RED  CLAY  PASSIVE

Single Family Residential

New Construction
3,500 SF
Kennett Square, PA

This project investigates the notions of a Shaker farmhouse in a contemporary, low carbon context. Like the barns that dot its agrarian landscape, the house is simple in shape, absent of ornament, and constrained in material expression. 

It’s simple, vernacular form steps down with the sloped site and orients its long axis towards the south, maximizing solar exposure during winter months. Exemplifying a “New Carbon” architecture, this house and adjacent out building avoid the inconsistencies and waste of conventional ‘stick-built construction’. Instead it uses an innovative, wood-fiber-based, panelized assembly system to streamline construction and minimize embodied carbon; all wall and roof components are prefabricated within seventy miles of the project site.

PROJECT STRATEGIES

Passive House (PHIUS)+ Source Zero Energy Certification

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-1.88 pEUI

0.5 ACH 50

7 kW Roof-top solar PV array

Prefabricated, Wood-Fiber-Based Wall Assembly
Energy Recovery Ventilation
All electric systems
Reduced heating and cooling system size
Energy-Star appliances
High interior air quality

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CONTRIBUTORS:

Builder: Hugh Lofting Timber Framing

Energy Verifier: DSB Energy 

Energy Modeler & Consultant: Tight Bild 

Structural Engineer: CKS Structures

Prefabricated Assembly Provider: Blueprint Robotics

Prefabricated Assembly System: Holzraum 

Photography: Dave Apple