Category: Ecotecture
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The Energy Model vs The Real World
After 2 years of living in our cold-climate Passive House, how is its real performance measuring up to the energy model used during the building’s design phase? An energy model is a digital replica of a building that simulates heat gains and losses based on the building’s characteristics and climate. It allows us to optimize…
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TEUI G.2 Solar Gains (and Defaults)
If you had a million years on this Earth, you might find time to read every possible research paper on energy modelling and come up with a pretty good understanding of window and door behaviour. But having spent nearly 30 years in this field, nothing has gotten any simpler. The closer you look, the more…
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Hybrid Heating
We were initially under the assumption that we had to make an all-or-nothing choice: basically a) go 100% electric to get to zero carbon, or b) replace a gas furnace with a new gas furnace and lock in to a carbon-emitting heating system for the next 20 years – the estimated life of the system.…
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Mid-Century Matters
Mid-Century Modern design has always appealed to me, the low pitch, butterfly roofs, big beams that shoot through floor-to-ceiling glass, consistent ceiling to soffit transitions, natural materials, quirky cantilevers, open concept Kitchen-Living-Dining areas, what’s not to love? For houses that were designed in this style from the 1940’s through to the 1970’s, the ‘Atomic Ranch’…
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Architects as Energy Experts
Architects can and should use BEM or energy simulation tools for Design Optimization. Furthermore they can and should also be encouraged to use BEM for demonstrating Code Compliance. Lastly, Architects should also be encouraged to seek out professional certifications or designations such as LEED, Passive House and even EnerGuide or R2000 Evaluator designations in order…
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Embodied Carbon, I do not love you.
This is a forest ecosystem struggling for equilibrium, growth, and intelligence. It was clearcut just 30 years ago, and I have been observing and learning from this place for the past decade.