PROJECTS

The Pierson-Humphrey Residence, located on a wooded site in Sleepy Hollow, NY (Westchester County), is dD+P’s second residential project designed and built to meet the five Passive House principles:

• Extensive insulation, including underslab insulation, for thermal enclosure continuity
• Efficient windows and doors
• Minimized thermal bridges
• Airtightness to minimize heat loss
• Continuous filtered air exchange to control indoor air quality and humidity

Passive Houses provide comfortable living environments — they are quiet, draft-free, have good air quality, and experience minimal temperature swings.

The 4,900 SF house was designed to accommodate the day-to-day needs of the clients while providing flexibility for large family gatherings. The design for the Pierson-Humphrey Residence takes into consideration various site conditions and incorporates innovative products to contribute towards the home’s energy efficiency and overall comfort. Early site planning studies sought to balance the clients’ need for privacy, optimal solar exposure, and visual connection to the natural features — including wetlands and rock outcroppings — that surround the property.

The house’s ventilation system uses Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) to introduce clean fresh air into the building and exhaust stale unclean air. In winter, the warmth and humidity in the exhaust stream are transferred to the incoming cold and dry fresh air, resulting in energy savings when heating the house. In summer, the process is reversed; incoming heat and humidity are transferred to the outgoing air, keeping the home cool and dry. Existing trees to the south of the building provide shade in the summer, allowing for the use of higher SHGC-rated glass to maximize solar gain during colder months. The house is all-electric, with a rooftop photovoltaic array sized to generate enough electricity to achieve net-zero.

Sustainable considerations also extend to the home’s interior. Shelves and countertops were built from wood from trees felled on the property, and locally sourced stone was used on kitchen and bathroom countertops, reducing the transportation impacts of construction. All interior and exterior stains and paints are water-based, non-VOC products, improving indoor air quality.

Through communication with the clients over the course of the project, and coordination with the project’s Passive House Certified Builder, dD+P was able to design a responsive, sustainable home that will meet the needs of the clients for years to come.