Tour 7 Energy-Efficient Homes in Honor of Earth Day
Pros put green-building concepts into practice with sustainable, healthy homes
In celebration of our planet, let’s take a look at seven forward-thinking houses that leave a light carbon footprint. Several of the featured pros undertook these projects for themselves, believing that trying out passive-house and other environmentally friendly principles would help them serve clients seeking energy-efficient, sustainable and healthy homes.
The homeowners also power the house by biking, just as the Professor powers his generator on Gilligan’s Island. Just kidding! This is a bonus room off the garage where the homeowners can do their workouts if snow prevents them from running or biking outdoors. This was one of the healthy aspects of the design.
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Learn more about this house
2. Well Insulated in Utah
Like several other design pros featured here, architect Chris Price decided to learn more about passive-house design and construction by designing and building one for himself. The home’s site in Park City had a 45-degree slope and was deemed almost unbuildable. He designed a flat driveway he could clear after a snowstorm and let the topography dictate the design of the house — a split-level plan oriented to take advantage of the thermal gain from the sun.
Price maximized the windows on the south- and southeast-facing sides of the house. The windows are a key component in the energy efficiency of the home. They are triple-pane, tilt-and-turn Thermo uPVC windows with a glass value of R-11.
Other energy-efficient aspects include well-insulated, 16-inch-thick walls; a heat-recovery ventilation system that keeps the air healthy; and a tankless water heater. High-performing insulation, windows and doors add to construction costs over a typical code-built house, but they often pay for themselves over time in energy savings.
Like several other design pros featured here, architect Chris Price decided to learn more about passive-house design and construction by designing and building one for himself. The home’s site in Park City had a 45-degree slope and was deemed almost unbuildable. He designed a flat driveway he could clear after a snowstorm and let the topography dictate the design of the house — a split-level plan oriented to take advantage of the thermal gain from the sun.
Price maximized the windows on the south- and southeast-facing sides of the house. The windows are a key component in the energy efficiency of the home. They are triple-pane, tilt-and-turn Thermo uPVC windows with a glass value of R-11.
Other energy-efficient aspects include well-insulated, 16-inch-thick walls; a heat-recovery ventilation system that keeps the air healthy; and a tankless water heater. High-performing insulation, windows and doors add to construction costs over a typical code-built house, but they often pay for themselves over time in energy savings.
Rather than taking his usual role as overseer, Price was completely hands-on throughout the building process. He even designed and made these pendant lights and crafted the table from a Douglas fir that came down during construction. The wood was milled and dried on-site.
Learn more about this house
Learn more about this house
3. Local Materials in England
When a professor of natural environment and his family of five tasked architect Tomas Millar with creating their sustainable home, he took the passive-house approach. The facade is clad in local larch wood and Cotswolds stone. The larch on the middle section seen here is charred; charring acts as a natural preservative.
When a professor of natural environment and his family of five tasked architect Tomas Millar with creating their sustainable home, he took the passive-house approach. The facade is clad in local larch wood and Cotswolds stone. The larch on the middle section seen here is charred; charring acts as a natural preservative.
The rooms are modestly sized, but the expansive windows and doors make them feel larger. “Installing bifold doors is a trick we often use,” Millar told Houzz. “It’s a great way to bring the outside in, doubling the size of the room in the process.” The triple-pane doors keep the building’s envelope tight.
Learn more about this house
Learn more about this house
4. Off the Grid in Nova Scotia
The husband-and-wife architect team of Keith Robertson and Jennifer Corson decided to put what their clients were asking for into practice for themselves by building an off-the-grid house near Lunenberg. The house is made of recycled materials and solar powered.
The husband-and-wife architect team of Keith Robertson and Jennifer Corson decided to put what their clients were asking for into practice for themselves by building an off-the-grid house near Lunenberg. The house is made of recycled materials and solar powered.
The homeowners also have an architectural salvage business that collects renovation and demolition materials, cleans them up and sells them. This kitchen island base came from a hospital, and the counter was reclaimed from a convent. Giving used materials like this new life keeps them out of landfills.
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Learn more about this house
5. Not-So-Big House in Oregon
Builder Carl Christianson wanted to practice what he preached when designing a home for his family of five. “My wife, Julie, and I wanted to demonstrate the advantages of passive-house concepts that I was learning about to our community and the other builders in Corvallis,” he told Houzz. To determine the size of the house, they studied the principles of architect Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House and designed hardworking, multifunctional spaces. They also enlisted help from passive-house architect Jan Fillinger of Studio-E Architecture.
The 2,253-square-foot house faces south. Overhangs shade the rooms in the summer but let light stream in when the sun is low in the winter. Photovoltaic panels on the garage roof bring the net-energy usage to zero, which means that the house produces at least as much energy as it consumes. Any extra energy the owners produce earns credits, which they donate to a fund that helps pay for heat for families in need.
Builder Carl Christianson wanted to practice what he preached when designing a home for his family of five. “My wife, Julie, and I wanted to demonstrate the advantages of passive-house concepts that I was learning about to our community and the other builders in Corvallis,” he told Houzz. To determine the size of the house, they studied the principles of architect Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House and designed hardworking, multifunctional spaces. They also enlisted help from passive-house architect Jan Fillinger of Studio-E Architecture.
