Good Haus
The Good Haus celebrates the intersection between design and performance – and seeks to be an example of what a “good house” can be.
Zero Net Energy, Near Passive House, High Performance
TYPE: New Single-Family Home: Zero Net Energy (ZNE), Near Passive House, High Performance
SIZE: 2390 sf + Mechanical Basement + Detached Garage
LOCATION: Nevada City, CA
DATE: 2019
DESIGN: Mela Breen | Atmosphere Design Build
CONTRACTOR: Atmosphere Design Build
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Mark Jokerst, SE
MECHANICAL: Balance Point Home Performance
PUBLICATION: Fine Homebuilding Magazine | Multiple Issues
Photography: Kat Alves and Caitlin Atkinson
A good house is one that is pushing the possibilities of a site specific design while holding itself accountable to reaching the highest level of energy efficiency. Our good house is one that embodies our beliefs about resiliency, efficiency, health and comfort, beauty and playfulness.
The DNA for the Good Haus is established by the site, a steep and rocky hillside that spills down onto a small neighboring foothill meadow. A limited buildable footprint, season drainage concerns, and an inviting outcrop of granite drove the initial design. Two intersecting geometric volumes reach out to connect the building to the landscape. The main first floor is a long south-facing rectangle that stretches and anchors in the granite. A deep west-facing porch protects the house from overheating, bridges a rocky drainage, and links the open floor plan to the landscape with a large outdoor living space. The second floor creates a covered north entry, and a balcony on the south side looks towards the oak canopy it feels like the master bedroom is in a tree house.
The exterior material pallet is in keeping with our love for the handmade modern. Cedar siding from trees grown on Mela’s childhood property and milled by her father is mixed with standing seam metal roofing that turns downing to clad the walls as a way to articulate the building form.
High Performance Highlights
Assembly
The complexity of the design, with its cantilevers and steel deck foundation, require a heightened attention to the air sealing and insulation details. The super insulated, air-tight building envelope is wrapped in exterior Rockwool insulation, all the connections between interior and exterior structural members are meticulously detailed to avoid thermal bridges, and triple pane European windows and doors are used to maximize light, comfort, and performance.
Climate Control
A CO2 heat pump water heater provides the most efficient domestic hot water delivery. Balanced heat recovery ventilation offers high indoor air quality and uniform temperature distribution. Indoor climate control is provided by super efficient ductless mini-splits.
Energy
A 6.5 kw roof-mounted photovoltaic system, paired with two Tesla Powerwall backup batteries, offsets the home’s energy usage (including the charging of an electric car) – creating a zero net energy building.
The Good Haus project was selected by Fine Home Building Magazine as an example of a “good house” and chosen to be their “Fine Homebuilding House 2018.” The magazine documented much of the construction and our approach to creating high-performance, zero-net-energy homes.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine | Issue 277 – September 2018
Fine Homebuilding Magazine | Issue 278 – November 2018
Fine Homebuilding Magazine | Issue 281 – February 2019