Modern Super Energy fficient
Hooson
As we pull our eyes away from the stunning views of Mayne and Saturna Islands, some of the southern gulf islands, we see a very simple form that evolved from the shape and size of the building site. The building site on this lot had been predetermined by the developer to take advantage of the view, but they had removed many trees. Fortunately they left two magnificent Arbutus trees that we chose to keep and work around.
The requirements for this Pender Island project were simple, only one bedroom and bath, with den/ office, utility and great room. An open plan incorporates living area, dining and kitchen with sweeping ocean views through a floor to ceiling wall of windows. A patio area was created to the side of the great room to provide outside living without impacting the views from inside.
Though the floor area is somewhat compact by todays standards, the rooms are spacious. Open plan spaces allow each area to blend into the adjacent space and expand or contract as needed creating a much more generous feel with no interior walls to chop things up.
Corrugated metal siding was chosen because of it's durability and high recyclability. This is a high exposure location with driving rain in the winter months, so this option is extremely durable. The use of contrasting pine siding and soffits, adds definition to this otherwise simple form. Surprisingly, the black siding actually makes the house almost impossible to see from the water, unless you know exactly where to look.
We used the Passive House method in the design and construction of this super energy efficient home, though reaching Passive House certification was not the goal. The performance level is still substantial with about 80% less energy required for space heating than stock builds. We chose to sacrifice performance in order to maximize the views. Windows are the weakest element in super energy efficient construction, so adding such a high percentage of glazing increases energy loss. Another important aspect in energy performance is taking advantage of free heat from the sun. In this case, the house faces north east, so that free energy isn't really available to us. Despite the compromises, energy performance is excellent and comfort beyond compare. I can't imagine ever living in a standard house again.
Passive House isn't just about energy savings, comfort and hygiene are equally important. Uniform indoor air temperature throughout the house without drafts, from the living room to the back of the deepest closet are achieved.
Superior indoor air quality is achieved with an HRV (heat recovery ventilator) constantly exchanging stale air from inside with fresh outside air, controlling humidity, VOCs and particulates. Passive Houses often have better air quality than outside.
Details
Interior Floor Area (TFA) 110m² (1184 ft²)
Heat Load =19W/m²
Annual Space Heating Demand ±4600kWh/a = $414.00
Walls U= 0.125 W/(m²K)
Roof U= 0.113 W/(m²K)
Floor (Concrete) U= 0.111 W/(m²K)
Floor (Wood) U= 0.123 W/(m²K)
Windows (Triple Pane) Uᵂ= 0.80 W/(m²K)