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2025 BCDA Merit: Montem Villam Passive House
Expansive glass and retracting glass walls open the passive house project to the outdoors.
On 10 acres near Scranton, Pennsylvania, a family deeply rooted in exceptional building construction tapped RPA | Richard Pedranti Architect to help design a passive house that was healthy and environmentally harmonious. With a central design goal of integrating the home with its views of rolling hills and a small lake, expansive glass and two retracting glass walls were utilized to connect the indoor amenities to the outdoor living areas, including a pool.
A prefabricated building envelope and steel framing met a fast-paced project schedule and eased the learning curve for the client’s own commercial construction firm that was new to Passive House standards. The exterior’s glazed terra cotta tile siding created classic aesthetics with hundred-year durability and minimal maintenance against its clean lines and modern shape.
Fully embracing an all-electric home concept, solar panels on the detached pool building and garage roof enhance the home’s airtight envelope, contributing to its Phius certification, -10 HERS score, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency.
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