Background
On a small, empty lot adjacent to the Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery in the heart of Portland, the owner-architect couple designed their dream home: a modern three-story Passive House residence with an additional daylight basement studio residence. The units together will use 80% less energy than a typical dwelling while increasing livability through superior indoor air quality and thermal comfort and traffic noise attenuation. The house is well sculpted to the small site and their lifestyle, imbued with simplicity, efficiency, and hospitality. 

Approach
In accord with these values, and making the most of their budget, the owner-architects hired Green Hammer to manage the home’s construction through shell-completion (the critical elements of a Passivhaus) and are using their own sweat equity to complete the mechanical systems and finishes installation. Green Hammer successfully completed the shell construction in 2010, the first Passive House residence in Portland at the time, including achieving the stringent air-tightness requirement (.43 ACH50 pre-insulation). We worked in close collaboration with the owner-architects to implement a unique curtain-frame wall assembly on a site with extremely tight access. 

Results
The efficiency of the LoneFIR Passive House is remarkable: energy costs of $600 per year are anticipated compared to a standard code construction estimated at $3,000 per year. Overall, the LoneFIR Passive House offers a model of sustainable urban living: urban infill development supporting a walkable neighborhood density executed with the dramatic energy-efficiency of the Passivhaus Standard. By combining “location-efficiency” and building efficiency a truly miniature carbon footprint is gracefully achieved with an increase in livability.