Case Studies

Rubble to Resilience: The Marshall Fire and the Sunflower Sanctuary

Rubble to Resilience: The Marshall Fire and the Sunflower Sanctuary

“It started with an ominous cloud of smoke in Boulder County…”  Kevin and Casey Lombardo of Louisville, Colorado moved out West for a slower-paced after spending years on the East...

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High Performance & High in the Trees: A Pro Clima Treehouse

High Performance & High in the Trees: A Pro Clima Treehouse

Location: Sparrowbush, NYProject Name: Little Birds TreehouseDesigners / Builders: Jeremy Shannon and FamilyEngineering / Hardware: Treehouse SuppliesAssembly: Rain screen, 2x6 insulated with hemp, INTELLO X sealed with TESCON VANA, 2x4...

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Project Spotlight: Indiana Street House by Studio 804

Project Spotlight: Indiana Street House by Studio 804

Photos provided by Corey Gaffer Photography Written by Emi Sanders, Student and Project Manager for Studio 804’s Indiana Street House 475 has been a longtime partner of the student design-build...

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High Performance Tiny House: First-Hand Accounts

High Performance Tiny House: First-Hand Accounts

This post is written by a customer, sharing their experience building a foam-free tiny house with the help of 475 High Performance Building Supply product consulting and materials. First-hand accounts...

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Project Spotlight: Loadingdock5 Long Island Retrofit

Project Spotlight: Loadingdock5 Long Island Retrofit

Seaside Passive House Retrofit Swims in Natural Light Drive far enough east of New York City and you will eventually hit a fork in the road. Turn right and you...

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Builder Spotlight: ÉcoNovation in Québec

Builder Spotlight: ÉcoNovation in Québec

High Performance Is The Standard For The Next Generation Location: Southeastern Québec Projects: Harmony Sutton Triplex, Southern Comfort House, The Chateauneuf, Ayotte Claing Project, Duplex Richelieu Project Types: Single &...

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Project Spotlight: Historic Retrofit in Toronto’s Storied Wychwood Park Neighborhood

Project Spotlight: Historic Retrofit in Toronto’s Storied Wychwood Park Neighborhood

Welcome to Wychwood Park, one of the most well-preserved neighborhoods in Old Toronto. Taking its name and inspiration from the Wychwood Forest in Oxfordshire, England, it was first developed in...

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How High Performance ADUs Address Housing and Climate

How High Performance ADUs Address Housing and Climate

HD Construction in Seattle is part of a wave of builders tackling the housing crisis with high performance ADUs Take a look around and you may have noticed a new...

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Watch SoCal Low-Carbon Builders Talk Details On Their Latest Passive House

Watch SoCal Low-Carbon Builders Talk Details On Their Latest Passive House

  Watch this video series from Cairn Collaborative on Bishop Passive House. By thoroughly explaining the design principles of Passive House and working with the needs of the homeowners, Cairn...

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Studio 804 Demonstrates an Innovative and Efficient Shelter Solution

Studio 804 Demonstrates an Innovative and Efficient Shelter Solution

For the last several years, 475 has partnered with Studio 804, a hands-on, design-build graduate program at the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Design. Each year, Studio 804...

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Project Spotlight: Raising the Roof by Bringing Light to New Spaces

Project Spotlight: Raising the Roof by Bringing Light to New Spaces

Project name: 19 Father Francis Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA Project type: Top floor apartment of a 7-story building Date or time frame of construction: Skylights were installed and project was...

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The Quantum Passivhaus Way: Combining Award-Winning Preservation With Pre-Fab Passive House Methods In Ontario

The Quantum Passivhaus Way: Combining Award-Winning Preservation With Pre-Fab Passive House Methods In Ontario

Project name: Elora Schoolhouse - 37 McNab Street Location: Elora, Ontario, Canada Project type: Single-family home on heritage site, preservation + Quantum Passivhaus engineered PHI certified pre-fab panel system Date...

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Path Toward Perfection: A Beautiful High-Performance Home in Egremont, MA

Path Toward Perfection: A Beautiful High-Performance Home in Egremont, MA

Location: Egremont, Massachusetts, USA Project type: Single-family new construction Builders: Little Deer & Company Architects: EASTON COMBS Architects Assembly: Vented rainscreen - MENTO 1000 - plywood - 12" vertical I-joist...

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Project Spotlight: Phoenix Haus - Launch of the H19 Passive House

Project Spotlight: Phoenix Haus - Launch of the H19 Passive House

Project Spotlight Location: Mesa, Colorado, USA Project type: Single-family new construction Prefab Builders: Phoenix Haus Design and Passive House Certification: Shape Architecture Assembly: 2x framed wall with densepack cellulose, continuous...

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Resistance Is Not Futile: Laura Blau and a Legal Win for Passive House Levels of Insulation

Resistance Is Not Futile: Laura Blau and a Legal Win for Passive House Levels of Insulation

When Laura Blau had a fine art exhibition in Paris, in the early 1980s, at the American Center, it was requested that two pieces be taken down - the observer...

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Building Panels With Only Wood, Straw, and Smart Vapor Control

Building Panels With Only Wood, Straw, and Smart Vapor Control

Project Spotlight Location: Leyden, MA Architect: Michael Dobler Panel Builders: New Frameworks, HELM Builders General Contractor: Holden Builders Project Details Bottom of wall Window sill Window head Top of wall...

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New Day School Brings A New Day for Early Education

New Day School Brings A New Day for Early Education

When New Day School, a Neo-Humanist preschool in Southeast Portland Oregon, looked for a team to execute the design and renovation of their Kishalay Building, Green Hammer Design Build’s passion...

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Cedar Shingles Hide a Beautiful Retrofit Wall Assembly

Cedar Shingles Hide a Beautiful Retrofit Wall Assembly

Small-Town Woodframe Retrofit Transforms Into A High-Performance Co-Working Space In the mid-coast Maine town of Bowdoinham, the local 1950’s Post Office on Main Street was run down and in dire...

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A CLT Home On The Lake

A CLT Home On The Lake

Maine-based OPAL Architecture, Research, and Design, led by Matthew O’Malia, continues to trailblaze with innovative Passive House projects. With their Lake Waramaug residence in Connecticut, OPAL collaborated with 475 to...

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A Wood-Frame Retrofit, Wrapped in Wood Insulation

A Wood-Frame Retrofit, Wrapped in Wood Insulation

Sidney Beaumont is an Emmy-award-winning documentary filmmaker, 475 investor, and Passive House enthusiast. His films are of special interest to those concerned with climate and environment, including: From the Ashes...

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