Page 48 - 2014 SDCA Project
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Preliminary Feasibility Study Comparison to Other Building Code/Design Standards
A major goal of the preliminary energy modeling was to understand the way that an air- Passive House certification is performance based; hence, there are no
tight, super-insulated building envelope interacted with available HVAC systems to assess prescriptive criteria that must be met by building components and
project feasibility and better understand design constraints/necessities. systems. The building must meet the Passive House performance criteria
after it has been occupied. This method of rating/certifying a building is
very different from standard construction practice.
Building Geometry
Conventional construction practices strive to meet the minimum criteria
that are legally permissible, which are set by the currently adopted energy
The architectural floor plans and envelope sections were used to construct a simplified code, ASHRAE 90.1-2007. Meeting the minimum standard reduces
three-dimensional model of the proposed building design. Floor-to-ceiling heights of 12
construction cost for the builder and the owner, but low-quality
feet were assumed for the first and second floor of the building. Complex interior space
layouts were approximated with roughly equivalent rectangular spaces. construction has lasting negative effects that are challenging or impossible
to remedy after construction for a reasonable price. These lingering
negative effects include higher utility costs, more frequent and higher cost
building maintenance, lower building valuation and lease rates, shorter
useful life, comfort problems, and greater environmental impact.
Building design and construction programs that seek to exceed the
minimum standard are becoming increasingly popular. Such beyond-code
programs include LEED, ENERGY STAR, EarthCraft, Living Building
Challenge, Green Globes, Passive House, and many others.
The Friends of Refugees project was compared by designing the building
according to three separate criteria:
Minimum standards of the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and
Air Conditioning Engineers, ASHRAE 90.1-2007 for Climate Zone 3A
Prescriptive recommendations from the Advanced Energy Design Guide
(AEDG) for Small to Medium Offices- 50% reduction over ASHRAE 90.1-
2007
Passive House
The key system performance criteria for each tier of building efficiency are
The window-to-wall ratio in the preliminary design is only 10%. The amount of glazing listed in the table below. The values for each component are guidelines
necessary to deliver adequate natural daylight will likely need to be increased, but this only (except for 90.1).
seemed to be a good minimum threshold to start from. Positioning of building glazing,
shading, and light distribution systems will need to be designed to maximize effectiveness.
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