Passive solar

An Abundant Future

April 24, 2012 By JulieG Leave a Comment

LEAFHouse, the University of Maryland’s 2007 Solar Decathlon project, touched hundreds of lives. Over 200 students were involved with the two-year effort, as well as dozens of industry experts and professional tradespeople. Julie Gabrielli was one of three faculty advisors, designing curriculum to guide the students through the process of collaborative, interdisciplinary design; giving feedback on the design; and contributing to the communications package.

The LEAF in the name stands for Leading Everyone to an Abundant Future, and also speaks of the inspiration the team drew from the leaf as nature’s solar collector. The team finished second overall in stiff competition, first in the U.S. LEAFHouse now has a permanent home on the College Park campus, as the headquarters of the Potomac Valley AIA, and is sometimes open for tours.

An abundance of details about the house design, the team, the process, and the Solar Decathlon contests, can be seen on the official website.

Photo by Jim Tetro

Filed Under: Architecture, New Residential, portfolio Tagged With: Active solar, Daylight, Energy efficient, Green wall, Natural ventilation, Passive solar, Radiant heat, Solar hot water

21st Century Craftsman Bungalow

April 24, 2012 By JulieG Leave a Comment

This new home is nestled at the end of a quiet street in Takoma Park, Maryland. The lot is surrounded by great Tulip Poplars and historic bungalows. Because of new setbacks on the small site, the original one-story house had to be completely deconstructed.

Left: existing house Right: new design

The design and detail is based on the traditional bungalow. A significant amount of space is deftly contained within pleasing proportions and scale that fit the neighborhood. The house has a full basement, two complete living floors and a sizable attic for storage and kids’ lofts.

Care was taken to create a comfortable and efficient home that is well-knit with the site. Orientation of “winter” and “summer” spaces takes advantage of the path of the sun through the day and seasons, allowing for passive heating and cooling. The sunroom, screened porch, and deck with outdoor shower are in-between spaces from which to engage with the outdoors.

A deep commitment to environmental sustainability informed every aspect of the design and construction. A computer energy model helped the team to coordinate the interactions of the building orientation, envelope, and the mechanical system.

Materials:

The existing house was carefully deconstructed so that salvaged materials could be donated or sold, including brick, framing lumber, oak flooring, paneled doors, kitchen appliances, copper and steel pipe, and aluminum. Even the mercury from the old thermostats was recycled, rather than landfilled. Stone from the original chimney was incorporated into the new house.

85% of the construction waste was recycled.

The concrete has a high percentage of fly-ash, a waste product from coal-fired electricity plants that is usually landfilled. Fly-ash offsets the use of cement, the production of which is highly energy –intensive and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Hardie board siding made from cement and recycled wood fibers; front porch timbers from urban salvaged trees; zero-VOC paint; FSC certified wood floors; bamboo floors; water-based stain and varnish; oak trim from urban salvaged trees (cured in a solar-powered kiln); formaldehyde-free cabinetry; cast concrete & recycled glass counters and soaking tub; LED and fluorescent lighting; interior doors of oak veneer over compressed wheat core.

Energy:

Great attention was paid in the construction to proper insulation of all walls and slabs; and air sealing at joints and openings.

Ceiling fans in all bedrooms, the sunroom, dining room and den are a very low-energy way to stay comfortable during swing seasons.

Heat: High-efficiency “Munchkin” boiler, some rooms have radiant floor heat; Tulikivi ceramic stove in Great Room (a few logs can keep the first floor warm for twelve hours)

Energy Star appliances .

Water:

Plumbing: PEX instead of copper. Low-flush and dual-flush toilets; low-flow faucets and shower heads.

Native plant landscaping.

Epstein Residence, photo by Julie Gabrielli

Filed Under: Architecture, New Residential, portfolio Tagged With: Certified wood, Daylight, Energy efficient, Passive solar, Radiant heat, Reused materials, Salvaged wood

Forest Retreat

April 21, 2012 By JulieG 2 Comments

The steep path crosses wetlands and streams as it winds through the forest up the hill and into a clearing. Our clients’ priorities were to maintain a deep connection with the forest and to build with non-toxic materials. We designed an earth-sheltered house with passive solar heating, natural ventilation, and other energy- and resource-efficient elements. Computer energy modeling and building science helped us to optimize the orientation, building elements and heating and cooling systems.

Visitors arrive at the house from the north, through a modest walled garden passageway set into a gentle rise near the top of the site. From within, the house gradually opens outward, towards a dramatic ravine to the southeast. Part buried, part pavilion in the woods, the house alternately acts as cave (refuge) and treehouse (prospect).

The main structure is foam and steel prefabricated panels, for maximum insulation with minimum embodied energy. We found historic chestnut logs salvaged from an 18th century church and a traditional timber framer to build the structure of the Great Room. The clients love it because it feels like a lodge to them.

Other features:

open and screened porches at the forest edge
radiant heat floors
eco-friendly finish materials such as cork, rubber, and locally quarried stone
concrete countertops and Japanese soaking tub made by a local artisan
rain garden and native landscaping
no gutters; rain drips off the roof into a gravel bed and percolates back into the water table
durable Hardi-board siding on the outside

The house has grown into its surroundings over time and provides sensual delights year-round. Great Blue Herons have been known to visit – brazenly stealing fish from the pond. Hints of the client’s experiences of serenity, beauty and wonder can be glimpsed in her album of photographs below.