Image ©Bridgette Meinhold
Hailing from Germany, Rügemer was accustomed to a higher standard of efficient design for homes and planned to one day build the house of his dreams here in the US for his family. He set out to build an incredibly high performing home at market rate to prove that it was possible. After locating a good lot in Park City, UT he spent over a year designing and redesigning the 3 bedroom home to achieve the optimum efficiency for the right price. Working with Garbett Homes and radiant heating specialists he was able to come up with a design that relied on a high performance envelope and required only a small amount of energy to heat even in the dead of winter.
The 2,400 sq ft home is three stories with a garage and studio on the basement floor. The ground floor features a large living room and the kitchen and dining room, while the upstairs holds three bedrooms, two bathrooms, built-in storage and the mechanical room. A staircase sits in the center of the house, divides the space and acts as a light well and natural ventilation stack chimney to move air throughout the house. The decor is clean, simple and very German – in fact, most of the appliances actually come from Germany and compactly fit into the kitchen.
Wow. Not quite sure why these techniques aren’t being applied universally yet. If I see another energy-killing Toll Brothers development go up around me, I’m going to flip. This sort of architectural information and technology can go a long way and can even be applied to the widely popular and “neo-eclectic” style of home. Why it hasn’t yet is beyond me.
What a great little place, the simple form and unique window program seems to really work- question what requirements could it not meet to achieve passive house?