Paul Dowsett - Using an intelligent combination of passive and active strategies to minimize the design’s impact on the environment

1. Code Compliance for
Advanced Homes
"Meeting Code with
Fewer Gizmos"
A presentation and discussion with
Paul Dowsett, Architect

2. Meeting Code Without the Gizmos
First: Why?
Next: How?

3. Sustainable Design:
Using passive strategies that minimize the design’s impact on the environment.

4. Sustainable Design:
Using an intelligent combination of passive and active strategies that minimize the design’s
impact on the environment.
It’s as easy as using the site to its full potential, choosing the right materials, and
knowing how to put them together properly based on how you arrange the project.

5. Why is Sustainable Design Important?
The way many buildings are built and how they function has been reported to consume more
energy, resources and greenhouse gases than anything else on the planet.

6. Why is Sustainable Design Important?
The way many buildings are built and how they function currently consumes more energy,
resources, and greenhouse gases than anything else on the planet.
Building responsibly does not necessarily entail expensive gizmos; rather, it is a matter of good
planning.
Grey-water recycling “technology”

7. The 3 Step Approach:
A simple strategy to maximize performance and minimize cost and environmental impact is to:

8. The 3 Step Approach:
A simple strategy to maximize performance and minimize cost and environmental impact is to:
1. Reduce energy demands through intelligent design choices; taking advantage of the free resources
nature has to offer: sunlight for heat and daylighting, rainwater for irrigation, and breezes for cooling
ventilation

9. The 3 Step Approach:
A simple strategy to maximize performance and minimize cost and environmental impact is to:
1. Reduce energy demands through intelligent design choices; taking advantage of the free resources
nature has to offer: sunlight for heat and daylighting, rainwater for irrigation, and breezes for cooling
ventilation
2. Implement renewable resources to cover the greatest possible extend of remaining energy demands.

10. The 3 Step Approach:
A simple strategy to maximize performance and minimize cost and environmental impact is to:
1. Reduce energy demands through intelligent design choices; taking advantage of the free resources
nature has to offer: sunlight for heat and daylighting, rainwater for irrigation, and breezes for cooling
ventilation
2. Implement renewable resources to cover the greatest possible extend of remaining energy demands.
3. Use fossil fuels as efficiently as possible to supply any remaining energy demand

11. The 3 Step Approach:
A simple strategy to maximize performance and minimize cost and environmental impact is to:
1. Reduce energy demands through intelligent design choices; taking advantage of the free resources
nature has to offer: sunlight for heat and daylighting, rainwater for irrigation, and breezes for cooling
ventilation
2. Implement renewable resources to cover the greatest possible extend of remaining energy demands.
3. Use fossil fuels as efficiently as possible to supply the remaining energy demand
This approach results in a design that will appeal to owners and tenants who are conscious of both their impact on
the global environment, their personal environment, as well as the impact on their wallets.

12. CommonlyKnown As…
The Trias Energetica Model
of Energy Sustainability

13. What about the building code?
The OBC’s Supplementary Standard SB-12, Energy Efficiency of Housing, is
actually quite progressive

14. What about the building code?
The OBC’s Supplementary Standard SB-12, Energy Efficiency of Housing, is
actually quite progressive
Three Ways to Comply

15. What about the building code?
The OBC’s Supplementary Standard SB-12, Energy Efficiency of Housing, is
actually quite progressive
Three Ways to Comply
1. Prescriptive Compliance Package- Traditional requirements, but more
stringent. eg Ceiling with Attic Space must have a minimum R-Value of
50.

16. What about the building code?
The OBC’s Supplementary Standard SB-12, Energy Efficiency of Housing, is
actually quite progressive
Three Ways to Comply
1. Prescriptive Compliance Package
2. Energy Star Compliance- Building must be in compliance with technical
requirements of NRCan, “Energy Star for New Homes: Technical
Specifications-Ontario”

17. What about the building code?
The OBC’s Supplementary Standard SB-12, Energy Efficiency of Housing, is
actually quite progressive
Three Ways to Comply
1. Prescriptive Compliance Package
2. Energy Star Compliance
3. Performance Compliance- Using energy modeling to simulate that the
proposed building’s energy use is not greater than the usage of a
Prescriptive Compliance Package home.

18. What about the building code?
The prescriptive pathway to compliance demands intelligent levels of
insulation, high performance glazing, and efficient mechanical equipment. All
of this is good, but…

19. What about the building code?
The prescriptive pathway to compliance demands intelligent levels of
insulation, high performance glazing, and efficient mechanical equipment. All
of this is good, but…
The real opportunity for implementing the 3 Step Approach in SB-12 lies in
the Performance Pathway.

