Olive Passive House

Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn

Olive Passive House

Demo Architects

ARCHITECTS
Demo Architects

PHOTOGRAPHY
Chaunté Vaughn (16)

BUDGET
$500K - 1M

AREA
1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Olivebridge, NY, United States

TYPE
Residential › Private House

Tucked into the Catskills woods, the Olive Passive House is a monolith with voids articulately chosen to optimize views, light, and privacy.

Olive Passive House
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn

The South-facing elevation is carved at an angle towards the East, framing the view of the pond while reducing the solar heat gain in the summer months.

This carving movement continues on the ground floor, where it creates a protected porch to eat, read, and relax.

The interiors of these carvings are sheathed in Siberian Larch, which was chosen for its density and natural water-repellent properties.

Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn

The warm wood lining contrasts with the black standing-seam metal exterior and alludes to the welcoming interior.

The heart of the home is the double-height gathering space where you will find the kitchen, dining, and living room.

Above the kitchen is a loft with a home office that overlooks the social area.

Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn

The 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home has a neutral interior palette consisting of white walls, concrete, and red oak finishes, with washes of color in the bathroom and kitchens.

A PHIUS-certified passive house, this building works exclusively on electric power and consumes almost 80% less than most homes built in the same area up to minimum energy code requirements.

The home optimizes energy efficiency through a series of key elements; triple-glazed windows that maximize solar heat during the winter, while the walls and roof are insulated with dense pack cellulose, a material that contains up to 80% recycled paper and fabric.

Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn

The building envelope is very airtight (0.25ACH), guaranteeing minimum energy loss year round.

The house was built as a panelized system in a nearby shop and trailed to the job site, where it was assembled, atop a concrete foundation, in less than three days.

The project was self-initiated, developed, and occupied by Alessandro Ronfini, partner at DEMO architects, and his growing family.

Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn
Olive Passive House
© Chaunté Vaughn

The owners sourced and recycled many of the fixtures and furnishings. Some unique ones are the 1960s pink ceramic sink in one of the bathrooms from Zaborski Emporium in Kingston.

Recycled construction waste from the roof's ridge beam is reused as the legs of a robust and elegant dining table.

Olive Passive House
Olive Passive House