MADRONA PASSIVE HOUSE
MADRONA PASSIVE HOUSE LOT SIZE: BUILDING SIZE: LOCATION: PROJECT TYPE:
6,721 square feet 3,778 square feet Seattle, Washington Residential - Single Family
MADRONA PASSIVE HOUSE The Madrona Passive House was undertaken to set an example for energy efficient single family residences and to play a part in making climate-friendly building practices mainstream. Although the clients, local climate advocacy leaders, prioritized then reduction of building energy consumption, the house also needed to function well for their family, enhance their experience of the site, and be comfortable to live in year round. Designing and certifying the project under thePHIUS+2015 Standard was an ambitious but practical path toward a building modern, forward looking home with the lowest possible EUI. The house sits at the end of a cul-de-sac on an east facing steep slope lot overlooking Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains. The footprint of a 1940s-era house deconstructed for the project determined the location and plan of the building within the steep slope. Conceived as a block set within an inherited footprint, the simple mass was carved and pulled in response to site and program opportunities. Approached from the west, super-insulated walls of stained FSC cedar protect the private interior of the home while framing an entry court open to the neighborhood. A living wall fence creates a permeable green boundary between public and private realms, encouraging social interaction with passersby on a welltraveled route to the lake. Grey triple-paned windows with galvanized flashings puncture the black-stained cedar skin of the mass to create solar responsive openings modulated with exterior blinds. Inside, the home consists of three levels connected by a central stair and service core that reinforce a connection to the landscape as one circulates through the building. The placement of the stair core allows the primary rooms to open to territorial views east, while private and utility spaces have discrete views framed to the north and west. To respond to an approaching empty nest the lower level can be transformed into an ADU. FSC-certified walnut and ground concrete complement the natural hues of the greenbelt and water visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. Madrona Passive House exceeded all Passive House metrics in the energy model and was recently certified by PHIUS. The project has pending certifications for an ILFI energy petal and DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program. With a modeled and projected EUI of 8.9 kBTU/sf-yr and solar production offsetting car charging, the project is on track to fulfill its prime objective of creating a beautiful Net Zero home.
APPROACH: The house is a simple black box overlooking Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains.
PR
M
ER
SU M
IN
M
ER
SU M
IL 5p 4:1
6: 45 pm
DS
SU M
SIT ED AR KN ES S
4
8
BUILDABLE EDGE
7
m 5p 4:1
6: 45 pm
6
9
E IS NR SU
SU M
SIT ED AR KN ES S
m
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m 0p 8:0
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M
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SU
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NG
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FI
EV AI
CH UC K
NG ER S
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HAY CANYON
2
SU NR ISE
W IN TE R
BUILDABLE EDGE
UC
FI NOON ALTITUDE 18 deg
M
ER
W
IN
CH IL
TH
UG
AR
MO
TA IN
NEI GH
BO
3: 30 pm
OO
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
DE NGAGEMENT
SU M
UG
AR
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5p 4:1
6: 45 pm
CO
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SU M
NOON ALTITUDE 18 deg
.R MT
m 0p 8:0
E IS NR SU
M
ER
ET NS SU
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PREVA ILING W
R
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SIT ED AR KN ES S
m
1
9 8
2
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4
7
NI
6
AI .R MT
5
BUILDABLE EDGE
N RK DA
ES S
N
UN
W IN TE R
DS
CO
M
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8:0 0pm
SU
SU NR ISE
PREVA IL
NG
RE
LI
3
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DE NGAGEMENT
E
OO
ER
S
HAY CANYON
T. P
INDS TER W
PR
EV AI
H
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ING WIN
3: 30 pm
BO
2
TE SI
WINDS
GH
m 5p 4:1 ET NS SU TER WIN
INTER
8
NEI
N RK DA
ES S
1
3 9
7
TE SI
m 5p 4:1 ET NS SU TER WIN
4
6
8:0 0pm
1 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
driveway entry courtyard patio garage utility patio core living space deck lower yard
driveway entry courtyard patio garage utility patio core living space deck lower yard
SITE: The relationship of house and garage create three zones: 1) a front yard open to the street, 2) east deck with territorial HAY CANYON views and 3) a utility patio with connection to the neighbor.
