Page 38 - Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes-Volume 2

CASE STUDY NO. 7
PERLITA PASSIVE HOUSE
building and certification. They decided to apply it to their new home, which they purchased in August, 2015, and began the renovation process of transforming it to Passive House standards.
The house had been built more than a century ago in 1906 in the Atwater Village neighbor- hood, which is just northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It was a small, simple one-story house with a partial basement. Planning, design and the permitting process required 15 months, with construction starting in January, 2017. The owners moved in when the finishing work was still underway, but nearly completed, in November, 2017.
Project Process
Building Program
The original house was only 1,100 sq. ft., so to accommodate their basic living program the own- ers were required to add a second floor. This allowed them to create an open loft space with of- fice and bathroom on the ground floor and to organize the two addition bedrooms with bathrooms and a quiet family space on the second floor.
The existing partial basement was not included in the design since it is not a practical space. It is isolated from the finished house.
Site Constraints
The house is located in a dense neighborhood of small lots and various types of housing, includ- ing low-rise apartment buildings. The local climate is similar to that of Pasadena, requiring both heating and cooling.
Despite its age, nothing historical was deemed noteworthy about the existing house, which made for a routine approval process. The plans nevertheless called for retaining the original founda- tion, concrete floor slab and the wall framing.
Solar access at the site was unobstructed by nearby structures or tall trees, guaranteeing good solar generation potential at this site, which is typical of this general area.
(Right) View of “deconstruct- ed” original house. The original framing is full-size 2X3 and is used in the reconstructed walls on the first level.
24
PHOTO: XAVIER GAUCHER
Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes: Volume 2