Green Home Design: The Hudson Passive Project

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The form of the Hudson Passive Project is derived from the traditional Dutch barn, a familiar shape in the area. The two-foot roof overhang protects the home from overheating in summer.
The form of the Hudson Passive Project is derived from the traditional Dutch barn, a familiar shape in the area. The two-foot roof overhang protects the home from overheating in summer.
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A few hours of sunlight on a winter day warm up the open living area, which is framed by glue-laminated custom beams supporting the SIP panels overhead.
A few hours of sunlight on a winter day warm up the open living area, which is framed by glue-laminated custom beams supporting the SIP panels overhead.
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Interior features include a large glass entry door, an open kitchen plan, and a wall-mounted split heat pump—for supplemental heating and cooling—hidden by an angled panel at the center of the loft wall.
Interior features include a large glass entry door, an open kitchen plan, and a wall-mounted split heat pump—for supplemental heating and cooling—hidden by an angled panel at the center of the loft wall.
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The open living area and kitchen sit on a concrete floor, which provides thermal mass. The laminated timber beams maximize the building’s span, accommodating larger SIP panels with fewer joints.
The open living area and kitchen sit on a concrete floor, which provides thermal mass. The laminated timber beams maximize the building’s span, accommodating larger SIP panels with fewer joints.
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The open living area and kitchen sit on a concrete floor, which provides thermal mass. The laminated timber beams maximize the building’s span, accommodating larger SIP panels with fewer joints.
The open living area and kitchen sit on a concrete floor, which provides thermal mass. The laminated timber beams maximize the building’s span, accommodating larger SIP panels with fewer joints.
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1. Great Room2. Kitchen3. Master Bedroom4. Master Bathroom5. Bathroom
1. Great Room2. Kitchen3. Master Bedroom4. Master Bathroom5. Bathroom
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1. Study2. First Bedroom3. Second Bedroom
1. Study2. First Bedroom3. Second Bedroom
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Section-diagram detail showing areas requiring special attention to prevent air leakage.
Section-diagram detail showing areas requiring special attention to prevent air leakage.
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"The Greenest Home" by Julie Torres Moskovitz showcases eighteen of the most recent and compelling Passive Houses around the world.

Passive House design is the greenest of green architecture. Passive Houses—well insulated, virtually air-tight buildings that require little energy for heating or cooling—can decrease the overall energy consumption of buildings by an astounding 75 percent. The Greenest Home (Princeton Architectural Press, 2013), by Julie Torres Moskovitz, features homes that are not only remarkable for their high energy efficiency, but also for their elegant and forward-thinking designs. This excerpt discusses the Hudson Passive Project, and the economical benefits of these green home designs.

You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: The Greenest Home.

Hudson Passive Project

Dennis Wedlick of Dennis Wedlick Architect (DWA), based in New York City and Hudson, New York, seized a moment late in 2008, after the real estate crash, to reflect on the mistakes of urban sprawl and the trend toward large homes. He decided to take the opportunity to design, with his staff and collaborators, an economically feasible and sustainable home that could serve as a prototype for home buyers. The model house born from this initial idea is the 1,650-square-foot Hudson Passive Project located in Claverack, New York, and completed in September 2010.

The building is simple in its design, with a cathedral form and south-facing glazing to optimize solar gains. Its shape was inspired by the original Long Houses built in this region by the Iroquois that were open at the southern end to receive the sun’s warmth and light. The building’s form and the use of large Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) help minimize seams and joints where air leaking typically occurs. The east and west elevations of the house recall the basic, pure form of the Dutch barn, a shape native to the Hudson Valley, which was part of the early New Netherland settlements. The sides are clad in local granite rock, adding elegance but only negligible thermal value.

  • Published on Apr 30, 2014
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