Case Study: Pumpkin Ridge

Homeowners Bryan and Stephanie Farris live outside of Portland in North Plains, Oregon with their two boys, ages 12 and 14. They planned to build their custom home after spending a decade living in Asia, where Bryan worked in various roles in the development and manufacturing of Nike products. They care about the society and environment they are leaving to their children and enjoy the opportunity to share what they learned about Passive House construction and the engineered comfort it provides through their experiences building their custom home.  In building their new home it was essential that the construction was energy-efficient and sustainable.

The main focus for the homeowners of this project was building the greenest house they could afford, while keeping it logical, functional and comfortable — each green characteristic had to have a good return and contribute to the overall livability of the home. Comfort was a major concern.  “We wanted to create engineered comfort and not pay hundreds of dollars a month for that comfort,” explains Stephanie Farris.

Zola Thermo Clad windows and doors were not only key to building an energy-efficient and comfortable home, but also to making the most of the home’s picturesque location and views. Beautiful views of woods and meadows immediately surrounding the house, which looks out due south across a valley with lots of treetops. Wildlife is abundant—the homeowners note that a family of deer regularly graze in their yard, and a friendly roaming peacock also adopted the house.  There is a large lift slide leading to the deck, which Farris describes as “a serious piece of hardware!”

We had the opportunity to interview the homeowners as well as Zack Semke of Hammer & Hand, the general contractor of the project.

What was your design inspiration for this project?
“We wanted a great room style house with the master bedroom on the main floor, which would take advantage of passive solar gains. We wanted to be able to grow old in this house, but live, host and entertain our extended family along the way. We liked the idea of a craftsman-style house, but were open to form following function — and we were realistic about the effect our budget constraints might have on the final product,” explains Homeowner Stephanie Farris.

What was the design challenge for this project?
Staying within budget while achieving one of the most rigorous standards in energy efficiency was no easy task. Stephanie Farris notes, “The biggest challenge was that there was a budget ceiling that we needed to fit the design into. We were willing to be somewhat flexible and wanted to see what the form could take based on what we wanted the house to do.”

Zack Semke of builder Hammer & Hand observes that upfront expenses will be offset over time due to the significantly reduced energy bills. He notes, “One of the biggest challenges of this project was to design and build a high performance Passive House on a tight budget. Pumpkin Ridge Passive House demonstrates the power of super-efficient construction to make net zero energy building practical and affordable. The added upfront expense of achieving Passive House levels of performance can be completely offset by savings on utility bills. The key was to focus first on energy conservation, and Passive House provides the cost-effective path. Scott|Edwards Architecture kept the form of the building simple, with few articulations. The modest surface to volume ratio that this affords means less heat loss and therefore a smaller demand on the performance of the building envelope.”

What makes this project outstanding?
“Engineered comfort.  The house maximizes a variety of strategies to be comfortable and beautiful 365 days a year,” says Farris.

The home harnesses the simplicity of Passive House design to deliver superb comfort and efficiency at minimal added construction cost. “The Pumpkin Ridge Passive House is no more expensive to own on a monthly basis than a conventional custom home, when monthly energy costs are considered alongside mortgage, taxes, and insurance. Yet the high performance green building will consume 90% less heating energy and offer exceptional comfort and indoor air quality. The windows from Zola play a key role in achieving this level of performance,” says Hammer & Hand’s Zack Semke.

To ensure successful installation of the high performance details at Pumpkin Ridge Passive House, the building was rigorously tested throughout the construction process by an independent PHIUS+ rater. Before the team installed insulation, for example, the building shell was commissioned and tested with theatrical fog to ensure it was airtight. Periodic spot checks and blower door fan tests helped measure and verify progress.

Pumpkin Ridge Passive House is Earth Advantage Home Platinum, Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ENERGY STAR, Indoor AirPLUS), and Passive House (PHIUS+) certified. It is also one of six homes in the Pacific Northwest to be featured by Northwest ENERGY STAR® as a demonstration super-efficient home. GreenBuilder Magazine selected it as “Mainstream Green Home of the Year.”

What are your some of your favorite construction products used on this project?
Farris says, “Obviously, the Zola windows and doors are a huge plus as they allow for gorgeous views without any thermal bridging and provide extra insulation from the elements. They’re beautiful, yet also an essential part of the function of our passive house.  We also like that our insulation is recycled newspaper and cardboard!”

What is your favorite Zola product?
Stephanie Farris really loves the tilt & turn windows.  She notes, “The tilt-turn windows are the best — they’re versatile and function well for every need. …We love the fact that we can open them to get a breeze without having a window swung into the house. They’re also a point of interest for our guests, many of whom have never seen tilt-turn windows and think it’s a brilliant idea, as do we.”

Zack Semke of Hammer & Hand explains the role of the windows in this high performance home.  “The home’s tilt-turn windows are triple-paned operable 3 foot by 7 foot high tilt and turn units with a U value of just 0.13, which translates to 60% less heat loss than a standard window. Tilt and turn windows provides a tight compression seal for insulation against cold, heat, and outside noise. High performance windows are critical to Passive House design for keeping the home airtight and well insulated.”

Builder Bio:  

Based in Portland and Seattle, Hammer & Hand is a general contractor dedicated to inciting evolution in building through service, craft, and science. The firm collaborates with clients and architects to craft buildings of beauty, durability, comfort, and performance – “legacy buildings” that promise a lifespan measured in generations. While 21st century building science powers its high performance building approach, its ethos is inspired by John Ruskin’s words from a century ago: “When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for.”

Video Resources:

See a video interview with the homeowners here.

Zola owner, Florian Speier, visited the project during the construction phase to advise on the window installation.  That process was documented in a series of videos available here: www.hammerandhand.com/field-notes/installing-passive-house-windows/.

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