Grand Opening crowd checks out the spacious Mini-B interior
The Mini-B (short for Mini-Bungalow) project is a collaborative effort demonstrating the comfort, affordability and energy efficiency of the Passive House standard as applied in the Pacific Northwest. “PassivHaus” in German means “Passive Building” and applies to any size or type of building. To date, over 25,000 buildings in Germany and Austria have been designed, built or otherwise retrofitted to this energy standard.
Joseph Giampietro, AIA, CPHC, along with the SCCC Wood Construction Center led by Frank Mestemacher, Carpentry Instructor, and Carol Volpe, Curriculum Developer, have completed one of the first Passive Houses built in the State of Washington. As a student-built project that meets the radical energy and air-tightness standards of Passive House, Mini-B demonstrates an affordable energy solution, assembled with building science knowledge from readily available materials and equipment. Mini-B will be on demonstration assignment for 4-6 months at the Phinney Neighborhood Association in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle. Following the display period Mini-B will be sold as a detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) or vacation cabin. We anticipate a demand for more and are making arrangements with a green modular factory to construct additional small houses to the same exacting energy performance criteria.
The Mini-B is a prototype small dwelling designed to conform to City of Seattle requirements for a “Backyard Cottage” as a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (DADU). (For site requirements of the City of Seattle, go to www.seattle.gov/dpd)
The Mini-B is permitted as a “factory-built structure” in the State of Washington and can be built to order. As a super-efficient cost effective dwelling, the Mini-B has the potential to provide affordable housing for family, friends, students, and renters. Residents will find that clean fresh air and superior thermal comfort are standard with a Passive House.
Mini-B was presented to the public at the 2010 National Passive House Conference in Portland, OR. To view the PDF of that presentation see: “PDF Presentation”
