Last week we signed a contract on the house! The closing will be at the end of the month. The new owners could not be a nicer family! We also received informal notice that the house has passed all certification… read more →
Posted from: MD, USA Come and see it! 4717 North Chelsea Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814. All work is now completed except for punch list items, and the house is now being shown by Sondra Mulheron, our real estate agent. Come… read more →
Highlights from Innsbruck: The 15th International Passive House Conference June 2, 2011 I have just returned from the annual Passive House conference in Innsbruck, which included around 1200 architects and builders from some 46 countries. The Passive House approach has… read more →
There is a lot of talk about net zero energy (NZE) houses. Clearly that is the goal if we are to live sustainably. But it is a difficult goal to achieve, even with a Passive House. The reason is that… read more →
Comparison of projected energy costs between this house and a hypothetical identical house built to the Energy Star standard Posted from: MD, USA During Earth Week we were asked to do presentations at NIH and DOE on this house. In… read more →
Posted from: MD, USA A few pictures of the house and an update on what is going on. Porch decking is now installed on front and side porches. Deck framing at west side (to left in this picture) has just… read more →
Passive House Plans Available We originally designed the New American Foursquare to serve as a prototype Passive House, one that could be replicated affordably in several sizes and configurations. Informed by the experience of building this house, as the project… read more →
Posted from: MD, USA After the building envelope, the key element of any Passive House is its ventilation system. Because the envelope is so tight, fresh air must be brought in mechanically during the heating and cooling months when the… read more →
DOE tours the house Today a group from the Department of Energy came by to see the house. As I was getting ready for their arrival, it occurred to me that what makes this house unique is not just that… read more →