After this owner purchased a 1950’s ranch house on Lake Barcroft, they came to us for help. They wanted better flow in the public parts of the house, but more importantly, they wanted their renovated home to consume a fraction of the energy it did before they started. Because of an asthma condition, they were especially concerned with indoor air quality.
A Passive House is a house that is certified by the Passivhaus Institute to meet stringent energy standards. Click here to see our prototype
The Passivhaus is super-insulated and nearly airtight. It uses 10% of the heating energy of homes built to today’s building codes. It is designed as an integrated system, with site, energy, ventilation, air quality, humidity, health, comfort—and economy—all taken into account. In climates like ours, nearly all of the heating energy needed is provided by sun streaming into the windows, household appliances, and the body heat of the inhabitants!
After ten years of using the original 1955 kitchen, we had worn it out. We renovated and enlarged it, taking in space from the adjacent carport for a breakfast area, and adding a deck. We attempted to do all of this in a sustainable way.
This family had a problem with curb appeal. They loved their neighborhood, and loved their yard, but didn’t like how their one-story house looked or functioned. They came to us to rework the first floor, and add a second. They were very concerned about environmental issues.
Making an informed decision about where and how to live was a priority for this couple. They chose EcoVillage — a green community with an emphasis on sustainable design — in Loudoun County, Virginia, as the place to build their home.
A 1910 row house in Old Town Alexandria was uncomfortably hot upstairs in the summertime. Additionally, the flat roof had chronic leaks. When the air conditioning went out in the summer of 2007, the owners decided to tackle an integrated, whole-house, energy upgrade.
This client came to us with a seemingly simple request: a sunroom. But they also had a host of energy and design issues they wanted us to address.
Our clients had a lovely, south-facing site, with an antique red barn, and amazing views of the surrounding landscape. They wanted a house that would take advantage of the views, and present a solid welcome on arrival.
The owners of this new house, set just back from the bay, have lived overseas for a large part of their adult lives, but have always returned to Maine for their summers. The house will serve as a summer house until they and their three children move to Maine full-time.
This guest house-cum-boathouse was built in 2002 to provide a temporary summer home for the family while the main house was under construction.
