Holland Passive House

Completion

Completion date
01/12/2017

Occupancy

Owner Occupied - Full time occupancy in the summer months, 2-3 days/wk during the off season.

Days per year Building is fully occupied:
120

Scope

Two story, wood framed, single family residence.

Type of Construction New
Floor area of each building 2,916
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 3.5
Stories 2
Conditioned Building Volume 22,826 cu ft
Conditioned Floor Area 2,916 sq ft

Location and Climate Details

Single-family residence

Address
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
United States
Location Type Rural
Climate Region Zone 5
Köppen Climate Type Dfb
Lat. / Long. POINT (-70.6036395 41.4542786)
Elevation 12 ft
Solar Insolation 4.46 kWh/m2/day
Annual CDD and Base Temp 88 | 78 deg F
Annual HDD and Base Temp 5346 | 65 deg F

Site

Site conditions:
previously developed land, wetlands, sensitive habitat
Site description:

Situated on a long narrow site, the residence was designed to carefully consider the impact the building will have on the site & the neighboring properties all while enhancing the privacy of the property and the home. Through the development of a master plan for the property, site strategies and building forms maximize natural light and views to Lake Tashmoo and beyond. Passive solar strategies together with careful consideration of coastal/prevailing winds minimize the impact on the natural environment (by reducing the need for energy consumption) and will provide utmost comfort during all seasons.

Materials and Design Strategy

Materials:

All Framing at 24" O.C.
Natural Alaskan yellow cedar siding & trim.
FSC certified hardwood decking.
Insulation was carefully selected to minimize environmental impact, including the use of cellulose, spray foam insulation with water based blowing agents, and plastic foams with blowing agents that have low Greenhouse Gas Warming Potential, such as EPS and Polyisocyanurate.
The design and installation of an advanced treatment (de-nitrifying) septic system further promotes a healthy and environmentally sensitive approach to home building.

Special architectural measures:

Designed to meet Passive House standards.
Attention to passive window shading details through the use of brise soleil’s on the south, and deep overhangs on the west, minimize the need for cooling in the warmer months.
Geothermal loop was installed for pre-heat and pre-cool of ventilation air.
Roof mounted PV solar array & solar DHW collectors.
To further strengthen the idea of passive survivability, the Holland House will not rely on a propane generator for power outages, with systems in place to use a hybrid electric car or Wall Battery as a possible backup power generation on site.
Carefully designed storm water management system was installed.

Indoor Environment Description:
Continuous MERV 13 filtered ventilation air using Zehnder ERV and ground loop geothermal ComfoFond. All paints, finishes, sealants, & adhesives used were either zero or low VOC. No formaldehyde in construction materials. Hardwood flooring & solid surfaces used throughout. The US EPA Indoor Air Quality Checklist was reviewed by the design team and the builder to insure both IAQ and a robust, durable and low maintenance home. The US EPA WaterSense checklist was reviewed during fixture and fitting selection. Omnisense sensors have been installed in wall and roof assemblies to monitor temperature, humidity and moisture content via a Wi-Fi connection, uploading data to the cloud, which can be continuously monitored in real-time and is immediately available for viewing and analysis from any web browser.