PASSIVE HOUSE . CT Passive Farmhouse
Photography by: Mindy Briar
This two-story 5-bedroom, 6.5 bathroom, 4600 sf house is situated on a flat 3-acre meadow in Ridgefield CT. Built for a young family of four, it contains lots of room for family time as well as hobby time. The fully finished lower floor adds another 2,000 sf of in-law suite entertainment area/ slash pool house, music room and workout room. Inspired by the modern farmhouse transitional style, the addition of natural wood ‘barn style garage and entry give it a stylistic edge.
Designed to meet LEED Platinum, Passive House and Net Zero Certifications. (Certification are in process)
Construction Methods:
Foundation Walls
Poured concrete- fully insulated to the interior.
Slab
4” concrete slab over recycled foamed glass AeroAggregate insulation in the full basement.
Framing
Wood-framed, with little steel . Constructed using the “advanced framing” technique, with double-stud walls. Open-web trusses and TJIs were used for the floors, ceilings, and roofs.
Above Ground Insulation
Environmentally friendly and carbon sequestering “dense-pack cellulose” was used throughout the walls and attic. No spray foam was used. Walls were insulated to a value of R-43. Some Rockwool was used.
Roof
Standing seam metal roofing on garage and main house gables are standard single roofs. Roofs were insulated to an impressive range of R-70 to R-80.
Siding
Traditional imported Nakamoto Pika Pika Natural wood siding installed on a ventilated rain screen on the garage and the main house’s board and batten siding is painted Alaskan Yellow cedar.
HVAC
3-ton Mitsubishi air source heat pumps and a Zehnder ERV makeup air system heat, cool, and provide fresh air to the entirety of the home year-round.
Solar
17.6kW (49 panels) photovoltaic solar array for the house’s electrical needs.
Windows + Doors
European triple-pane windows from Klearwall (Ireland). Black powder-coated aluminum on the interior and exterior. Aluminum clad on the exterior with stainless steel hardware.
