Northampton Passive Solar

Built in 1982, we designed our first passive solar house. The clients wanted an energy-efficient, passive solar design that was inexpensive to build, so this 1,560 sq.ft. home was designed using value engineering to reduce costs. The design features - modular dimensions, and manufactured floor and roof trusses, T1-11 siding, and wall studs at 2 ft. Centers. All the windows, except those that provided egress, fit between the studs to reduce material for headers. The passive solar greenhouse, built with sliding door replacement panels, allows sunlight to heat a solid concrete block wall behind it that serves as thermal mass for the home. The cost for the completed house was $52,000.