The 2,253-square-foot house faces south. Overhangs shade the rooms in the summer but let light stream in when the sun is low in the winter. Photovoltaic panels on the garage roof bring the net-energy usage to zero, which means that the house produces at least as much energy as it consumes. Any extra energy the owners produce earns credits, which they donate to a fund that helps pay for heat for families in need.
Taking advantage of every inch of space played a big role in making the home livable. This reading and napping nook utilizes the area under the staircase. Other smart built-ins keep the family organized.
A master suite on the first floor will help the couple age in place.
Outside, gutters from the durable standing-seam metal roof feed into cisterns. The landscaping includes fruit trees and raised vegetable beds. The home was the first certified passive house in Corvallis.
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A master suite on the first floor will help the couple age in place.
Outside, gutters from the durable standing-seam metal roof feed into cisterns. The landscaping includes fruit trees and raised vegetable beds. The home was the first certified passive house in Corvallis.
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6. Passive Barn-Inspired House in New York
This Hudson Valley home designed by architect Dennis Wedlick was the first certified passive house in New York state. To be certified, the building’s design must meet rigorous standards set by the Passive House Institute US that reduce energy consumption without employing an active heating or cooling system. Instead, the siting and design harness heat from the sun during cold weather and work with the landscape to stay cool during warmer seasons. This is accomplished through sealing the house with the tightest envelope possible, which includes using high-performing insulation, windows and doors.
Though contemporary in style, the home’s shape and materials recall barns in the region, so it fits beautifully into the landscape. The siting allows sunlight to warm the house through the windows while protecting the house from the harshest winter winds.
The Passive House: What It Is and Why You Should Care
This Hudson Valley home designed by architect Dennis Wedlick was the first certified passive house in New York state. To be certified, the building’s design must meet rigorous standards set by the Passive House Institute US that reduce energy consumption without employing an active heating or cooling system. Instead, the siting and design harness heat from the sun during cold weather and work with the landscape to stay cool during warmer seasons. This is accomplished through sealing the house with the tightest envelope possible, which includes using high-performing insulation, windows and doors.
Though contemporary in style, the home’s shape and materials recall barns in the region, so it fits beautifully into the landscape. The siting allows sunlight to warm the house through the windows while protecting the house from the harshest winter winds.
The Passive House: What It Is and Why You Should Care
Sunlight passing through the window wall becomes a source of warmth and light. The floors provide radiant heat. At night, the heat stored in the floor radiates back into the rooms.
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Find a local architect in the Houzz pro directory
Learn more about this house
Find a local architect in the Houzz pro directory
7. Solar Panels and Other Retrofits in Southern California
If you are interested in creating healthier and more energy-efficient systems in your home but are not interested in starting from scratch with a new build, check out Nick and Holland Brown’s home in Long Beach. They remodeled their 1957 ranch house with a goal of achieving net-zero energy consumption. Putting 16 solar panels on the roof and remodeling the house to use less energy with other retrofits accomplished this goal. Key aspects included:
If you are interested in creating healthier and more energy-efficient systems in your home but are not interested in starting from scratch with a new build, check out Nick and Holland Brown’s home in Long Beach. They remodeled their 1957 ranch house with a goal of achieving net-zero energy consumption. Putting 16 solar panels on the roof and remodeling the house to use less energy with other retrofits accomplished this goal. Key aspects included:
- Using LED lights throughout the house and installing Solatube skylights in the bathroom ceilings. The family members are conscientious about their energy usage now and enjoy monitoring it to see if they are meeting their net-zero goal.
- Choosing sustainable and healthy materials and finishes.
- Installing hot-water recirculation pumps in the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Installing a supply ventilation system for better quality air indoors.
- Making even the dog’s pet door energy efficient — it has magnetic flaps. When creating a tighter envelope, every opening counts.
- Designing a drought-tolerant landscape.
To celebrate Earth Day with a healthier home project, here’s one from the Browns’ home that’s fairly easy and inexpensive to achieve. One of the requirements for the green certification they wanted was having a place to sit down and take shoes off upon walking in the door. This encourages a shoe-free home, which prevents allergens and other nasty things from being trekked through the house.
Because the Browns didn’t have any room for a bench and built-ins along a wall at the entry, the architects at Openhaus Design came up with this mudroom-in-a-closet idea. A bench slides out of the closet, and each family member has a storage cubby. But we can also accomplish this with a small seat, basket for shoes and no-shoes-indoors policy.
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Because the Browns didn’t have any room for a bench and built-ins along a wall at the entry, the architects at Openhaus Design came up with this mudroom-in-a-closet idea. A bench slides out of the closet, and each family member has a storage cubby. But we can also accomplish this with a small seat, basket for shoes and no-shoes-indoors policy.
Learn more about this house
Share: Does celebrating Earth Day get you thinking about installing a rain barrel or tackling another sustainable project in your home or yard? Have you completed any? Please share your plans and experiences with us in the Comments.
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Architect Stephanie Horowitz and her team at ZeroEnergy Design designed this home in Lincoln to be net positive, meaning that it produces more energy than it consumes in a year. The house uses 70 percent less energy than a code-built house, and it makes 48 percent more energy than it uses. They accomplished this by:
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