Project: R-House

Passive solar design, which promotes passive means of generating and retaining warmth over active—and expensive—systems, is central to R-House’s success. Solar gain—chiefly from rear-facing windows that cascade from roofline to threshold on the building’s south side—and heat generated by people and electrical equipment warm the house. A thick, superinsulated, and tightly sealed exterior minimizes heat loss, and an energy-recovery ventilation system transfers warmth from the inside air that is being exhausted to the fresh air being drawn from the outside.