A Passive House Chose HERO as its Ventilation Partner

The buyers of the Bay View House, aptly named for its waterfront locale, were seeking a perfect home to retire in, one with a smaller footprint that meshed with their creative leanings, all while staying within a set budget. Energy and water savings, as well as working with the natural landscape, also were the key targets. As outlined in Atlantic Focus magazine, Passive Design Solutions from Nova Scotia, Canada worked to develop a concept that met these needs while leveraging the performance opportunities of a passive energy design.

Performance efforts began with the orientation and layout of the home. The magazine said the team considered existing trees and landscape, and clerestory and operable windows were strategically placed to provide cross ventilation throughout the house to provide passive solar. In order to conserve and manage the water supply, they used the existing drainage on-site to move the water through the ground.

"Material selections were based on health, comfort, durability, and building performance," explained author Mike Anderson, lead designer at Passive Design Solutions. "Limited- to low-VOC materials were used inside the home, and the kitchen cabinets contain no formaldehyde." Other sustainability-minded details include low-flow showerheads, dual-flush toilets, insulated hot-water lines, and durable and recyclable standing-seam metal roofing.