PASSIVE
How do you implement the Passive approach?
ELM PLACE : IMPLEMENT
Good architecture is an iterative process; working collaboratively with our clients and partners we seek to build the best building a budget can buy. Each completed building informs the next design; we seek to be a learning organization.
- We begin by TESTing our design with an energy model. We revise and recalculate as we go to ensure that long term energy costs and up front capital costs are optimized.
- Once the model is to a happy place, we IMPLEMENT. This is the nitty gritty of assembling a construction set and ensuring it is executed during construction.
- We craft buildings with durable high performance components: foundations, walls, windows, doors and roofs, resulting in a downsize of mechanical equipment.
- After construction is complete, we MONITOR the energy consumed to ensure our assumptions were correct.
What are some design strategies?
- Highly insulated walls with continuous insulation.
- Continuous air sealing envelope, with careful attention paid to all penetrations.
- Eliminate thermal bridges; building components are always separated from the exterior with insulation.
- High performance glazing; new glazing products allow for very efficient windows at a reasonable price.
- Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery; ensuring heat created within the building is recaptured as fresh air is brought in.
- Small mechanical heating system; with careful design of the building, a smaller mechanical system can be used, saving money up front and over the long term through lower energy costs and replacement costs
What about Certifications?
Michael and Arthur are both Certified Passive House Consultants (CPHC) - their knowledge is integral to our overall energy design philosophy. We wish that all projects could be Passive House Certified, but we realize that is difficult. Common hurdles in achieving a certification include: existing conditions, site restraints, zoning, and financing. We believe in implementing the PASSIVE APPROACH as a design strategy. This strategy parallels values in other green building standards including the 2030 Challenge and Enterprise Green Communities; two others which we strive to meet.
Are there any examples of this approach?
Our design for Elm Place, the first multi-family certified Passive House project in Vermont. We learned a lot on this project. A tight project budget meant consistently working to make optimal decisions on resource allocation. Elm Place received PHIUS Certification in July 2017. We plan to publish more information about this project in the near future.
DWA also completed our first Enterprise Green Communities project in 2015, check out Harrington Village and the Wright House.