + Hyde Architects,
Leading Passive House Designer and Developer
Interview By: Bo Poulsen, LEED Accredited Top-Producing Agent from our Village Office
Green Home Building: Passive vs LEED vs Net-Zero Energy
Many people are starting to take back their lives and the life of this planet through greener lifestyles. Through modern technology, there are ways we can reverse our own harmful effects on the earth and live happier and more earth-friendly lives. Learn from green home builders in Scottsdale what types of efficient homes are available, their differences, and how you can contribute to saving the planet with your own green home. Use this article to truly understand green home building: Passive vs LEED vs Net-Zero Energy.
Passive Homes
Passive house standards are the most demanding yet most energy efficient living standards for green homes. Compared to non-green, code buildings, passive homes consume 60-80 percent less energy. In a passive house modeled home, average day to day energy consumption will be lowered while maintaining the same home temperature year round in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency. With its primary focus on energy efficiency, building a green home modeled on passive house standards is always based on these principles: sunlight usage, value of insulation and airtight infrastructure.
These principles used in passive building are designed to maximize your gains and minimize your losses. Solar gain is employed to use the sun’s energy for heating in the cooler seasons and minimizes it in the warmer seasons. Continuous insulation and high-performance windows and doors are incorporated without the use of thermal bridging. The building is also created to be extremely airtight, stopping any air infiltration from the outside and preventing air leakage from the inside. Passive building principles can be applied to all types of building structures, including single family and multifamily homes.
In order to achieve the goals of passive house standards, installing fiberglass windows is very important. Fiberglass windows add to each technique of Passive House energy efficiency in different ways. One way these windows work within a passive home is that they can increase the passive solar gain and limit temperature cooling if necessary when combined with low insulating values. Find out how Peak One Builders can help turn your dream home into a green home with these passive house standards.
LEED Homes
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design , is a rating system aimed at increasing the number of sustainable buildings in the US. LEED measures the environmental impact of buildings and homes through a points system. LEED does not focus on final energy performance, but instead the materials and techniques used in construction with points rewarded for each green addition. The amount of points given to a home or building determines what LEED category it is placed in; Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
The benefits of owning a LEED home are not only for the homeowner but for the environment as well. Each and every part of a LEED home is tightly sealed and insulated, preventing air leakage and lowering heating and cooling costs. Lower water bills and usage is possible due to the use of low-flow faucets, toilets and showerheads. LEED homes also have superior air quality and produce less waste into the environment because no toxic chemicals are used within the home. LEED homes also have a much higher resale value, making it an ideal home in every sense.
LEED homes ensure the use of safe building materials for quality, comfortable living and clean indoor air. Aimed at healthy and affordable living, LEED standards call for less water and energy usage for lower utility bills. LEED standards can be used for: single family homes, 1-3 story low-rise multifamily homes and 4-6 story midrise multifamily homes. Improve your standard of living with a new house design with Peak One Builders.
Net-Zero Energy Homes
A Net-Zero home produces as much energy as it consumes in one year. This green home plan aims to lower overall energy used by using a sustainable infrastructure and energy efficient products, and meets remaining needs through renewable energy systems. Net-Zero energy homes produce comparably less greenhouse emissions than non-green homes. Although a net-zero home is still connected to the grid for backup, it is mostly reliant on the energy produced through solar and other renewable sources.
A critical way for creating a completely net-zero and self-sustainable home is through solar energy. Without it, it would be impossible to build a home even close to a 0 rating. Other ways to improve efficiency and lower net rating include advanced framing techniques, sophisticated insulation and pre-built trusses.
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Contact the green home building experts at Peak One Builders & Restoration to learn more about building a custom cutting-edge energy efficient home. Request a free estimate or call 480-378-0611 now!
