Lexington Pkwy
Passive House Plus
The first certified Passive House Plus in Saint Paul comes in bright colors and with a sweeping view.
In 2011, our Clients approached us with the idea to build a new Passive House home on their lot in the Como neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Overlooking Como Park, the property offers sweeping views, which is extremely unique for an urban setting.
Fast forward to 2016 when planning for St. Paul’s first certified Passive House started in earnest. Completed in 2020, this one of a kind home offers performance, resilience, accessibility and style without a carbon footprint.
Project Showcase
On May 5, 2021, TE Studio principal Tim Eian gave a virtual tour of the project at the weekly Passive House Accelerator event. Learn about the architecture and design, as well as construction from footing to roof including the mechanical systems.
Our Clients’ wish list called for a 4-bedroom, 2-bath layout without basement and with a strong emphasis on aging-in-place. Level ground access became paramount; as did the inclusion of an elevator to ensure usability of both floors over time.
One of the key features on site is an uninterrupted view of the southwest—overlooking Como Golf Course and Park. The site is elevated over Lexington Parkway, enabling sweeping views out the south and west facing windows and the opportunity to reap solar heat gains at the same time. The living space is essentially surrounded by glass—making strong connections with the outdoors. Ornilux bird-safety glazing is used to ensure that the house plays nice with the natural habitat.
Covered entries and a covered south patio offer sheltered exterior spaces and ground-level access to and from the home and garage. The underside of the canopy roofs is clad in plywood, as is the ceiling of the dining area—bracketing indoor and outdoor spaces and offering material continuity from inside to outside.
The house layout is simple and intuitive with public spaces on the main level, and private spaces on the second floor. The front entry and hallways connect to a side entry and mudroom, which doubles as a project room for the Clients’ hobbies and passions. The kitchen is located in its own room with a large passthrough to both the main entry and living room. This enables access when desired, and separation when needed. A guest bath and bedroom, which also serves as an away-space or future caregiver accommodations, complete the first-floor layout.
On second floor, one is greeted by a generous commons area with picture window at the top of the stairs. From there, the plan offers individual office spaces for each of the Clients, as well as access to the master suite, which includes a bedroom with sweeping views, a bath, walk-in closet and dedicated laundry space. An outdoor balcony is located adjacent to both the master suite and commons area, offering sweeping views of the Como golf course area and beyond.
Construction Tour
Enjoy a talk by TE Studio principal Tim Eian recorded on December 15, 2018.
Happy Hour
Following on the heels of the presentation about the project on May 5, 2021, TE Studio principal Tim Eian stayed on for about an hour to take questions and discuss more aspects of the project.