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Architects: Love Schack Architecture
- Area: 4300 ft²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Whitney Kamman
Text description provided by the architects. Bozeman Passive Haus is the highest-performing single-family home in Montana’s Gallatin Valley, setting a new standard for high-performance single-family homes in the region. This project was driven by the client’s commitment to sustainability, which is integrated into every aspect of the home’s design and function. The goal was to create an exceptionally efficient and resilient home by employing Passive House principles. As experts in Passive House design, Love Schack Architecture designed a sustainable oasis in harsh rural Montana winters. This approach resulted in a highly insulated and airtight building envelope, which ensures stable indoor temperatures and significantly reduces the load on mechanical systems. The Bozeman Passive House maintained comfortable indoor conditions even during extreme 30-degree temperatures, despite the mechanical systems being turned off.
The airtight construction minimizes noise levels and enhances indoor air quality, particularly during Montana’s wildfire season, when outdoor air quality can be compromised. The home’s superior thermal comfort and air quality create a serene and healthy living environment year-round. Comfort was also prioritized in Love Schack Architecture’s design. From the entryway, guests are greeted with an open-concept living, kitchen, and dining room, all engulfed by the wrap-around patio with views of Montana’s surrounding landscape. The completion of this project was a huge step forward in building science and trade skills in the rural Gallatin Valley, demonstrating that improved building methods and aesthetics can exist in the same home.
Being the first Passive House in Montana’s Gallatin Valley, there was a lack of knowledge about cutting-edge building science in the rural area. Love Schack Architecture took this process as an opportunity to teach other trades professionals about passive house design throughout the design and construction of this project. The Bozeman Passive House, the first in Gallatin Valley certified by the Passive House Institute, exemplifies the five key principles of passive house building: solar orientation, high insulation, high-performance windows, air-tight enclosure, and balanced ventilation with heat recovery. This construction concept, which can be applied to any building, ensures up to 90% energy savings in heating and cooling while maintaining healthy air quality. Passive houses are not just low-energy buildings but also prioritize comfort, affordability, and ecological sustainability.
They utilize internal energy sources like body heat from residents and solar heat, achieving significant energy savings of up to 90% compared with typical building stock and over 75% compared with average new builds. The Bozeman Passive House's key features include structural integrated panels (SIP), fossil fuel-free energy with all-electric appliances and on-site solar energy production, an integrated design and construction process, and permaculture landscape design. The building achieves an outstanding level of energy efficiency, comfort, and health through its constant supply of fresh air and meticulous attention to air-sealing and insulation, which keeps the heat inside during winter and outside during summer.
