Comments on: So Close Yet So Far – The Aqua Tower and Passive House

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 07:35:40 +0000

I performed a home inspection
I performed a home inspection for clients who purchased a large condominium on one of the upper floors of Aqua a few months ago. They called me back a week or two after the inspection in great distress and told me that they were relegated to sleeping in their closet due to the incredible noise that their partition walls were making as they rubbed against the curtain walls. Energy efficiency is not the only shortcoming at this place.

By: David

David — Tue, 13 May 2014 06:31:42 +0000

Gang will be speaking at the
Gang will be speaking at the AIA convention in Chicago late June; perhaps someone can ask her for data on the building...

I would guess the story is fairly complicated; it's a mixed-use building, the fins serve as shading, commercial buildings tend to need cooling most of the year (very low balance point) ... etc., etc. It would be extremely hard to just guess at whether on balance it's performing well or not (relative to all-glass; pretty sure it's not great compared to small window / wall ratio options). The proof is in the pudding.

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 10 May 2014 04:50:40 +0000

So are there any numbers for
So are there any numbers for the building? It’d be much more interesting to see some benchmarks than just suppositions about efficiency. I’m sure you guys are probably right, and man, it’s ugly as sin – but still – I’d love to see some actual numbers for energy use.

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Fri, 09 May 2014 01:05:50 +0000

Ted K.: Or
Ted K.: Or energy allowed per square foot?

Jim G.: I agree. And great to see you in Detroit, too!

Mike: Yeah, I don't believe that number either.

Ron: Yes, sorry. Once again, it was a quick in-and-out trip, and I was busy all weekend with the PHIUS board retreat. Plus, I'd just been to Detroit and Santa Fe, NM in the previous 6 days. I'll catch you on one of my trips, though.

Bill S.: Well, those models are fairly useless then, it seems to me.

Mike: Yep.

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 06 May 2014 04:06:26 +0000

You were in Chicago and you
You were in Chicago and you didn't stop in the studio? :-)

By: Jim Gunshinan

Jim Gunshinan — Mon, 05 May 2014 20:01:11 +0000

Allison, I couldn't think of
Allison, I couldn't think of a better example of how not to build a high rise these days. Maybe if there were more glass...

Great to see you at the ACI Home Performance Conference last week.

By: ted kidd

ted kidd — Mon, 05 May 2014 17:32:39 +0000

Maybe code should limit
Maybe code should limit equipment size per sf.

Build whatever you want, but it might not be occupiable when it gets super hot or cold...