Green Project of the Week: Del Ray Net-Zero Home
Architect Deborah Buelow of Cedar Architecture in Alexandria, Va., not only designed an 8,200-square-foot net-zero home for a family of six, but ensured that the project adhered to her clients’ vision to make the home eco-friendly and able to produce more energy than it uses. To receive its certified status from the Passive House Institute of the United States, the home required airtight insulation, a constant-ventilation system, a solar roof and thermal heating and cooling.
“The size was its biggest challenge,” said Buelow. “It’s a big space and that’s not easy to make a net-zero home.”
The half-acre site had an irregular shape, cobbled together from three lots. After demolishing the existing structures, Buelow took into consideration that while her clients wanted a spacious home, they also wanted it to blend with the character of their Del Ray neighborhood in Alexandria. Buelow had the front of the house built out of brick made in North Carolina from recycled ceramic materials. For the rest of the exterior, she used Kebony wood, a sustainable, eco-treated pine that starts brown but weathers to a silvery gray.
Throughout the process, Buelow prioritized incorporating nature into the design. While the house’s south-facing orientation captures abundant sunlight, generous four-foot roof overhangs shade the front windows from the high sun and prevent overheating during summer.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Hughes
