The largest Passive House in the nation will be completed within a year in Hillsboro, Oregon, the Oregonian reports.
The Passive House structure will be the first of three phases for the Orchards at Orenco project, which aims to construct mixed-availability buildings and provide 150 units of affordable housing.
The Passivhaus ("Passive House" in the U.S.), a concept founded in the 1990s by German physicist Wolfgang Feist, is a strict building standard that decreases energy used for heating and cooling by up to 90%. While the standard spread quickly in Europe (by 2010, the continent had 25,000 Passivhaus-rated structures), the U.S. has been slow to adopt the standard. Only about 100 Passive House projects exist across the country.
Here are more details on the Orchards at Orenco project, courtesy Walsh Construction:
REACH Community Development continues its affordable home-building program with the launch of its Orchards at Orenco project this month at Hillsboro’s Orenco Station.
REACH, a nonprofit with nearly 1,900 units of affordable housing, is beginning construction of the 57-unit first phase of Orchards at Orenco, a three-building complex that will eventually provide about 150 units affordable housing. Phase 1 will serve families earning 50 percent or less of the area median family income, or about $30,000.
The project is designed by William Wilson Architects and Ankrom Moisan Architects; and Green Hammer is the Passive House Consultant.
The $14.5 million project is financed with $9 million in tax credits purchased by Wells Fargo Bank, a $2.4 million permanent loan with Oregon state credits and contributions from the Washington County, Meyer Memorial Trust, Energy Trust of Oregon and NeighborWorks America.
Key Passive House features include:
- The roof will have 12 inches of insulation, about four times what is required. The light color will reflect solar radiation and help moderate the building temperature.
- PVC-fiberglass hybrid windows will have argon-filled triple pane glazing and are designed to close tighter than more common models.
- The building is positioned to keep the building comfortable in summer months with shading devices that allow winter sun but block it in the summer.
- The building’s super-insulated envelope includes four inches of foam insulation under the ground floor slab.
Related Stories
| Jan 27, 2012
Columbia University’s New Core Laboratory aims for LEED Silver
Construction manager Sordoni Construction Co. along with the design team of Payette Architects and Vanderweil Engineers will provide design and construction services to renovate the majority of the existing Core Lab building to create the new Lamont Center for Bio-Geochemistry.
| Jan 26, 2012
Three dead, 16 missing in Rio buildings collapse
The buildings, one 20 floors high, collapsed on Wednesday night in a cloud of dust and smoke just one block away from the city's historic Municipal Theater.
| Jan 26, 2012
Siemens launches smoke detection knowledge center
New knowledge center web site demonstrates efficacy of smoke detection.
| Jan 26, 2012
Hendrick Construction completes Osso Restaurant in Charlotte
Designed by François Fossard, Osso's upscale interior includes tapered, twisted decorative columns and an elegant fireplace in the center of the lounge.
| Jan 26, 2012
HOK partners with USGBC on design of Haiti children's center
Passive design principles give form to a sustainable, restorative environment for the children of Haiti.
| Jan 26, 2012
American Standard names Gould as president and CEO
Gould succeeds Don Devine, who led the successful turnaround of American Standard Brands.
| Jan 26, 2012
Summit Design+Build completes law office in Chicago
Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen's new office suite features private offices, open office area, conference rooms, reception area, exposed wood beams and columns, and exposed brick.
| Jan 24, 2012
New iPad app ready for prime time
Siemens’ versatile application connects users to APOGEE BAS control and monitoring functions via wireless network connectivity. The application directly interacts with BACnet/IP and Siemens APOGEE P2 field panels.
| Jan 24, 2012
Vyhanek joins Thornton Tomasetti’s Kansas City office
Vyhanek will assemble a new MEP team in the Midwest to support Building Performance and Property Loss Consulting practices.
| Jan 24, 2012
U of M installs new lighting at Crisler Player Development Center
Energy efficient lighting installed at PDC reduce costs and improves player performance.