Page 52 - Green Builder Magazine March-April 2018 Issue

Glass wise.
Intus triple-pane glass
helps maintain a HERS Worthwhile walls.
score of 28 and an ACH50 Blown cellulose insulation
score of 0.34. made of newspaper helps
prevent loss of temperature-
treated air.

Stronger
than stone. Site specific.
East and south
Replacing crushed siting give the home
gravel with perlite excellent access to
increased the slab’s free solar energy.
R-value from 45 to 70.

and mud rooms. The outside would feature a large porch—part of it
Simple, Sensible Tastes screened—and an arbor. Plans also called for a neighboring garden shed.
In 2014, when owners Declan Mulhall and Christie Karpiak— Such a basic floorplan simplified what needed to be done to meet
professors at the nearby University of Scranton—approached Pedranti requirements for a certified passive house, according to Pedranti.
about replacing the destroyed Wheeler Avenue structure with an
actual house, they had a straightforward request: Make a home that Trial and Air-or
was ultra-energy efficient and practical in terms of living space. At Some energy goals were easier to attempt than others. The house
the time, Mulhall was adamant that he did not want a “McMansion” faces south for maximum solar energy gain. The arbor provides shade
full of “useless space,” such as a formal dining area and sitting rooms. during the summer to keep out unwanted heat. Solar panels on the
“Christie and Declan were very much about sustainability,” shed northwest of the screened porch generate on-site energy that
Pedranti recalls. “They were definitely looking to lower their carbon will help the home meet net-zero status.
footprint—build something that didn’t have a negative impact on the A RenewAir EV200 heat recovery ventilator was installed to draw
environment and the natural resources. Beyond that, they wanted a fresh air from outside, and pre-heated or cooled air from indoors.
very simple home to raise their family in.” Blown cellulose insulation, made primarily of shredded newspaper,
Pedranti had achieved LEED certification years before, but had yet
to actually attempt anything in that venue. “[With this project, LEED]
was a very positive way to take my business, and it was exciting,” he Project Stats
says. “I really liked that it is based on science. I have found over the NAME: Scranton Passive House
years that a lot of the bad things in our industry are the result of an ARCHITECT/DESIGNER: Richard Pedranti, Richard Pedranti Architect
overemphasis on pure aesthetics.” BUILDER: Rob Ciervo, Ciervo and Sons Renovations
The design was kept simple: two stories, with three bedrooms, PHOTOGRAPHER: Rick Wright Photography
two-and-a-half baths, a den, a kitchen, and living, laundry, mechanical

50 GREEN BUILDER March/April 2018 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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