Read related articles:
Designing Net-Zero Energy House Plans [Cheat Sheet]
3 Amazing Benefits of Building a Zero-Net Energy Home
Scottsdale Custom Home Builder Trends Are Going Green
Efficient Housing Design Might Finally Be Catching Ona
Efficient Housing Design Might Finally Be Catching On
The idea of passive housing — basically, well-insulated buildings that don’t require a ton of energy to heat and cool — is certainly not a new one. Standards for passive housing have been around for 25 years in Europe, but they are only now starting to catch on stateside. Read more…
#Architecture, #Housing, #PassiveHomes
New Post!http://www.lineswetrace.com/passive-is-sexy-passive-homes-that-is/
PASSIVE IS SEXY! (Passive homes that is...)
A written, sketched and video explanation of passive design.
I love this little sketch on Albert, Righter and Tittmann Architects’ website. It take some big building design ideas and brings it down to an understandable level. Since we are already in the 21st century, according to the above image, we should all be living in equipment free homes dancing around because our energy bills are so low, the air is fresh and we’re just THAT comfortable. But what kind of house could make one do the jig or twerk (whichever your generation) like that?
It’s a passive home. No, not passive in the submissive definition; passive in the receptive, super awesome, energy-efficient and comfortable kind of way. If done properly, passive homes can result up to 90% savings on energy bills, in addition to providing dramatically improved indoor air quality and a temperature-controlled comfortable indoor environment. Energy.gov gives this fairly clearer description…
Passive solar design takes advantage of a building’s site, climate, and materials to minimize energy use. A well-designed passive solar home first reduces heating and cooling loads through energy-efficiency strategies and then meets those reduced loads in whole or part with solar energy.
However, that’s still pretty vague. Passive design is based on simple ideas that have been around for a long time, it’s just all in the details and execution. Here’s my main point rundown on the basics.
Insulation: The amount and type will vary upon location, but it is key in minimizing energy loss.
Thermal Bridge Free Construction: Thermal bridges are gaps between structures or materials that break the airtightness of the interior. A thermal bridge normally occurs at the connection of different materials or the introduction of a new hole, such as a window. A passive home will not function properly if it is not airtight.
Building Allocation: Face your home toward the equator; this means have the largest windows facing the south (if you’re north or the equator) to capture the best of the sun’s energy all year around.
Windows and Doors: Not only are good quality doors and windows important to maintaining airtightness; doors, and especially windows, can lose a lot of energy. Using high R-value windows, which means triple pane windows with insulated glazing and air-seals, can help reduce energy lost and maintain temperature control in the home.
Control Solar Gain: So that your home is comfortable in both the winter and summer months, it’s important to install solar controls, such as roof overhangs, shutters, awnings, trees, etc. to control the amount of solar energy you need. For example, north and south facing windows should have shades to prevent direct sun exposure, and south windows should have overhangs to avoid the peak summer sun.
Ventilation: Natural ventilation is the best option, which can be achieved best with the stack effect and/or cross-ventilation. However, with the different temperatures required to have a comfortable home year-round and also with air quality issues, natural ventilation isn’t always possible. Enter in the HRV (heat recovery ventilation), which is the last and key element to making a passive design work. HRVs bring in fresh, filtered air, while expelling the stale indoor air. The coolest part of those machines are that they recover the heat in the process. A passive house is designed to benefit from natural solar heat gain and it wouldn’t make much sense to just filter out all that great energy. HRVs are able to transfer the heat from the stale air heading out to the fresh incoming air. This reduces the need for additional heating and cooling, resulting in a great deal of energy savings. ERV (energy recovery ventilation) can be used in areas that don’t require heating.
*Keep in mind material selections in the interior, because they can hurt or help the efficiency of your home. Darker colors absorb more heat than light colors and stones and tile retain heat better than wood.
Okay, so if you still don’t get it or just want to see a great video, watch this creative take on passive design from La Plate-forme Maison Passive (a Belgian company promoting passive homes). Filled with innuendos and puns, this might be the only entertaining video out there on passive design.
