Project Details

The Challenge

The McCook house demonstrates a cost-effective approach to the design and construction of a passive solar home in a cold climate.  The combination of good design principles, the use of tilt slab concrete construction, and inclusion of Trombe walls have created a home that requires only a fraction of the supplementary heating required by an average home in the region.

Project Information

Building type:                          New residential (passive solar)

Building area:                         198m² (home) + 9m² (airlock entry) + 64m² (garage)

Number of occupants:            5 (2 adults, 3 children)

Nature of occupancy:              Parent and child at home

Number of storeys:                 One

Ownership:                              Owner occupied

Building Cost:                         $175,000 (approx $800/m² for home, $650/m² for whole building)

Annual operating costs:         $400 electric appliances, $230 gas, $100-$200 supplementary electric heating

Completion date:                   September 1996