This upgrade and extension to a family home in Mamaroneck, New York, was recently certified to the Passive House Institute’s Enerhphit standard for retrofit projects. The original two-storey timber frame building was constructed in 1963. The upgrade, designed by AM Benzing Architects, involved removing the existing roof and constructing a brand new second floor. The entire structure was then externally insulated and finished with new ventilated cladding, while the new roof is insulated with cellulose (recycled newspaper). A new south-facing timber pergola provides shade in the summer time while letting the low sun provide solar gain in winter. The renovated house is now heated and cooled by a Mitsubishi air-source heat pump, while a separate heat pump provides hot water, and there’s a new natural gas stove too. The house has 28 rooftop solar photovoltaic panels now too, and the garage has a charging station for electric cars. There’s also mechanical heat recovery ventilation, as is standard for passive houses in cooler climates, which captures heat from stale air and uses it to preheat incoming fresh air. u
Photos: Korin Krossber/PlanOmatic
Mamaroneck Enerphit, New York State, USA