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A new house is taking shape on a scenic hillside on Hill Church Road. What’s notable about this new house is that it is the first Passive House to be built in Berks County. Passive House is an energy efficient building standard that maximizes the energy efficiency in the roof, walls floors and utility systems. Homes built to this standard use as much as 90 percent less heating and cooling energy than conventional houses. Designed by Richard Pedranti Architect, a…

Earth Day will be celebrated 365 days a year by JeanAnn and Shawn Soeder, when construction of their Washington Township passive house is completed in June. The couple’s home was part of an April 22 seven-location, self-guided tour of solar buildings in Berks and Lehigh counties. The informal open house tours sponsored by the MidAtlantic Renewable Energy Association, a nonprofit organization in Upper Macungie Township, were hosted by business and home owners. The organization sponsors workshops and produces publications to…

The functional art of building begins, and is guided by, the experience and knowledge of the architect. As the “chief builder,” it is his or her vision that shepherds construction projects through all development phases to completion. Architect Richard Pedranti listens carefully to his clients’ expressed wishes. Realizing their plans is primary to achieving a structure that suits their specifications. It is a complex task that requires extensive expertise in many areas. As NY architectural historian and preservationist Morris Kafka…

Builders and researchers in North America and Europe report that air can leak right through oriented strand board Most builders assume — and GBA has long reported — that oriented strand board (OSB) is a good air barrier. If a builder uses a high quality tape like Siga Wigluv, Zip System tape, or 3M All Weather flashing tape to seal sheathing seams, OSB wall and roof sheathing can act as a building’s primary air barrier. Energy consultant Marc Rosenbaum used…

“There’s the story of the passive house in New England,” said architect Richard Pedranti, of Milford, PA. “It was minus 10, and they needed to raise the temperature, so they baked some cookies. The waste heat from baking was enough to keep the house comfortable.” The passive house may be the world’s most rigorous building standard. There are about 150 certified passive houses in North America, but there are tens of thousands in Europe, where many cities have adopted passive…