Gallery: Net Zero Williams-York Reside...

The Williams-York Residence is an infill home in Leawood, Kansas right outside of Kansas City and is the first private LEED Platinum home in the state. Designed by DRAW architecture + urban design, the home replaced another home that was deemed inadequate to repair. Almost all the waste was recycled or reused and the new home was built in order to achieve net zero status with the help of a passive solar design, a geothermal heat pump and a rooftop photovoltaic system.

The original home was determined to have a compromised foundation, so it was decided a renovation would not achieve the desired results. To minimize the impact of of tearing down the home, the homeowners deconstructed the home and carefully sorted materials for reuse, recycling or the landfill if nothing could be done. This process resulted in 82% of the materials being used or recycled instead of ending up in the landfill. After the deconstruction, an arborist was consulted to create a tree protection plan to avoid removing trees and the new home design was based on this plan as a way to maintain shade and the mature growth already on site.

DRAW architecture + urban design task was to design and build a net zero home, which first involved orienting the house to take in sun and light, but not to overheat it. Careful window and shade placement allow the home to soak up heat in the winter and reflect it in the summer. Energy-efficient windows with an R6 rating open up the interior to a create a sunny, light filled space. Heating and cooling is provided with an energy efficient geothermal heat pump system that is 50% more efficient than a normal home. A solarium off the south side provides additional living space and the 4 kW solar photovoltaic system lives on this roof to provide the remaining energy needed for the home.

+ DRAW architecture + urban design

Via Archinect

Images ©DRAW architecture + urban design


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