ENTRY: Steel posts and beams suspend a steel plate canopy over the front door and a welded wire living wall that contains the front patio.
ENTRY: The front door opens to a bright interior of FSC certified walnut, polished concrete and painted wallboard..
INTERIOR: The floor to ceiling doors and windows connect the interior to territorial views of the Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains.
EAST DECK: The east deck unifies interior and exterior spaces to the landscape. Galvalume panels contract with the stained cedar siding to accentuate the 180 degree views afforded on the main floor.
KITCHEN PASS-THRU: An uninterrupted sightline and circulation path extends from the garage door to the kitchen.
MASTER BEDROOM Large east and south windows connect the master to a small private deck and to the landscape.
RAIN WATER
FOUNDATION
SOLAR ARRAY
WINDOWS
WALL ASSEMBLY
- Green roof slows storm water surges - Cistern collects water for irrigation
- Piles stabilize the site and foundation - Thermal envelope of the basement sits above the cold foundation
- 9.8 KW PV array sits on roof
- Triple pane aluminum-clad wood windows, (.123 U-value) - Exterior blinds control heat gain
- R-38 wall assembly - Exterior insulation - Wood rainscreen
BUILDING ELEMENTS: Considerations of site response, energy performance, and human experience were balanced to achieve a holistic design solution
EAST FACADE: Exterior blinds control solar gain on the east, south and west windows.
STORMWATER: A green roof and cistern control stromwater and collect rainwater for limited seasonal landscape irrigation.
-7,606 KWH
-2,318 KWH
10,697 KWH
-773 KWH PRODUCTION METER: The production meter is prominently located for daily feedback on the path to Net Zero. Currently the house is project to be net positive WITH the electric car!
MASSING: A taut skin of stained FSC cedar siding punctuated by large triple-glazed windows clads a box opened to view and solar access.
6,721 square feet 3,778 square feet Seattle, Washington Residential - Single Family
MADRONA PASSIVE HOUSE The Madrona Passive House was undertaken to set an example for energy efficient single family residences and to play a part in making climate-friendly building practices mainstream. Although the clients, local climate advocacy leaders, prioritized then reduction of building energy consumption, the house also needed to function well for their family, enhance their experience of the site, and be comfortable to live in year round. Designing and certifying the project under thePHIUS+2015 Standard was an ambitious but practical path toward a building modern, forward looking home with the lowest possible EUI. The house sits at the end of a cul-de-sac on an east facing steep slope lot overlooking Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains. The footprint of a 1940s-era house deconstructed for the project determined the location and plan of the building within the steep slope. Conceived as a block set within an inherited footprint, the simple mass was carved and pulled in response to site and program opportunities. Approached from the west, super-insulated walls of stained FSC cedar protect the private interior of the home while framing an entry court open to the neighborhood. A living wall fence creates a permeable green boundary between public and private realms, encouraging social interaction with passersby on a welltraveled route to the lake. Grey triple-paned windows with galvanized flashings puncture the black-stained cedar skin of the mass to create solar responsive openings modulated with exterior blinds. Inside, the home consists of three levels connected by a central stair and service core that reinforce a connection to the landscape as one circulates through the building. The placement of the stair core allows the primary rooms to open to territorial views east, while private and utility spaces have discrete views framed to the north and west. To respond to an approaching empty nest the lower level can be transformed into an ADU. FSC-certified walnut and ground concrete complement the natural hues of the greenbelt and water visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. Madrona Passive House exceeded all Passive House metrics in the energy model and was recently certified by PHIUS. The project has pending certifications for an ILFI energy petal and DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program. With a modeled and projected EUI of 8.9 kBTU/sf-yr and solar production offsetting car charging, the project is on track to fulfill its prime objective of creating a beautiful Net Zero home.
APPROACH: The house is a simple black box overlooking Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains.
