Opening summer 2011
Copyright Doty & Miller Architects
This summer, visitors to The Cleveland Museum of Natural History will be invited to tour a home that could represent the future of energy-efficient housing. SmartHome Cleveland will be constructed on Museum grounds and is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Climate Change, which will be on display July 23 through Dec. 31, 2011 in the Museum’s Kahn Hall. (To see a video about SmartHome Cleveland, scroll down.)While Climate Change addresses the effect of human actions on the Earth, SmartHome Cleveland will demonstrate how humans can act to affect an energy-efficient future and can help change ideas about how we design, build and live in our homes in Northeast Ohio. The home was designed using the Passive House methodology, the world’s most advanced standard of energy performance. Plans are to build the house using a wall system based on structural insulated panels. Construction is expected to be completed in early June, when it will become a temporary exhibition open to the public for tours.
Designed to function without a furnace, SmartHome Cleveland will be 90 percent more energy efficient than a typical home. It will be constructed using sustainable materials and furnishings, advanced stormwater techniques, healthy housing techniques and biophilic design to connect occupants to nature. Three key elements distinguish "passive house" structures from typical houses: high levels of insulation, with walls up to 18 inches thick; a carefully sealed building envelope with minimal air leakage combined with efficient heat-recovery ventilation for superior indoor air quality; and ultra high-performance windows—at least double-paned and typically triple-paned. The result is a home with no drafts, no cold spots and extremely low heating bills.
"SmartHome Cleveland will give thousands of people hands-on experience with the most advanced, practical and attractive techniques of green building and energy conservation," said David Beach, director of GreenCityBlueLake Institute, the center for sustainability at the Museum. "It will also raise design standards in Northeast Ohio by increasing awareness of passive house principles, and can help make Cleveland a center for advanced design."
The two-story house will have a net living space of approximately 2,500 square feet, including three bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms, plus a full basement. (Click here for proposed floor plans.) SmartHome Cleveland will be on display from June to September 2011. At the close of the exhibit, the house will be moved to a nearby lot on Wade Park Avenue in University Circle and become available for purchase as a residential home for a Cleveland family.
Copyright Doty & Miller Architects
"We’re excited about the opportunity to bring the leading ideas of building science to Northeast Ohio," said Dr. Evalyn Gates, the Museum’s executive director and CEO. "This will be the ultimate green exhibit—a home that meets the world’s most rigorous energy standard for residential construction, and that at the end of the exhibit will become a permanent asset to Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood."
The home was designed by Chuck Miller of Doty & Miller Architects in Cleveland. Certified Passive House Consultant Mark Hoberecht of HarvestBuild Associates will oversee SmartHome Cleveland’s adherence to the standards of the Passive House Institute US.
SmartHome Cleveland is being funded by The Cleveland Foundation, The George B. Storer Foundation, an anonymous donor and a number of other sponsors. The Museum receives public support with local tax dollars from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, to preserve and enrich the region’s artistic and cultural heritage.
Entrance to SmartHome Cleveland will be $5 with Museum admission. Reservations for timed admission are recommended. For complete information on Museum hours and admission fees, click here.
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