Overview: Materiality of adobe and mass timber, new build and retrofit, and the elasticity of Passive House approaches.
Presentation 1: Mass timber renovation in NYC – The Data 1 Year Later
Description: An urban infill retrofit, addition, and conversion on a tightly bounded lot was then designed to utilize nail-laminated (mass) timber (NLT) and a foam-free assembly, achieving Passive House Plus certification, including a 7.9kW rooftop solar system. See the methods, the results, and lessons learned.
Learning Objectives:
- Explore design concepts that promote reliable and durable solutions for Passive House thermal envelopes, mechanical and renewables utilizing Mass timber structures.
- Investigate how air sealing and vapor control affect the performance of insulating historic masonry walls without resorting to foam.
- Identify and address constraints that inform the decisions in the design process for Mass timber infill projects, especially in areas like New York City where exterior walls need to be non-combustible.
- Analyze first year occupancy performance figures, including heating/cooling load and demand, PV production, IAQ and comfort assessment of employees in a certified Passive House office.
Presentation 2: Adobe or not to be: Rebuilding with vernacular materials in a modern world
Description: Rebuilding after the Eaton fire in Altadena, the team and client decided to pursue Passive House, not just in the Pueblo style, but also utilizing adobe building methods, bringing together a new hybrid of high-performance optimization with natural materials, rooted in the region’s history – and offering lessons for others to move this approach forward.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how adobe acts with naturally high thermal mass in support of an insulated envelope.
- Explain the necessity of having designers and structural engineers work together for projects involving biomaterials.
- Describe the benefits and differences of Adobe from standard materials through the lens of internal heat sources, thermal insulation, thermal mass, and facade color.
- Explain the measurable data one would use to determine the “success” of a building utilizing natural materials.
CEUs:
Upon completion of all modules a Certificate of Attendance will be automatically issued for AIA & PHI credit. Please self report to both AIA & PHI using the codes provided.
