Deep Energy Renovation

Installing a New Building Envelope

One of the projects I am currently working on is for some wonderful clients who want to modernize their home and make it much more energy efficient. We worked on a design including an updated exterior, new triple glazed Serious windows, super exterior insulation including walls with 4" of cellulose and 4" of XPS Insulation and a roof with R-80 of cellulose insulation, and a heat recovery ventilation system to bring fresh air into this very tight house. Part two of the project will be interior renovations including a new kitchen. It has been a pleasure to work with clients who are so detail-oriented and so conscious of their energy use.


The construction details of insulating the exterior building envelope are very complicated. Working with the existing structure of an older ranch house and retrofitting it to make it air tight and super-insulated is challenging. We decided to insulate from the exterior to keep the interior sheetrock and trim intact. This is especially tricky around the windows. The new walls are much thicker than the old walls, but nice details emerged such as generous window sills on the interior. This major deep energy retrofit also an opportunity to update the look of the exterior. The owners are helping with painting and are phasing the project to fit their budget. I worked with the fabulous engineer Marc Rosenbaum of South Mountain on the building envelope details and we have a wonderful contractor who has been very meticulous with the execution of this complex project.


I think renovations like this one to make existing buildings more energy efficient will be the next big wave of building in our country. It will be exciting to monitor energy use in this house after the renovations are complete and see how much is energy and money saved and how closely its performance matches Marc's energy models. I will use what I have learned from this project on my new building project.

Insulating the Floor Cantilever

Insulating the Corner

What is a "sustainable" building?

LEED- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design- was developed by the US Green Building Council in 1998. It is a green building certification system which is intended to improve building performance in energy and water use, improve indoor air quality, reduce CO₂ emissions, and be more sensitive to resource use. It is internationally recognized and uses a third party verification system. It is definitely a step in the right direction, but I know of of very large (10,000+ square feet) houses being "Platinum" certified.


The average house size in the US in 1950 was under 1000 square feet and now it is closer to 2,400 square feet. We have smaller families these days, we are increasingly in debt, and we are facing ever higher energy costs. So, one has to ask if there is any way a 10,000 square foot house could be considered sustainable, even if it is LEED certified. I don't think it can be. I struggled with the idea of becoming LEED accredited professional- many architects are- but it didn't seem right for me when I strive to build healthy, zero energy use projects that use local materials efficiently and responsibly and go beyond LEED Platinum, for clients who do not want to pay for the certification. LEED is a step in the right direction and it is great that it is being so widely adapted. But we need to do much better.

New Project, New Blog

I am starting this project being urged by friends and clients and students to share what I learn more about sustainable building, architectural and landscape design, and responsible living.

I am hoping to build a small architecture studio here in White River Junction, Vermont that could be a model sustainable building for $150 K over the next 2 years. I will build it using modern design and the most rigorous standards of 'sustainability' – a term that I need to really define for myself, which will be part of this project.

Having been privileged to teach architectural design and classes in sustainability at Dartmouth College for the past 14 years, and to practice as an architect in Vermont, this is yet another project to help me "push the envelope" (pun intended) and my thinking and skills, as well as build a place to work and serve as a model of good design in the 21st century.