PR
M
ER
SU M
IN
M
ER
SU M
IL 5p 4:1
6: 45 pm
DS
SU M
SIT ED AR KN ES S
4
8
BUILDABLE EDGE
7
m 5p 4:1
6: 45 pm
6
9
E IS NR SU
SU M
SIT ED AR KN ES S
m
5
m 0p 8:0
ER M
M
ER
ET NS SU
N
E IS NR SU
W
m 0p 8:0
ET NS SU
ER M
M
T. P
SU
TH
NG
M
LI
RE E
FI
EV AI
CH UC K
NG ER S
N
HAY CANYON
2
SU NR ISE
W IN TE R
BUILDABLE EDGE
UC
FI NOON ALTITUDE 18 deg
M
ER
W
IN
CH IL
TH
UG
AR
MO
TA IN
NEI GH
BO
3: 30 pm
OO
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
DE NGAGEMENT
SU M
UG
AR
MO
UN
TA IN
5p 4:1
6: 45 pm
CO
ER NI AI
SU M
NOON ALTITUDE 18 deg
.R MT
m 0p 8:0
E IS NR SU
M
ER
ET NS SU
ER M
PREVA ILING W
R
H
SIT ED AR KN ES S
m
1
9 8
2
ER
4
7
NI
6
AI .R MT
5
BUILDABLE EDGE
N RK DA
ES S
N
UN
W IN TE R
DS
CO
M
M
8:0 0pm
SU
SU NR ISE
PREVA IL
NG
RE
LI
3
K
NG
DE NGAGEMENT
E
OO
ER
S
HAY CANYON
T. P
INDS TER W
PR
EV AI
H
R
ING WIN
3: 30 pm
BO
2
TE SI
WINDS
GH
m 5p 4:1 ET NS SU TER WIN
INTER
8
NEI
N RK DA
ES S
1
3 9
7
TE SI
m 5p 4:1 ET NS SU TER WIN
4
6
8:0 0pm
1 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
driveway entry courtyard patio garage utility patio core living space deck lower yard
driveway entry courtyard patio garage utility patio core living space deck lower yard
SITE: The relationship of house and garage create three zones: 1) a front yard open to the street, 2) east deck with territorial HAY CANYON views and 3) a utility patio with connection to the neighbor.
ENTRY: Steel posts and beams suspend a steel plate canopy over the front door and a welded wire living wall that contains the front patio.
ENTRY: The front door opens to a bright interior of FSC certified walnut, polished concrete and painted wallboard..
INTERIOR: The floor to ceiling doors and windows connect the interior to territorial views of the Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains.
EAST DECK: The east deck unifies interior and exterior spaces to the landscape. Galvalume panels contract with the stained cedar siding to accentuate the 180 degree views afforded on the main floor.
KITCHEN PASS-THRU: An uninterrupted sightline and circulation path extends from the garage door to the kitchen.
MASTER BEDROOM Large east and south windows connect the master to a small private deck and to the landscape.
RAIN WATER
FOUNDATION
SOLAR ARRAY
WINDOWS
WALL ASSEMBLY
- Green roof slows storm water surges - Cistern collects water for irrigation
- Piles stabilize the site and foundation - Thermal envelope of the basement sits above the cold foundation
- 9.8 KW PV array sits on roof
- Triple pane aluminum-clad wood windows, (.123 U-value) - Exterior blinds control heat gain
- R-38 wall assembly - Exterior insulation - Wood rainscreen
BUILDING ELEMENTS: Considerations of site response, energy performance, and human experience were balanced to achieve a holistic design solution
EAST FACADE: Exterior blinds control solar gain on the east, south and west windows.
STORMWATER: A green roof and cistern control stromwater and collect rainwater for limited seasonal landscape irrigation.
-7,606 KWH
-2,318 KWH
10,697 KWH
-773 KWH PRODUCTION METER: The production meter is prominently located for daily feedback on the path to Net Zero. Currently the house is project to be net positive WITH the electric car!
MASSING: A taut skin of stained FSC cedar siding punctuated by large triple-glazed windows clads a box opened to view and solar access.
