Passive House Open Days: Briggs Passive House

Description

658 Briggs Passive House is pHdesign’s first self-developed Passive House project, and as part of International Passive House Open Days, we’re opening our doors to architects, builders, developers, homeowners, and anyone curious about high-performance homes in the Catskills. 

The project began with a question: can a Passive House single-family home be built at a price that works for the typical buyer? Developed in partnership with Aaron Yassin, this house is our first test case. It’s a roughly 1,600 sf, three-bedroom, two-bath home on a wooded 1.25-acre lot, built to the PHI Low Energy Building standard and reaching 0.378 ACH50 on its final blower door test. What we learned here will shape a series of Hudson Valley projects being designed to be well-built, comfortable, energy-efficient homes for buyers seeking market rate high-performance construction. 

The envelope relies on wood-based materials, including TimberHP wood fiber insulation. Pro Clima variable-permeability membranes, tapes, and sealants were used for air sealing. High-performance windows and doors come from Wythe Windows, and a Brink ERV provides continuous fresh air. The site itself also provided materials including pine and cherry trees felled during site clearing which were used for siding and decorative elements. 

Drop in anytime during the afternoon to walk the house, watch a slideshow of the build, and talk with the design, construction, and consulting team on site. 

Food and drinks provided. 

Register on Eventbrite. 

Project team 

• pHdesign, architect and developer 
• Aaron Yassin, development partner 
• Cramer Silkworth, Baukraft Engineering, mechanical design 
• TimberHP, wood fiber insulation and TimberBoard early adopter program 
• 475 High Performance Building Supply, air sealing membranes, tapes, sealants, and Brink ERV 
• Wythe Windows, windows and doors 
• Patrick Dougherty, site carpentry and air sealing