Paulk Residence

Paulk Residence

Zero Energy House 3

35.009225, -83.327351

Highland Gap, North Carolina, USA

Site

Steeply sloped, 57 acre wooded lot on Highland Gap Road in North Carolina. A small creek cuts though the northern edge of the site and flows to the Ocoee River, less than 1/2 mile away.

Clients

Retirement age couple, downsizing

Programmatic Strategy

Eccentrically zoned, compact vertical

Formal Strategy

The overall form of the house is predicated on three factors:

Eccentric pallete of center points based on site generated random/ natural placement of tree trunks
Maximum solar gain derived from a carefully calibrated solar geometry
Literal and rhetorical air flow capture

Hot Side/Cool Side

The upper windward side of the house faces uphill and directly south. An array of framed solar louvers wrap the so called “hot” side of the house, generating enough electricity on average daily basis to light the house. The stair serves as a vertical ventilation shaft, using the hot side of the house to magnify thermal movement on warm days during the swing season. The louvered solar wall allows air to move freely up the interchangeable pressurized panel system.

The lower windward side of the house faces a small creek with the view extending towards a river basin. Air current in the mountains is predictable, but the orientation captures cool air traveling up the hill. Windows serve as soft articulated apertures to emphasize air flow across smooth ceilings and through unobstructed openings.

Energy Kit

Ultra efficient energy generating kit with positive energy generation over a 12 month cycle. PV: Monocrystalline silicon panels, moderately ventilated, south orientation and inclination of 45º on southern louvered wall. 0,12 ~0,18 Kpk KW/m2 with a minimum package density of 80%.

Cooling system:

Cooling/Heating system: Multisplit system with COP = 2.9. Heat pump + radiant floors, estimated conservatively at COP = 1
Mechanical supply and exhaust of air @ 0.35 ACH. Heat exchange plates and/or pipes
20% exhaust air recirculation
Tight envelope @ 0.4 ACH

Sensor controlled lighting

Lighting intensity = 5 W/m2
Evacuated tube solar collectors with direct ow system (hot water) 30 m2, facing south @ 30º inclination on roof

Water Conservation

Two 1000 gallon cisterns located at east and west side of house

Energy Calculations

Ultra efficient system with tested 95% energy generation balance over a 12 month cycle.

Structure

CIP reinforced concrete with tube steel bracing at pressurized wall system.

Wind Veil

3/8” diameter stainless steel beads on the cool side

Envelop

CIP reinforced concrete with tube steel bracing at pressurized wall system Interchangeable pressurized panel system Aluminum Clad SIP, Ground Source Heat Pump, BIP Solar Array, Reyaears Doors and Windows, Hydrotech Roof system, On Site Water Storage.