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Friday’s story about the Passive House remake for the quaint (and landmarked) wood frame house in Clinton Hill, followed by the Times story on Passive Houses in Brooklyn over the weekend, got us wondering if Passive House construction is more attainable than we had previously thought. We’re curious: Could a new buyer of a Brooklyn town house who is planning a typical $300,000 renovation anyway include Passive House on the to-do list?

The Times story didn’t give many details about cost. Obviously windows will be more, but we’re not sure about the rest of it. But if, say, the existing windows, the boiler, and wood frame facade already need replacement (as was, in fact, the case with our own house), would going the Passive House route fit into the budget?

Alternatively, for a higher end renovation in which central air is planned, could Passive House be substituted instead for the same — or even lower — cost? And last question: Does it make a difference whether the house is wood frame vs. brick or stone?


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. The additional costs for passive house are in the furnishing and meticulous installation of high performance windows, doors, installation and air barrier.

    The big question with passive house projects is whether or not you are looking to “get certified.” The standards are very high and it can drive up costs substantially to achieve the last 5% of efficiency and airtightness required to meet the energy usage limits.

    For most people, designing a renovation using “passive house methods” will allow you to reap the vast majority of the benefits at a small premium over good quality conventional construction. Thick insulation in a continuous layer encasing the exterior walls, roof and floor slab has to be combined with quality windows, doors and an ERV.

    If certification is important (for marketing or resale) in many ways starting with an existing wood frame building is ideal, since wood is a better material for minimizing thermal bridges, and the retrofit standards allow for higher energy use than new construction.

    In either case for a project of this size $300K is not a very realistic budget unless you are able to reuse a substantial amount of the interior partitions, finishes, electrical and plumbing infrastructure.

    We are currently working on the largest commercial passive house retrofit project in the USA (in the Bronx), and I’d be happy to answer any questions anyone might have about passive house for renovations or new construction.

    Jordan Parnass AIA LEED AP Certified Passive House Designer
    Find me here:
    http://bstoner.wpengine.com/jordanparnass

  2. I also agree with anonlurker – focusing on building better homes and more efficient systems is the most important.

    There are too many variables to the questions asked in this blog post to really give appropriate answers. This is why I recommended working with experienced individuals. Also – New York Passive House is having a conference in NY in June. It is worth going to as it will include a number of local individuals presenting. You can check out their web site for more information.

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