Education meets community leadership in LaCrosse's first certified Passive House project

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Western Technical College is a key educational institution in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Under the umbrella of construction-related studies, Western frequently develops typical family homes to expose students to hands-on practice in the field. The 24th Street Passive House Projects depart from standard construction and elevate both the educational content as well as the built homes to high-performance building practices as set forth by the Passive House building energy and GreenStar standards.

Intep provided architectural and engineering services, as well as lectures and workshops for students and the community.

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Key Features

• Certified Passive House

• Passive solar design

• GreenStar Gold (pending)

• Superinsulated, airtight building envelope (0.47 ACH50)

• Triple-pane high-performance windows

• Air-to-air heat pump for heating and cooling

• Balanced heat-recovery ventilation

• Solar thermal domestic hot water system

• PV-ready electrical system with rough-in for vehicle charging

• LED lighting throughout

• Health-conscious and earth-friendly materials throughout

• FSC certified lumber

• No-VOC paints and finishes

• Real wood siding

• Standing seam metal roofing

• Sustainable stormwater and landscaping practices

• Nesting chimney for Chimney Swift (bird) population on site

• Urban infill, rehab of a brownfield site

• Walkable neighborhood

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Project Details

• Client: Western Wisconsin Technical College

• Design: Stephan Tanner & Tim Delhey Eian (Intep – Integrated Planning)

• Interior Design: TE Studio/Intep & Lu Cagin, ID-ology

• Mechanical: Intep & Mike Wilson, DSG Supply

• Engineering: Eric Bunkers, Bunkers and Associates

• Construction: Fowler & Hammer

• Project: 2013 – 2014

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Certifications

• Passive House

• HERS: 5+ Star Home (highest category)

• GreenStar Gold (pending)

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Links

• Project Page by Western Technical College

• Passive House Database Entry

• Project Slideshow