Cheryl Corsiglia, Author at Living Craft

About Passive House Design/Build

Residential construction is undergoing a transformative shift towards energy efficiency and carbon reduction. The Passive House design standard, coupled with low carbon building materials, is at the forefront of this revolution.

Living Craft is building two new homes in the Marshall fire burn area in Louisville, CO to the passive house standard. We have partnered with Shape Architecture, a passive house designer and promoter based in Denver, to design the homes.

History and Principles

Passive House originally began in Germany. It has now become an international standard for constructing energy-efficient buildings that prioritize occupant comfort while minimizing energy consumption. The principles include airtight construction, high-quality insulation, high-performance windows, and a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. These elements significantly reduce the need for heating and cooling, resulting in up to 90% less energy consumption compared to conventional buildings. Just like LEED or Living Futures certified buildings, a building must meet certain requirements to become Passive House Certified.

Why We Are Building Passive Houses

With so many energy efficient home standards to choose from, we chose passive house for a number of reasons.

Local Incentive Program for Passive House

Incentives in the form of rebates are being offered by our local energy company for homes in this fire area. The rebates will offset any extra cost involved in making the home live up to the passive house standard, and hopefully provide some cash back to the homeowner.

Operational Energy Use and Comfort

Another reason we wanted to build to this standard is because a passive house should provide energy savings over the long term. The reduced heating and cooling costs and needs make monthly energy bills low. It also will be comfortable, quiet, and healthy for the residents.

Resilient Buildings for Climate Change

Additionally, our clients are concerned about climate change. The Marshall Fire that destroyed their homes was worsened by extreme weather patterns brought about by climate change. Because of that, they are hoping to provide an example of how housing and building in general could be involved in mitigating climate change rather than exacerbating it. That means we have to take into account the reduced energy consumption of the house, and also make smart choices about our design and the materials we use.

Also, simple homes that are airtight are actually more resilient in the face of future fires. Because it is so air tight, a passive house is less likely to have smoke damage after fires nearby. There are also fewer points for embers to gather and ignite with simpler roof lines.

It Takes a Village

Of course, the clients need to be excited about and on board with this process. Shape has the expertise in creating the design to meet the energy standards and the clients needs. Living Craft has four Certified Passive House Tradespeople on our team. This will help to ensure proper on-site implementation of the design elements, which requires a lot of attention to detail. Rounding out the team are BldgTyp, the PH Design Consultant and CertiPHIers, a third party certifier who will review the home design and construction process at completion of the project to make sure we have met the goals of the design.

We are excited to be getting building with these two new Passive Homes in Louisville, CO. Stay tuned for more updates.

Kitchen/Home Remodel Before and Afters

This remodel involved moving a staircase and eliminating a trip hazard landing to open up the flow in the main level, and make it easier for aging in place. We also relocated the kitchen from a cramped corner, added an island and second prep sink, enlarged and added windows, and had Grimes Carpentry build and install a bunch of beautiful custom cabinetry and built ins. Architecture by ShelterBelt Design.

501 Kitchen Remodel

This kitchen got a full upgrade, including new appliances, cabinets, counters, backsplash tile, and a custom fabricated plaster range hood. Design by Annabode.

Dearborn House Remodel

This deep energy retrofit started with gutting a 1960s house to add new wall and attic insulation and air sealing for maximized energy performance. We eliminated the natural gas line and transitioned to all electric heating and cooling and equipment and ERV, powered by rooftop solar panels. Other details include a new EPA certified fireplace insert, in-floor radiant heating, plastered walls and ceilings, a tadelakt shower, and integrated soapstone sink. We built a mudroom addition to connect the garage, laundry room, new back patio and expanded kitchen, and a detached outbuilding/barn for workouts and shop space. Design by Shelterbelt Architecture.

Spring Gulch ADU

This detached father-in-law suite features solar power, plaster walls, custom carpentry, and a large double garage with dog shower below. We used a sheathingless wall system that incorporated smart air barrier with cellulose insulation.

Berthoud Studio

A new build of a detached studio/work space with its own kitchen and bathroom. This structure was oriented to the sun for passive heating in the winter, air sealed with smart vapor open membranes, insulated with Havelock sheep’s wool, and includes an ERV for increased indoor air quality. We built with our clients’ chemical sensitivities in mind, and all materials went through a thorough vetting system to eliminate indoor pollutants.

West Highland Kitchen

This sweet west Denver bugalow needed a little more light and newer kitchen storage. We took advantage of the extra space gained by opening a wall. The design incorporates a peninsula shaped concrete kitchen counter and frameless, European-style alder cabinets. Plaster finishes on walls and ceilings and a newly refinished hardwood floor round out the space.

Talavera Bathroom Remodel

For this master bathroom and walk in closet remodel, we first moved some walls to create a more functional space and bring in more light. The bold colors are inspired by handmade Mexican Talavera tiles. We incorporated these handmade tiles into the vanity backsplash. Adding cherry woodwork and bronze fixtures completed the old world feel. For a splash of fun, a golden-yellow ceiling plaster brightens the space and adds a modern touch. The smooth olive tadelakt shower is a centerpiece.

Our ongoing COVID-19 response

Thanks for checking in! Like many other small businesses around the country and the world, Living Craft is actively working to move forward with our operations during the Coronavirus pandemic.

We chose to close down our site operations early in the pandemic because we decided that we wanted to do as much as possible to slow the spread of the virus. Limiting exposure for ourselves, our clients, and our suppliers in order to flatten the curve are our best routes to alleviate the pain that this virus is causing to our communities and to medical professionals.

As an essential business in the state of Colorado, we are working on off-site operations, including our design services and project development and planning. We are still accepting new client inquiries and can aid you in your home project planning needs through videoconferencing and other remote communication methods.

Additionally, we are continuing our on-site work. In order for essential work to continue, we are putting safety protocols and training procedures into place which will allow us and our employees to navigate the challenges of staying safe and limiting our exposure while making progress on our projects. We strive to comply with social distancing guidelines and have implemented additional disinfection practices. For more information, we will be posting samples of our working protocols and job site checklists as we develop them.

As an added precaution, we are offering our employees extra paid sick leave in order to provide them with flexibility and to encourage them to stay home if they have any symptoms or possible exposure to the virus.

We hope that you are all staying safe and healthy during this challenging time.

Victory

This small garage conversion in North Park hill needed a facelift. We insulated, air sealed, updated the electrical and built a custom desk with cabinets below and shelving above. Closing off an old front door and replacing it with an energy efficient window also made the room feel more homey and spacious. Bamboo flooring and Limestrong plasters complement the deep blue poured concrete desk surface.