architecture and place
we’ve been too busy to post for quite awhile, but work has been progressing nicely on the skidmore house. here’s a quick look around:
we hope to be putting the final touches on in the next few weeks. lots of catching up to do. check back soon for more on this project and others.
next up on skidmore passivhaus is installing the outsulation on the walls along with the rainscreen furring.
the plywood sheathing was first covered by a weather resistive barrier with metal head flashings at the windows and doors.
most walls get a layer of 3″ poly-iso, while the south wall will get 4″ to match the recessed pocket for the exterior shades.
2 screws (with plastic washer) per 4×8 sheet hold it in place until the furring strips are installed.
all seams and fasteners are taped. the face of the insulation is treated as a second weather resistive barrier.
additional flashings at all doors and windows will be taped to the insulation as the wood trim is installed.
1/2″ x 2″ pt plywood furring strips run vertically to create the drainage plane. they are held in place by just a few fasteners until the next layer is installed.
since we are using vertical siding, a second layer of furring runs horizontally. we used pt 1×4 as a solid nailing base for the siding.
long fasteners secure the second layer of furring strips running horizontally through the foam to the studs. the straightforward framing layout makes the studs much easier to locate.
keep in mind that long fasteners get expensive. we settled on grabber #10 x 6″ square drive coated screws (from nw staple).
next up on the exterior is trimming windows and installing siding.
stop by again soon.
framing has been moving along at skidmore passivhaus since we placed our slab on grade.
the house is quickly taking shape thanks to dam framers (doug marshak and crew).
there are a few things that make the framing on this house just a little different from the typical house:
All of this results in more space for insulation!
Plus there’s less wood used and less material cost.
Some of the many next steps include:
Check back soon for updates.
we recently made a visit to the coast to have a look at the oceanside beach house.
designed in 2010, the owners have been completing the house in their spare time.
we recently whipped up a design proposal for a new residence in the northwest hills of portland. we had a great time with it but unfortunately it looks like this one will be staying on the shelf. let us know if you want to take it for a spin.
we recently shared some drawings and photos of a small bathroom remodel inspired by the japanese bath house. the work is complete and it turned out quite nicely (thanks to right arm construction). here are some photos of the completed project:
a quick reminder of what it once was.
as we inch closer to getting started on our project, we continue to scrutinize our current plans in an effort to create a house that is fine tuned for our needs. as an architect, i want a house that is inspiring and beautiful, and embodies what is important to us. as the owner with a very limited budget, we want to make sure that our cost expectations are realistic. since i’ll be playing general contractor, i want an easy to construct and problem free building.
we’ve taken another pass at redesigning the house with an eye toward efficiency and simplicity – both in terms of square footage and energy. we felt there were a few redundancies, tricky details, and program pieces that we are better off without. here’s a quick snapshot of the progression of the plans.
as always, there are a few ideas though that we refuse to give up.
requirement #1: warm, comfortable, and extremely energy efficient
we want to live simply and in a beautiful inspiring place that is warm and comfortable regardless of the time of year. we also want to minimize our footprint and our energy costs. although we will most likely pursue passivhaus certification, the path we take isn’t really as important as the end result. for us, passivhaus is just a means to a better end. our generous friends at brute force collaborative have been providing the expertise to help us get there.
meeting passivhaus requirements means the house will use no more than 4.75 kBTU / ft2 annually for space heating. for the main house, this translates to about 5.27 mBTU or 1544 kWh annually for space heating (we are planning to use electricity to heat the house). at our current rate of around $.09 / kWh, our annual heating bill would be no more than $139.
although we know that the studios will see far less use than the main house, using the same formula yields an annual heating bill for the studios of no more than $51.
requirement #2: wood windows and doors
since we want wood windows and doors, and they need to be extremely high performing to achieve requirement #1, we have been looking at manufacturers based in germany and austria. this is our largest single expense and perhaps an easy target for criticism, as these beauties will need to be shipped overseas. we would love to use a locally produced product, but unfortunately no wood windows made in the US come even close in terms of performance. it’s a bit of a quandary, but brute force collaborative has performed an interesting analysis (based on our previous design) that has us feeling more comfortable with our decision: Can European windows actually save carbon?
requirement #3: separate work from home
an important part of our program is space to do work and make things. we know we could make a more cost effective and thermally efficient house if we combined our work space with our home, but we like the idea of some separation. we think we can make this simple idea a huge asset.
requirement #4: create positive outdoor space
our intention has always been to use the form of the house to shape outdoor space. again, this may contradict requirement #1 but we don’t just want a box sitting in the landscape. we want two boxes sitting in the landscape creating positive space between!
requirement #5: keep it modest and make it beautiful
many people may not agree, but we think these two wood clad boxes with concrete floors, white sheetrock walls, natural wood doors and windows, and flooded with light will be quite beautiful.
Beech Urban Gardens is a new mixed-use building designed to meet passivhaus standards and substantially raise the bar on energy efficiency. Located at the heart of the burgeoning N Williams corridor, BUG sits on an empty south facing 50′ x 120′ corner lot. Seven residential units occupy the top two floors, while six creative offices are situated above three ground floor retail spaces.
BUG features a fully glazed south facade utilizing a high-performance window system to maximize direct solar gain, minimize heat loss, and provide exceptional views and daylight. A system of sliding wood shutters is incorporated into the facade to provide complete external shading in the summer and eliminate overheating, while still allowing views and daylight.
The roof features a community garden with raised beds and a potting shed, a huge terrace with views to the neighborhood and the city, and photovoltaic panels making the roof’s south guardrail and providing the building’s minimal electrical needs. A greywater recycling storage tank provides gravity fed water for the rooftop gardens and the building below.
interior of typical residential unit
southwest view with wooden shutters in closed position
yesterday we took advantage of the recent stretch of dry weather to visit our project under construction at the coast.
the exterior siding is installed and awaits a few final details and paint. the body and trim will be painted a dark warm grey and should recede nicely into the landscape.
the open stair is flooded with south light and draws you up from the entry into the main volume of the house.
the spectacular view to the west required a nice long deck to take it all in after a hard day of playing on the beach (insert drink in hand).
the tiny east elevation.
the cozy bedroom tucked into the east end.
the future 3-star ping pong room on the lower level.
a small taste of the main living room – more on this space later.
the bathroom with soaking tub and skylight above.
the west elevation in its partially finished state.
the north entry elevation from the road.
for more on the construction process so far, see the previous posts here, here, and here.
for more on the design, see the previous posts here and here.
the software is free and the skills are rudimentary.
but i still enjoy seeing some context.
more after the break.
IN SITU 
