Passive House Buildings Magazine: Features Four Zola Homes

We are excited to share that one of our Brooklyn Projects – the First Passive House Plus in the U.S. – made the cover of Passive House Buildings’ North American Highlights (See page 40 of the online flipbook).

Additionally, three Zola Windows projects were featured in the Fall + Spring 2018 issues of Passive House Buildings Magazine. Click on the images below to read each project highlight: from a Wood Innovation Research Lab at the University of Northern British Columbia, to a cost-effective Passive House meeting California’s NZE goal, and the first house in Texas on the PHI certification track.

The Wood Innovation Research Lab (WIRL) at University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is a fascinating single story, 33-foot tall semi-industrial building where students build and test large-scale integrated structures using engineered wood products. Located in Prince George, BC, the design negotiates extreme temperature swings (from 30°C to –30°C or -22°F to 86°F) with 234 heating or cooling days a year.  All this while accommodating structural loads from cranes, wood dust from the lab, heat losses from truck-sized shop doors – and more. To meet these complex challenges, UNBC opted to used our “Zola No Compromise” (ZNC)  Aluminum Clad products, one of the very best performing windows available. Click on the image below to read the entire article.

At a much lower latitude, and in a more temperate climate zone, La Perlita Passive House in L.A. still encountered challenges to ensure their Passive House status and meet California’s Zero Net Energy goal. The homeowner/builder and Certified Passive House Consultant ran initial passive house models showing that double-pane windows and continuous ventilation without heat recovery would be sufficient – and cost-effective – solutions for the project.  Finding double paned windows and sliding glass doors with the required airtightness and performance, however, was trickier than expected. Fortunately, Zola Windows could get the job done! Click on the image below to read the entire article.

In Texas, meanwhile, this Dallas Home still required triple glazed windows to ensure year-round comfort. Our triple paned PVC line provided a cost-effective solution. The key priorities in meeting Passive House standards in Dallas are to manage heat and humidity. To that end, the design of this home omits insulation under the slab to allow the ground to act as a heat sink (a measure not likely to be beneficial in colder climates), provides ample shading, is painted with a reflective color scheme and employs an efficient Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) supplemented by a central dehumidifier. Click on the image below to read the entire article.

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