Phinney Energy Retrofit

The goals of this remodel were two-fold. The first was to improve the energy efficiency and thermal comfort of the house. The second was to update the look of the house and modify the spaces to make it work better for its owners.

This project began as an attempt improve the energy efficiency and thermal comfort of the house. The owners were paying large electricity bills and found the house to be uncomfortable most of the year- too hot and too cold. Without tearing the house down and starting fresh, we identified several stratagies that could help the situation. We chose to replace the failing siding with more modern design and at the same time insulate with an additional 2" of rigid foam insulation. We also finished the existing basement, adding more insulation to create a comfortable theater area. The addition of some operable windows and skylights for passive ventilation addresed the overheating in the summer.

The interiror work reorganized the living spaces for beter flow and function while also updating the look of the house. We installed a new wood burning fireplace, built in cabinets and reclaimed fir flooring throughout most of the house. The old carpeted stairs were replaced with fir treads and a steel railing.