"During my studies to become a certified Passivhaus designer, my teacher would remind me of the importance of 'going for the low-hanging fruit first.' I have kept this simple sentiment in mind for many projects, so that sustainable choices can be made minimally, or incrementally, to improve overall energy performance. This also guided the decision making for my own home."
"Ben Ridley, director of Architecture for London, is an avid proponent of doing what you can to make your old house as energy-efficient and environmentally healthy as possible. After all, most people don't have the resources to, say, build a passive house from scratch. (And, if you live in a city, as Ben does, there's the issue of lack of buildable land.) But there are adjustments we can all make to zip up and greenify our homes."
Ben Ridley, director of Architecture for London, retrofitted a 1907 London townhouse shared with his partner Susanne and daughter Edyth, reducing energy use by about 80 percent after a £250,000 renovation. Ridley advocates starting with low-hanging fruit and making incremental, minimally invasive upgrades guided by Passivhaus principles when possible. Constraints such as limited buildable land in cities favor refurbishing existing homes rather than building new ones. The renovation preserved desirable original features, celebrated Edwardian character, and replaced or upgraded materials that no longer served the house. Multiple small and larger measures together produced significant energy and environmental benefits.
Read at Remodelista
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