Maynard Passive House

Peace Dale, Wakefield, RI

When Craig Maynard decided to retire and buy a piece of land next to Saugatucket Pond in Peace Dale, he teamed up with builder Steve DeMetrick and architect Steve Baczek after touring one of their previous projects (see Mechanic Street Passive House) and decided he too wanted a certified Passive House.

At approximately 2,400 square feet, the inside of the house contains three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. In the average house, a space this large would mean inconsistent temperatures, depending on the location of leaks. With super-insulated walls, triple glazed windows and very low air leakage rates, the design is engineered so that everywhere in the house will be within three degrees of the ambient room temperature – a feature that provides prime comfort no matter the season.

One somewhat unusual feature is the ground loop filled with antifreeze that is buried in the ground outside the house.  This helps moderate the temperature of the air before it comes into the air to air heat exchangers, helping to cool the house in the summer and keep it warmer in the winter.

The house also features 21 solar panels installed by Newport Solar with a sonnenBatterie as an alternative to a generator. The home will be able to store energy while the sun is shining and when there’s excess power, pump unused energy back into the grid, with the goal of being Net Zero and eventually going off the grid entirely.

Read more about the whole construction process on Craig’s blog “This New House”: https://www.corememorymusic.com/this-new-house

Architect: Steven Baczek

Photography: Seth Jacobson

Certifications: PHIUS+, DOE Zero Energy Ready Home