Title 24

Pacific Collegiate School (PCS) is a college preparatory public charter school whose mission is to provide a rigorous academic curriculum with a focus in the arts and languages. As a public school, PCS is free and open to all. The school was recently named 25th best high school school in the nation by U.S. & News Report, and top charter school in California. 

The future homeowners of what's expected to be the first Passive House in South Lake Tahoe are currently weekend warriors who head up to Tahoe when they can spare time from their busy lives in the Bay Area. They look forward to full-time residence in Tahoe once their new home, an Angora Fire rebuild, is completed in 2014. Sitting near the flanks of Mt. Tallac, their new homestead will be perfectly placed for regular excursions into the mountains.

Winning Best New Home of 2013 and labeled “Passive House Perfection” by Fine Homebuilding, this 1600-square foot farmhouse achieves the highest performance standards without sacrificing aesthetic standards. One of the pioneering features is the phase change material (PCM) that was installed behind drywall to dramatically increase thermal mass and temperature moderation, without requiring traditional exposed concrete or masonry.

Designed to seemlessly blend with the stunning Sea Ranch cliffline, the Agnew Residence boasts elegance and environmental sensitivity. The project achieved LEED Platinum certification with an emphasis on low-impact landscaping, high-performance building envelope, sustainable materials and water efficiency. 

The builder has completed a gut rehab of the original home on this lot and is now underway with a new second unit. Features include Advanced Framing (resource-efficient structural design), underslab insulation, elimination of thermal bridges at the slab edge, and superinsulation in the walls.

This is Clarum Home's second completed Passive House, which was substantially complete in early 2013. Learn more about the project here.