20. What about the building code?
The prescriptive pathway to compliance demands intelligent levels of
insulation, high performance glazing, and efficient mechanical equipment. All
of this is good, but…
The real opportunity for implementing the 3 Step Approach in SB-12 lies in
the Performance Pathway.
Because The Performance Pathway permits consideration of both
active and passive factors, excellent energy performance can be achieved
without expensive technologies.

21. What about the building code?
At SUSTAINABLE.TO, we use energy modeling both for code compliance, as well as a design tool.
REM/Rate- S.TO is using REM/Rate in order to obtain Home Energy Rating System (HERS) ratings for its houses. HERS
provides a numerical index, generally between 0 and 150, to represent the home’s energy performance. The lower the
better, a HERS index of 60 or lower will easily achieve SB-12 code compliance. S.TO’s homes are scoring between 40 and
45 on the HERS scale.

22. What about the building code?
In our office, we use energy modeling both for code compliance, as well as a design tool.
REM/Rate- SUSTAINABLE.TO is using REM/Rate in order to obtain Home Energy Rating System (HERS) ratings for its
houses. HERS provides a numerical index, generally between 0 and 150, to represent the home’s energy performance. The
lower the better, a HERS index of 60 or lower will easily achieve code compliance. S.TO’s homes are scoring between 40
and 45 on the HERS scale.
eQuest- SUSTAINABLE.TO also uses eQuest, a US Department of Energy software, for internal design assistance. eQuest
is an advanced platform that allows us to analyze “parametric runs” of our houses. This means that we can quickly and
efficiently gain a quantitative picture of the energy effect of say, replacing an old baseboard system with hydronic, radiant
floor heating inside a thermal mass topping.

23. Basic Design
• A smart building has a simple footprint, which reduces the overall building envelope

24. Basic Design
• A smart building has a simple footprint, which reduces the overall building envelope
• The less exposure the building has to the elements, the less likely it is to fail, and the
more efficient it is at preventing unwanted heat transfer

25. Basic Design
• A smart building has a simple footprint, which reduces the overall building envelope
• The less exposure the building has to the elements, the less likely it is to fail
• From a building code perspective, simple structures minimize heat gain in the summer
and heat loss in the winter, resulting in increased performance
SUSTAINABLE.TO Willowdale
Passive Solar House

26. Passive Strategies
• A building is meant to provide a comfortable environment for its inhabitants throughout
the seasons.

27. Passive Strategies
• A building is meant to provide a comfortable environment for its inhabitants throughout
the seasons.
• Therefore the building must be heated in the winter, cooled in the summer and well lit all
year round.

28. Passive Strategies
• A building is meant to provide a comfortable environment for its inhabitants throughout
the seasons.
• Therefore the building must be heated in the winter, cooled in the summer and well lit all
year round.
• Properly designed buildings can provide the lion’s share all of these things by harnessing
nature’s energy.
S.TO’s Off-grid, straw bale, passive solar
house

29. Passive Heating
Solar Heating Thermal Mass Radiation
S.TO’s Off-grid, straw bale, passive S.TO’s Affordable, New Orleans
solar house passive solar house

30. Passive Cooling
Passive Ventilation Shading
S.TO’s Affordable, New Orleans S.TO’s Affordable, New Orleans
passive solar house passive solar house

31. Diligent Construction
• Once the design and material choices are made, everything must be assembled properly.
The building envelope must be airtight to ensure that the design will be as efficient as
possible.

32. Diligent Construction
• Once the design and material choices are made everything must be assembled properly.
The building envelope must be airtight to ensure that the design will be as efficient as
possible.
• As important as the well known R-Value of a wall, the less discussed “Assembly Effects”
such as thermal bridges, thermal mass, and air movement, must be considered and
managed effectively.

33. Diligent Construction
• Excellent airtightness and optimization of Assembly Effects are both major components of
Performance Pathway Compliance.

34. Sustainable Results
by sustainable.TO

35. Sustainable Housing
Daniel’s Residence

36. Sustainable Housing
Daniel’s Residence

37. Sustainable Housing
Daniel’s Residence

38. Sustainable Housing
Willowdale Passive Solar House

39. Sustainable Housing
Willowdale Passive Solar House

40. Sustainable Housing
Hunter House

41. Sustainable Housing
Hunter House

42. Thank You