(S)efficient House

On a tight urban street on the outskirts of downtown sits
(s)efficient house. It was designed to fit on a small lot and
benefit from a view overlooking a south-facing garden lot,
keeping the east views of the industrial lands minimal.
The homeowners were looking to downsize in retirement.
With 960 sq. ft. of living space on one level, it has minimal
upkeep and future accessibility potential.

The benefit of a smaller home to maintain means more
time for adventuring and travel. An additional 300 sq ft of
garage space allows for the storage of cars and other items.
With sufficient space, the home easily allows a high level of
sustainability.

Built using passive-house principles, it is double framed
and exhibits R48 insulated walls, an R88 roof, triple pane
windows, and tight envelope detailing. The garage has a
steeply pitched roof to accept the solar panel array. The
home is heated and cooled with a ducted heat pump system.

As of the first eight months of the house usage, the house is
fully netting out between used power and power produced
by the solar array. The living space has the opposite “gull
wing” roof shape allowing the main living spaces to have
high, vaulted ceilings, allowing the small footprint to feel
voluminous.

The area between the two forms creates the entry point
to the house. The small footprint was purposely designed
with a “divider” closet/dining servery creating a threshold
between the front entry hall and the mudroom before
meandering and opening up into the main public areas of
the house.