Dec 16 2014
Karuna House and Pumpkin Ridge Passive House both earned 2014 Green Home of the Year Awards from Green Builder magazine, making Hammer & Hand the sole recipient of multiple awards from the national competition.
Karuna House, designed by Holst Architecture, won the "Best Building Science" award in recognition of its advanced, high performance building envelope. (See article here.)
Karuna House is an exemplar of high design in high performance home building. Perched on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards of Yamhill County, Oregon, the home is the first green building in the world to earn Passive House (PHIUS+), Minergie-P-ECO, and LEED for Homes Platinum certifications. The client, a leading proponent of smart climate policy, pursued the project as a case study to compare the world's most ambitious green building standards.
To achieve the three certifications and meet its net positive energy goals, the Karuna House combines an advanced building enclosure with optimized solar design to drive energy loads to very low levels. Remaining energy needs, including the charging of the client's electric car, are readily provided by a solar photovoltaic array of less than 10 kilowatts. The project's laser focus on energy performance (guided by its Passive House and Minergie-P components) is complemented by the broad sustainability and human health goals required by LEED and Minergie-ECO.
Pumpkin Ridge Passive House, designed by Scott | Edwards Architecture, won the "Best Mainstream Green" award for its cost-effective approach to super-efficiency. (See article here.)
Pumpkin Ridge Passive House harnesses the simplicity of Passive House design to deliver superb comfort and efficiency at minimal added construction cost. The North Plains, Oregon home is no more expensive to own on a monthly basis than a conventional custom house, 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 project is one of six homes in the Pacific Northwest to be featured by Northwest ENERGY STAR® as a demonstration super-efficient home.
See the full list of winners here.