Modern Prefabricated Energy Efficient Homes in Spring Lake, NJ and Albany NY are Recognized

MILFORD, PA – December 10, 2020 – Richard Pedranti Architect (RPA), a full-service architecture firm focused on energy-efficient design and headquartered in Milford, Pennsylvania, has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the prestigious American Institute of Architects (AIA) and their Committee on the Environment (COTE) for environmentally sustainable projects in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey and Albany, New York.

2020 AIA Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Design Award to the Scott Residence, Albany, NY
The AIA recognizes and celebrates the best buildings and spaces, and the people behind them, with some of the most prestigious awards for the built environment. Their awards highlight best practices and recognize exemplary projects, engage and support members in the diverse practice of the profession and open opportunities to collaborate among peers and colleagues in the built environment.

RPA designed the minimalist, 2,125 square Scott home using higher levels of insulation, airtight construction, triple-pane windows, the use of a heat recovery ventilator and passive solar orientation of the home on the building site. These Passive House principles produce the highest level of interior comfort available in a building today. Regardless of the climate, this approach to home building reduces energy consumption by 80 to 90 percent compared to conventional homes.

The prefabricated Scott Residence was designed by RPA leveraging computerized building information modeling (BIM). This design software provided instructions to the manufacturer’s production line where the panelized wall and roof components were created. Upon delivery, the design team and construction crew worked with local building partners to assemble Scott’s Passive House – a two-week process.

“This [house] stood out to us for its intelligence, for its control, for the zoning of the plan, for the technologies that it embodied, and it was just a very disciplined project,” explained Ed Weinstein Principal, Weinstein A + U, one of three Seattle-based architects who made up the AIA awards jury. “…and frankly the fit and finish was really top notch," added Tom Kundig, Founding Principal and Design Lead, Olson Kundig, also a member of the jury.

2020 COTE Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Award to the Lang St. Marie Residence, Spring Lake
Heights, NJ
The AIA Pennsylvania Committee on the Environment selects projects that have exhibited excellence in measures indicating how buildings perform for the health and wellness of the occupants, communities and the environments they serve.

The prefabricated beach home is a Net Zero Energy building, meaning it produces roughly as much energy as it consumes annually. To significantly reduce the energy required to heat and cool the home, Passive House design principles were employed.

These strategies allow the home to remain comfortable year-round without having a traditional HVAC system. It is anticipated that this home will require less than half of the energy needed to heat and cool a typical American home.

The front of the modern Lang/St. Marie Residence blends into its well-established beach neighborhood in scale and appearance. The rear of the home is a fresh turn on modern living. A stunning 16-foot cantilever cuts strong horizontal lines across the landscape and creates a large covered outdoor space. A 10ft high by 25ft wide retractable glass wall unifies the rear of the home and the backyard. This feature invokes a strong connection to nature and enables true indoor/outdoor beach living.

“An excellent net zero residential example with passive house design and solar. Impressive that it requires less than half the energy needed to heat and cool a typical home in the US. Of all the projects with prefabricated components, the Lang St. Marie Residence stood out for its seamless and meticulous integration of components to create a whole and does so while also being completely net-zero,” the COTE jury explained. “The site design enhances eco-system services and integrates beautifully within the home.”

Both the Scott and Lang St. Marie projects exemplify RPA designed homes, which combine modern architectural aesthetics with high sustainability and modern building science.

“We are truly honored to have these projects recognized with such prestigious awards,” said Richard Pedranti. “We strive to create spaces that are deeply personalized for homeowners and their lifestyles, while adhering to building principles that deliver tremendous comfort, health and energy efficiency. We are proud that these two homes achieved that goal and were appreciated by the architectural community.”

Both the Scott and Lang St. Marie projects will be considered for the AIA and COTE national awards in early 2021.