How to Make a House Levitate: The Accidental Deep Energy Retrofit
What began as a planned new build took an unexpected turn when this prefabricated house, originally slated for demolition, was given a second life. Poor original detailing left the home ill-equipped to handle Maine’s dramatic weather shifts, and moisture issues had led to mold in the crawl space, exterior sheathing, and around openings. Kaplan Thompson Architects partnered with Warren Construction to transform the existing structure into a high-performance, refined home. The renovation unfolded over multiple seasons, with many challenges, ultimately resulting in an airtight, highly glazed residence with a striking interior highlighted by a seemingly unsupported central beam.
Session Chairs
Session Speakers
Assess high performance retrofit options when faced with existing assemblies that challenge building science rules.
Evaluate the impact of thermal bridging conditions within not-coincident assemblies through the use of THERM modeling, and dissect frame edge details that increase overall performance.
Employ strategies for mitigating the impact of increased embodied carbon when large structural spans are required.
Formulate alternative solutions for air barrier continuity within an existing structure with strict architectural requirements.
This session is pre-approved for 1 credit hour toward AIA (LU|HSW), BPI, LEED (BD+C, ID+C), MA CSL, and NARI certification. Those who attend a full day of the conference are additionally eligible for credit toward Phius and RESNET certification.