Even an occasional overnight guest should not prevent us from balancing energy to and from the grid! CMU Zero Energy Studio professor, Nina Baird, has run the calcs on the building and says it may be possible. The Irwin Studio is a 525sf low energy studio prototype, which is intended for use as a painting and yoga studio. Sitting comfortably in Steve and Andi Irwin's backyard, it is surrounded by a 2000sf FISHER ARCHitecture designed deck and garden along with a pool designed by rock and water wizard, Jim Lampl. The panels, the trellis, and the greenery frame the intricate studio interior. On warm days, an entire building wall retracts. Space is used to its maximum potential: The wall-bed folds up during the day. There's plenty of storage space. And simple components, combined simply, keeps the price much lower than you would expect. Anyone interested in adopting these units for their own purpose should contact me at 412.657.4153! By the standards of typical Pittsburgh construction, these units are hugely affordable. The possibilities really are endless... The project is hugely green: energy-saving features include solar hot water panels, photo voltaic panels, and radiant heated floors. Thanks to the radiant glass supplied by Dlubak Manufacturing radiant heated GLASS, this may be the world's first zero energy building with 60% glazing! Our highly skilled contractor, Will Carpenter at Carpenter Construction, has ably coordinated the SIPs construction with the steel frame. He can be contacted at 724.837.1155.
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