Custom New Homes, Energy Star Homes, Zero Energy Ready Homes

Sherman Contemporary

This new home was built to meet Passive House level performance criteria without incurring the additional expense required to earn that official certification. The south-facing, open-plan great room is bathed in natural light and fully protected from the summer sun by the roof overhang above the top level of windows and louvered overhang over the lower windows. The clean lines and elegant look of this contemporary belie the fact that this high performance home was built on a strict budget.

Type: Contemporary

Project Architect: Richard Pedranti Architect, PC

Special Features

European triple-glazed doors and windows
Standing seam steel roof for durability and recyclability
Direct vent wood stove in great room

Green Building Approaches

Excellent blower door test result of 0.8 ACH50.
A modest solar PV system could be installed on the roof at any point in time to generate enough electricity to fully offset the energy required to operate the house over the course of a full year.
Engineered wood siding and trim made from recycled waste product
Insulation products selected to minimize home’s carbon footprint and to significantly exceed building code minimum requirements.
Dense-pack cellulose insulation installed in 2×8 framed walls and 16” TJI rafters.
Walls have 60mm continuous natural wood fiber board insulation on the exterior, and 3 ½” of mineral wool batts in the interior service cavity.
Roof has 60mm continuous natural wood fiber board insulation with a vented over roof for maximum long-term durability.
Wood fibers in cellulose and wood fiber insulation sequester carbon and have unique moisture management properties.
Foamed Glass AeroAGG insulation (12”) installed under basement and crawl space slabs. Made from 100% recycled glass and environmentally inert
Closed-cell spray foam (2”) with low-GWP blowing agent, plus 3.5” mineral wool batt insulation used at basement walls.
CDX plywood with taped joints used at interior side of wall and rafter framing to act as envelope air barrier and vapor retarder, allowing for maximum long term durability through high drying potential.
2×4 insulated service cavity inboard of air barrier.
Air-to-air ducted heat pumps used for space heating.
Air-to-air heat pump used for domestic hot water and high efficiency heating.
Energy recovery ventilator used for continuous mechanical ventilation, cooling, heating, and active dehumidification.