The Thermal Envelope Home

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In all, the entire cost of construction—including the builder's profit—came to a grand total of $53,258 (slightly over $28 per square foot for a 1,900-square-foot house . . . which is quite reasonable when you consider that the average cost per square foot in the Olympic Valley are is $35 to $37). Of course, this figure would be drastically reduced in an owner-built house, and even further savings will be realized over the years because of the structure's self-sufficiency.

Furthermore—since the structure is conventional—it fully complies with all local building codes (these differ from county to county) and can therefore be financed through normal lending institutions. Best of all, the design is flexible enough to be adapted to whatever changes might be dictated by location, climate, building codes, or even space requirements.

THE COMFORT FACTOR

It's difficult to explain the distinct feeling of satisfaction that this house provides. Unlike a conventionally heated home, which often seems "stuffy", the Smith residence has a natural "outdoor" feel to it ... and this wholesome feeling is amplified by the fact that the entire south wall of the structure is open—at least visually—to the great out-of-doors.

In addition, there are no drafts or artificial convections inside the house. All air movement takes place within the "envelope" and heats the inner shell through absorption (with the exception of the greenhouse, which gets direct sunlight and is in itself part of the "envelope" ... by virtue of the fact that its floor planks are spaced 1/4 inch apart for airflow).

Of course, this enclosed current of air doesn't preserve a constant temperature throughout the home's interior, but a slight thermal variation from area to area is actually desirable, since it relieves "physiological boredom". Another benefit of Smith's design is that it keeps the relative humidity at an acceptable level (between 50 and 60%), rather than drying the air out as central heating units tend to do.

PROS, CONS, AND FUTURE PLANS

The "envelope" idea incorporated in this structure is a good one ... it works as well in practice as it does in theory. However, there are disadvantages—though easy to live with—that should be noted. The first is that the passive system, because of its nature, can only store thermal energy for two or three days . . . less than the typical active system. Also, the design is such that windows—especially those on the north side of the house—are difficult to install (or, at best, expensive) because of the double shell.

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