Energy Efficiency - Page 31 of 76

Overlooking the Puget Sound on Queen Anne Hill, this garden pavilion is a dramatic modernist treat. On a sloping hillside, the “front” opens up with soaring windows. On the entry…

Our air barrier gets us to 1.0 ACH50. Our windows and doors get us Passive House tight.

The air-sealing efforts pay off with Passive House–level airtightness

This insulation material is popular for its high R-value and good air-sealing and vapor-blocking properties, but cost, health, and environmental concerns cause some builders to have second thoughts.

Designing for a pre-teens room provides its own specific challenges. This desk area was set up to grow with the owners changing needs. Originally the shelf height was set up…

Faced with consequences equivalent to a giant asteroid set to hit the earth in 10 to 50 years, we designers and builders owe it to the future to do our part—and we need to start right now.

Locating the compressor outdoors and using CO2 as the refrigerant eliminates some of the biggest concerns builders have with typical hybrid water heaters have.

The trend of whole-home system design is gaining ground in high-performance home building. This approach considers the home as a single system with interdependent parts, including framing, walls, insulation, windows,…

A deep energy retrofit should be part of a comprehensive retrofit that improves several integrated factors: function, comfort, energy efficiency, durability, health, and aesthetics.

It is harvest time in Sonoma and Napa Counties, the grapes are ready. This modern structure with corrugated siding is ripe with agricultural references. The peaked roof, farmhouse exterior lights,…