Dividing Responsibilities: Design vs. Technical Decisions
From the very beginning, we agreed that all construction, energy efficiency, structural decisions, and insulation choices would be Mr. Right’s responsibility, while everything related to beauty, design, and interior decoration would be mine. This way, each of us could focus on what mattered most to us.
This doesn’t mean Mr. Right has no say in design decisions—of course, he does—but I am responsible for ensuring the house looks cohesive and beautiful inside and out. Naturally, I consult him on key decisions because, after all, this is our shared home.
Ventilation and the house’s thermal performance are topics that don’t particularly excite me. I know they are important and necessary considerations, but since they involve very little creativity or aesthetics, I happily leave these decisions to him.
Energy-Efficient Construction
Because we are building in an area with strict regulations for new homes, we had to carefully plan how to achieve the best results in a cost-effective way. Since January 1, 2020, new buildings are required to meet Class A energy performance standards, which align with the Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) criteria. While our project does not strictly need to meet these requirements, we want to plan ahead and make our house as energy-efficient as possible within our budget. After all, who wouldn’t want to reduce future costs and keep up with the evolving standards for energy conservation?
Building an energy-efficient home is complex and involves:
- Wall insulation and airtightness
- Heating efficiency
- Choice of renewable energy
- Ventilation system selection
Every combination of these elements produces different results. In our climate, choosing the right ventilation unit is critical: the heating season lasts about nine months a year, with at least three months of extreme cold (temperatures sometimes dropping to -20 to -30°C). Ventilation systems in small residential buildings must be equipped with a heat recovery unit that has a temperature ratio of at least 0.8.
My country also recognizes the Passive House standard, which is even stricter. Requirements include:
- Annual specific net energy demand for heating: ≤ 15 kWh/(m²·a)
- Total primary energy demand (heating, hot water, household electricity): ≤ 120 kWh/(m²·a)
These standards require high insulation, airtight construction, and energy-efficient ventilation systems. We have made several decisions to ensure proper airtightness and wall insulation. At some point, we also plan to install solar panels.
Choosing the Heating System: Ground-Source vs. Air-Source Heat Pump
We decided not to install a ground-source heat pump because it is very expensive. The geothermal loops would have to cover nearly our entire plot, which would limit future landscaping and planting of large trees.
We also considered that winters have become milder due to climate change, so an air-source heat pump is no longer so inefficient during cold months. The unit we chose has only an outdoor component, meaning no large equipment inside the house. Our pump will heat water for underfloor heating and domestic use.
For exceptionally cold winters or power outages, we plan to have a fireplace that can heat at least the first floor if needed.
Planning the Ventilation System
In recent weeks, we focused on ventilation planning. Although we had already chosen the unit (with heat recovery by systemair), we still needed a professional ventilation project (not just a schematic), so the ductwork could be integrated during the creation of the house’s construction drawings.
Once we found the right company, we had to carefully plan the placement of the ducts so that the system would satisfy our desires while remaining technically feasible.
As you might have guessed, I am the more particular half of the family. One thing I refused to compromise on was lowering the ceilings to hide the ducts under a drop ceiling. I love high ceilings, and ideally, I would have made them 10 feet tall, but due to transport restrictions for modular house elements, the maximum ceiling height could only be a bit under 9 feet. Custom solutions would have been prohibitively expensive.
The final compromise: some ducts pass through walls, and in the stairwell of the second floor, a half-meter duct box will run along the perimeter to house ventilation pipes. It’s not ideal because I don’t love the boxes, but I plan to finish them with trim and lighting to make them visually appealing.
Ventilation Schemes
- Ground Floor: Ductwork layout designed for optimal airflow and minimal ceiling intrusion.
- Second Floor: Ductwork plan includes the stairwell duct box to hide pipes neatly.
- Status: Ventilation project is finalized, checked, and approved. Another item ticked off our long to-do list!
Working with Construction Drawings
I had the illusion that, after completing the preliminary house project, I wouldn’t be required to make more drawings—but I was wrong. Last week, a new wave of drawing tasks began.
At one point, Mr. Right’s computer broke (the only one we had), and I lost all my 3D wall project files, not only for our house but also for a few client projects. Thankfully, most 2D drawings were still available.
Once we had a new, functioning computer, I had to create drawings for:
- Window trim
- Supporting posts
- Balcony railings
It might sound simple, but I have a habit of second-guessing my decisions. I had hoped to decide on trim options once the house shell was up, testing different combinations in real life—but now I had to make all these choices blindly, because the factory will deliver the house with all aesthetic details pre-installed.
Wrapping Up for Now
With the ventilation project now finalized and the heating system decided, we can cross another couple of big tasks off our never-ending list. It feels good to see things moving forward, even if some solutions—like that stairwell duct box—aren’t exactly what I would have wished for. At least I already have a plan to make it look intentional.
The drawing side of things is keeping me busier than I expected, and I still catch myself wondering if I’m making the right choices without seeing everything in real life. But then again, that seems to be the theme of building a house: you make the best decisions you can with the information you have, and trust it will all come together.
If you want to know more about our house building journey read this next.
