PORTOLA VALLEY PASSIVE HOUSE
LOCATION PORTOLA VALLEY CA
DATE 7/10/2011
ARCHITECT SCOTT SHELL (EHDD)
OWNERS CHRIS FIELD (HEAD OF GLOBAL ECOLOGY /STANFORD UNIVERSITY)
NONA CHIARIELLO (JASPER RIDGE RESERVE/ RESIDENT COORDINATOR)
CHRIS AND NONA HAD PURCHASED A 100 YEAR OLD 1500 SQ FT RESIDENCE IN A GROVE BY A CREEK IN PORTOLA VALLEY. THEY WANTED TO PRESERVE THE PRISTINE REDWOOD INTERIORS AND SIMULATE THE EXTERIORS (SHINGLES AND DOUBLE HUNG WINDOWS)…BUT THEY WANTED THE NEW STRUCTURE TO BE COMPLETELY PASSIVE..REQUIRING NO ENERGY.
FIRST WE REMOVED THE STONE FIREPLACE, STRIPPED OFF ALL THE EXTERIOR SHINGLES AND REMOVED ALL THE WINDOWS…WE PUT THE BUILDINGS ON I-BEAMS AND SLID THEM OFF SITE.
NEXT WE POURED A 12” THICK MATT SLAB WITH 12” THICK STEM CONCRETE WALLS…WE INSTALLED A JOISTED FLOOR AND PLYWOODED IT…THEN WE SLID THE BUILDINGS BACK ON TO THE NEW FLOOR…WITH 8” ADDED SPACE ON THE OUTSIDE …ALL AROUND…THIS ADDED SPACE WAS FOR BUILDING A COMPLETE NEW FRAME ALL AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE OLD STRUCTURE AS WELL AS FRAMING A COMPLETE NEW 2 X 12 ROOF OVER THE OLD…THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO DOUBLE INSULATE AND HERMETICALLY SEAL THE WHOLE STRUCTURE. CHRIS DEVISED A CIRCULATING SYSTEM THAT WORKED FOR THE WHOLE STRUCTURE (SWISS MADE).
WE INSTALLED NEW TRIPLE GLAZED WINDOWS, AIR TIGHT DOORS AND 3M TAPED VIRTUALLY EVERY JOINT IN THE WHOLE BUILDING…CHRIS AND NONA PERFORMED THEIR OWN AIR DOOR TESTING….AND AFTER ABOUT A WEEK OF TESTING AND RE- SEALING WE PASSED THE AIR DOOR TESTS REQUIRED TO QUALIFY AS A TRULY “PASSIVE” STRUCTURE.
THE OWNERS GOT JUST WHAT THEY WANTED …THE SAME EXQUISITE INTERIORS…A MATCHING EXTERIOR…AND A COMPLETELY PASSIVE HOME.
DATE 7/10/2011
ARCHITECT SCOTT SHELL (EHDD)
OWNERS CHRIS FIELD (HEAD OF GLOBAL ECOLOGY /STANFORD UNIVERSITY)
NONA CHIARIELLO (JASPER RIDGE RESERVE/ RESIDENT COORDINATOR)
CHRIS AND NONA HAD PURCHASED A 100 YEAR OLD 1500 SQ FT RESIDENCE IN A GROVE BY A CREEK IN PORTOLA VALLEY. THEY WANTED TO PRESERVE THE PRISTINE REDWOOD INTERIORS AND SIMULATE THE EXTERIORS (SHINGLES AND DOUBLE HUNG WINDOWS)…BUT THEY WANTED THE NEW STRUCTURE TO BE COMPLETELY PASSIVE..REQUIRING NO ENERGY.
FIRST WE REMOVED THE STONE FIREPLACE, STRIPPED OFF ALL THE EXTERIOR SHINGLES AND REMOVED ALL THE WINDOWS…WE PUT THE BUILDINGS ON I-BEAMS AND SLID THEM OFF SITE.
NEXT WE POURED A 12” THICK MATT SLAB WITH 12” THICK STEM CONCRETE WALLS…WE INSTALLED A JOISTED FLOOR AND PLYWOODED IT…THEN WE SLID THE BUILDINGS BACK ON TO THE NEW FLOOR…WITH 8” ADDED SPACE ON THE OUTSIDE …ALL AROUND…THIS ADDED SPACE WAS FOR BUILDING A COMPLETE NEW FRAME ALL AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE OLD STRUCTURE AS WELL AS FRAMING A COMPLETE NEW 2 X 12 ROOF OVER THE OLD…THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO DOUBLE INSULATE AND HERMETICALLY SEAL THE WHOLE STRUCTURE. CHRIS DEVISED A CIRCULATING SYSTEM THAT WORKED FOR THE WHOLE STRUCTURE (SWISS MADE).
WE INSTALLED NEW TRIPLE GLAZED WINDOWS, AIR TIGHT DOORS AND 3M TAPED VIRTUALLY EVERY JOINT IN THE WHOLE BUILDING…CHRIS AND NONA PERFORMED THEIR OWN AIR DOOR TESTING….AND AFTER ABOUT A WEEK OF TESTING AND RE- SEALING WE PASSED THE AIR DOOR TESTS REQUIRED TO QUALIFY AS A TRULY “PASSIVE” STRUCTURE.
THE OWNERS GOT JUST WHAT THEY WANTED …THE SAME EXQUISITE INTERIORS…A MATCHING EXTERIOR…AND A COMPLETELY PASSIVE HOME.