Custom New Homes, Net Zero & Positive Energy Homes

Hilltop Contemporary

Featured In The NewsTimes

These homeowners had lived in Ridgefield for many years. When they became empty nesters, they decided to build a new home in the same town that would accommodate their new lifestyle and desire to live in an energy efficient green home. They purchased an older ranch-style house close to town, up on a hill with a great view. They then turned to BPC Green Builders to help them achieve their goal. BPC introduced them to Elizabeth DiSalvo of Trillium Architects, a local business that specializes in green homes. Trillium came up with a spectacular contemporary design for the home that utilized the existing foundation, saving the homeowners money and reducing the new materials required to build the home. BPC and Trillium worked together to create details for the thermal envelope, mechanical system, and renewable energy system that resulted in a net zero home.

Type: New Construction, Custom Green Home

Project Architect: Trillium Architects

Special Features

Open concept living/dining/kitchen area
Main living space with raised 14ft ceiling
Additional areas with sloped cathedral ceilings
Raised rear deck spanning the full width of the house
Fully finished walk-out basement
Propane fireplace in main living area

Green Building Approaches

House roof is oriented to solar south for PV system.
Home energy Rating Scored (HERS) score of -1, denoting net zero performance.
Blower door result of 0.73ACH50 nearly achieves PH standard of 0.60ACH50.
Existing basement slab was covered with vapor barrier and then insulated with 4” of EPS foam board.
Existing concrete block foundation walls were insulated with 2” of 2lb spray foam. Then a 2×4 wall was framed to the interior and insulated with 3.5” of dense-pack cellulose.
Exterior walls sheathed with ZIP R-sheathing (OSB mated to a 1” sheet of polyisocyanurate rigid foam board insulation,) to reduce thermal bridging.
Exterior walls framed with 2×6’s at 24” spacing, insulated with 5.5” of 1/2lb SPF (R-26 exterior wall assembly, including ZIP-R sheathing)..
14” I-joist rafters (for reduced thermal bridging) filled with 3” of 2lb spray foam insulation and 11” of dense-pack cellulose (R-60)
Wall and roof sheathing air-sealed with European acrylic flashing tapes.
European triple-glazed windows with u-values of 0.26 (roughly R-4).
Fiber cement siding installed over drainable weather resistive barrier.