Meet the Winners of the 3rd Annual Passive Projects Design Awards

PHIUS (Passive House Institute US) recently announced the winners of its 2017 Passive Projects Competition at the 3rd Annual Design Awards Ceremony. Award recipients were recognized in late September as part of the 12th Annual North American Passive House Conference in Seattle.

The juried competition highlights exceptional accomplishments in passive building design. Finalists were chosen from all climate zones, locations, and fully-certified passive house project types.

Entries were evaluated based on energy performance, design, craftsmanship, use of healthy materials, level of difficulty for the given climate and site, and cost effectiveness of the affordable projects.

The winners are:

Best Overall Project: Elm Place in Milton, Vermont

Elm Place is a 27,690-square-foot apartment complex for senior citizens. Cathedral Square Corporation developed Elm Place to offer affordable, comfortable senior residences in Milton’s new downtown area.

Duncan Wisniewski Architecture pursued simplicity in their design, inspired by the architectural framework of a cathedral: a repetitive, box-like, cellular structure. The team of architects incorporated basic wood studs, a zip air barrier, and exterior insulation. The building envelope maintains a high level of comfort with cold climate air source heat pumps. Overall, Elm Place saves an estimated $11,000 each year in energy costs.

• CPHC®: Chris West, Eco-Houses of Vermont
• Architect: Duncan Wisniewski Architecture
• Structural: Hardy Structural Engineering
• MEP: Engineering Services of Vermont
• Rater: Efficiency Vermont
• Owner: Cathedral Square Corporation
• PHIUS+ 2015 Certified

Best Project by a Young Professional Under 35 – Winner: Delphi Passive House in Olympia, Washington

The Delphi Passive House is a 2,288-square-foot “aging in place” single family home. The Passive House concept was seen as a positive and responsive option for the client’s health needs, including sensitivity to light and temperature fluctuations and a decrease in mobility and balance. This house includes a single story open floor plan with cork floors, a threshold-less shower, and large doorways for wheelchair accessibility.

• CPHC®: Randy Foster, The Artisans Group
• Architect: Tessa Smith, CPHC®, The Artisans Group
• Builder: The Artisans Group
• Energy Modeling: Skylar Swinford, CPHC®, Energy Systems Consultants
• PHIUS+ 2015, PHIUS+ Source Zero Certified

Single Family – Winner: Delphi Passive House in Olympia, Washington

Details above in the Best Project by a Young Professional Under 35 Category

• CPHC®: Randy Foster, The Artisans Group
• Architect: Tessa Smith, CPHC®, The Artisans Group
• Builder: The Artisans Group
• Energy Modeling: Skylar Swinford, CPHC®, Energy Systems Consultants
• PHIUS+ 2015, PHIUS+ Source Zero Certified

Single Family – Honorable Mention: Christianson Passive House in Corvallis, Oregon

The Christianson Passive House is a 1,935-square-foot single family home. By reducing energy using Passive House design, G. Christianson Construction was able to install enough solar panels to become net zero. The project’s carbon footprint is one-fifth that of a typical house built in Oregon of the same size.

• CPHC®: Win Swafford, domestic Tranquility
• Architect: Jan Fillinger, CPHC®, STUDIO-E Architecture
• PHIUS Certified Builder: Carl Christianson, G. Christianson Construction
• PHIUS+ Rater: Ryan Shanahan, CPHC®, Earth Advantage
• PHIUS+2015, PHIUS+ Source Zero Certified

Multifamily – Winner: Elm Place in Milton, Vermont

Details above in the Best Overall Project Category

• CPHC®: Chris West, Eco-Houses of Vermont
• Architect: Duncan•Wisniewski Architecture
• Structural: Hardy Structural Engineering
• MEP: Engineering Services of Vermont
• Rater: Efficiency Vermont
• Owner: Cathedral Square Corporation
• PHIUS+ 2015 Certified

Multifamily – Honorable Mention: Weinberg Commons in Washington, D.C.

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Commons is a 9,380-square-foot apartment community that reduces energy consumption by more than 50%. Completed in October 2015, it was the first multifamily retrofit project in the United States to achieve Passive House certification. Developer and owner Housing Up passes on energy savings to low-income residents through below-market rental rates.

• CPHC®: Michael Hindle, Passive to Positive
• Architect: ZA+D, LLC, Bruce Zavos, Principal, Matt Fine, CPHC®, Project Manager
• Builder: Hamel Builders, Inc. – Phil Gibbs, CEO; Mike Mueller, Project Executive; Teresa Hamm, Project Manager
• Rater: Chris Conway, CPHC®, Conway Energy
• Developer: Housing Up (formerly THC Affordable Housing)

Affordable – Winner: Weinberg Commons in Washington, D.C.

Details above in the Multifamily Honorable Mention Category

• CPHC®: Michael Hindle, Passive to Positive
• Architect: ZA+D, LLC, Bruce Zavos, Principal, Matt Fine, CPHC®, Project Manager
• Builder: Hamel Builders, Inc. – Phil Gibbs, CEO; Mike Mueller, Project Executive; Teresa Hamm, Project Manager
• Rater: Chris Conway, CPHC®, Conway Energy
• Developer: Housing Up (formerly THC Affordable Housing)

Affordable – Honorable Mention: Elm Place in Milton, Vermont

Details above in the Best Overall Project Category

• CPHC®: Chris West, Eco-Houses of Vermont
• Architect: Duncan•Wisniewski Architecture
• Structural: Hardy Structural Engineering
• MEP: Engineering Services of Vermont
• Rater: Efficiency Vermont
• Owner: Cathedral Square Corporation
• PHIUS+ 2015 Certified

Commercial – Winner: Seventh Day Adventist Church in Kinderhook, New York

The Seventh Day Adventist Church is a 6,538-square-foot building—the first newly built certified Passive House church. Initially designed in 2007 following conventional building practices, Barlis Wedlick Architects’ successful Passive House work in the area inspired the congregation to raise funds for the church to be redesigned to the Passive House standard. The church now features insulated panel construction, mini-split heat pumps, and a centralized energy recovery ventilation system.

• Architecture Planning: Barlis Wedlick Architects, LLC
• Rater: Jordan Dentz, The Levy Partnership
• PHIUS+ Certified
• Project team includes:
  • Crawford & Associates Engineering & Land Surveying
  • Vermont Timber Frames Inc.
  • Hills Construction Company

Commercial – Honorable Mention: Passive Lodge at Silver Lake in Sharon, Connecticut

The Passive Lodge at Silver Lake Conference Center is a 2,423-square-foot retrofit of an existing camp dormitory. The extensive renovations make the facilities more comfortable for retreat groups with the addition of new universal access bedroom and bathroom suite. The new passive house design uses up to 90% less energy.

• • CPHC®: James Hartford
  • Architect: James Hartford, River Architects
  • Builder: Benjamin Bogie, Built to Last LLC
  • Rater/Verifier: Troy Hodas, CPHC®, Spruce Mountain
  • Owner’s Rep and Project Manager: Greg Arifian
  • PHIUS+ 2015 Certified

PHIUS is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to transforming the building sector by developing and promoting North American specific standards, practices, and certifications for buildings, professionals, and products to create structures that are durable, comfortable, healthy, and energy-efficient.