ZeroCottage is a cutting-edge green home under construction in San Francisco. The net-zero energy project by David Baker and Partners Architects is pursuing every notable green building certification around, including the Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum, Green Point Rated, and Passive House.
Update 8/19/2011: PHIUS just published its response [PDF].
Today, tweets exploded on our Passive House list maintained through Twitter. It started with word this morning that the Passivhaus Institut, founded by Dr. Wolfgang Feist in 1996, had revoked certifier status held by Passive House US (PHIUS), the only Passive House certifier in the United States. This news was verified by Dr. Feist himself on Twitter, with a link to an open letter issued by the Passivhaus Institut explaining what was going on.
It’s no secret that Passivhaus, or Passive House, is exploding in popularity right now. This site is publishing more about Passive House every week and readers seem to be more interested in these ultra-efficient homes than ever. In fact, the volume of news references for “Passive House” and “Passivhaus” is up in recent years, according to a simple search using Google Trends.
So, what’s the secret behind the success of Passive House?
SmartHome Cleveland at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History opened for tours earlier this month, making it the only public Passive House in the country. We previewed the ultra-efficient abode a few months back and can now supplement our earlier coverage with these interior and exterior photos.
SmartHome will blend in with its future neighborhood, but don’t be fooled. This home is different than most new and existing homes. This home represents the future of energy-efficient housing and it will be open for visits through the end of this year, 2011.
125 Haus is a home under construction that could become a model for next-gen housing that’s extremely energy and cost efficient. Architect and owner Jörg Rügemer* expects this to be Utah’s most energy-efficient and cost-effective house, which is saying a lot given the fact that the Breezeway House obtained Passive House certification on a budget. When complete, 125 Haus will have three bedrooms, a studio, and 2,400 square feet with an expected construction cost of $118 per square foot.
Project Profiles
