Passive House in the Woods

Pouring Concrete

These images show the concrete being poured. We specify fly-ashe as filler for the concrete. Due to the fact that we are pouring into ICFs we can omit additives typically used for cold temperature pours. The insulation shells on either side of the concrete core keep the concrete sufficiently warm. At the top of the pour, we use temporary pieces of insulation to avoid frost exposure.

The plywood braces around windows and at junctions and corners help stabilize the ICFs during the pour. They are later taken off and recycled throughout the entire project. Some of the plywood will likely find its way into the next ICF project.

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First Floor Construction

The first week of January marked the construction of the first floor building envelope. The pictures show the exterior ICF walls and window openings. We use FSC-certified timberstrands as window bucks. They are laminated with ice and water shield on the side facing the concrete pour. The southwest facing corner window framing already shows a glimpse of what the views out of the finished windows will be.

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Construction Pictures – December 2009

The Passive House in the Woods is constructed with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF). These blocks stack like legos and allow for a quick build of exterior walls. They also help with air-tightness, as the concrete basically makes an airtight shell. The images show some of the stem walls that are sitting on the frost footings, as well as the basement level walls.

The first floor plate is frames with FSC certfied iJoists and plywood. All lumber on the project is specified as FSC certified. Morr Construction are serious about sourcing, waste mitigation, and waste management on the project. They’ve posted numerous alerts in the job trailer for the staff to remember how to handle product.

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It’s a hole!

Excavation has officially begun at the site. This image was taken on day 1 of construction.

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