Visit to ZeroHouse
Originally posted on EcoStudio’s blog.
Computer simulations and 3D models of a house that uses net-zero energy and has a net-zero carbon footprint is one thing, but to see the physical house is a whole other story. On Wednesday July 19th, several members of our team ventured out to Peterborough to visit our Construction Team at the Endeavour Centre, and take a first look at the ZeroHouse.
Pictured: Matthew Ferguson and Jamie Fine (top, left to right) and Danilo Yu, Cristina Mazza, and Cheryl Atkinson (bottom, left to right)
Despite delays due to heavy rains, the main structure of the ZeroHouse was ready for us to see. While one could expect such a task to take weeks, the ZeroHouse panel assembly was completed in only 9 hours. An integral aspect of this feat was the pre-fabrication of wall, roof, and floor panels before the overall assembly. Because of the upcoming project to ship and then fully re-build the ZeroHouse at the EDITdx show in only 2 weeks, using pre-fabrication techniques is critical.
Picture of construction team assembling the ZeroHouse. Credit to the Endeavour Ventre
With major design decisions to be made, the visit started off with a meeting to discuss design matters, such as interior and exterior design details. The exterior cladding layout and orientation, along with electrical finishing techniques for the EDITdx show were finalized.
Pictured: Matthew Ferguson, Cheryl Atkinson, Shane MacInnes (front, from left to right), and Chris Magwood (back)
Several students from the Endeavour Centre’s Sustainable New Construction program met with us after our meeting, which gave us all the chance to meet the teams behind the scenes. Some of the most intriguing design elements, such as the mushroom derived insulation used in some of the wall panels, were left open for our viewing.
Picture of Cork Panel Outsulation by manufacturer Ecovative
Picture of Mushroom Derived Insulation in the Wall Panel
The team is very excited and pleased with the progress of the ZeroHouse, and believes that it’s important to take a second and think of how sustainable design can impact each of our lives.
