Here we share some observations about and snapshots of the Passive House we had built in Oakland County, Michigan. All photographs were taken by us unless otherwise noted.

The crawlspace exterior and bottom were backfilled today. The bottom was compacted in preparation for insulation and a poured floor.

Our house will have a crawlspace rather than a basement. This will house mechanical equipment and provide storage space. It will also serve as a snug storm shelter, too, since the first floor will have a concrete base used for thermal ballast. The crawlspace will be conditioned just like every other room, so it will not be subject to the usual dampness of most underground spaces in Michigan. A standard basement was not selected because it would have required egress, making the Passive House standard more difficult to meet. In fact, most Passive Houses of which we are aware are built on an insulated slab. The insulating concrete forms (ICFs) used to define the crawlspace walls provide a thermal and moisture barrier. The floor will be insulated, too. It will be poured after the framing is underway.