Silvergreen Residences

Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania

Cutting-edge green in a historic package

Three big ideas:

Passive House,
Panelized Construction,
Energy Efficient

The Silvergreen Passive House simultaneously has one eye on its historic community and one looking towards the future of high performance home building.  Nestled within the borough of Bryn Athyn in the shadow of the community’s historic stone cathedral, this two family home was designed to appear as if it had always been there.  Its stone facades and graceful roof lines belie a network of sophisticated mechanical, electric, and plumbing systems woven through an airtight and super-insulated passive house envelope.  Also concealed are the off-site fabricated interior and exterior wall panels, floors, and roof trusses.  The low embodied carbon assemblies, complete with ultra-energy efficient windows and doors, was completely framed and enclosed on site built foundations in a matter of weeks.

Fast Facts

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PHIUS 2018+ and Source Net-Zero certified

Prefabricated panelized Passive House wall panels installed in 25% of time of conventional construction

Triple pane insulated frame windows installed in factory for optimal air sealing

Wall panels insulated in factory for continuous insulation and air sealing

Foam-free wood-fiber insulation board used for exterior continuous insulation

Local artisan mason installed full depth locally quarried stone facade

High-efficiency ERV system provides continuous 100% fresh air ventilation

Green Building United Groundbreakers Finalist

““Thank you all for ably and expertly making a dream into a reality. I look forward to seeing how the building and its occupants live and thrive in this green endeavor. And I look forward to many festivities and educational opportunities to share the beauty, functionality, and sustainability of the space. Big love and big gratitude!” ”

– Susan Asplundh, Owner

Project Gallery

Street view of the house with Bryn Athyn Cathedral in the background. Photography by Stephen Conroy
The homes were designed with articulated rooflines and facades to break down the overall scale of the building and relate to the historic architecture of the neighborhood. Photography by Stephen Conroy
The west side of the house features a stone walkway lined with boulders that creates outdoor spaces and conveys stormwater. Photography by Stephen Conroy
The building is in the viewshed of the historic Bryn Athyn cathedral and sits on the site of one of the original water towers serving the borough.
The bright and open interiors of the main house feature a groin vault ceiling above which is a superinsulated roof system.
The main house kitchen flows to a great room all of which overlook the historic Bryn Athyn Cathedral. Photography by Stephen Conroy
Triple-pane, insulated frame, passive house certified tilt-turn windows were critical to achieving the energy targets and air tightness required for the building to achieve PHIUS certification. At the same time, they needed to fit with the historic aesthetic of the community.
The building utilizes an ultra-high efficiency HVAC design based on air to air heat pumps in conjunction with a dedicated Energy Recovery Ventilation system.
The building foundations are super insulated and modular making for a quick, cost effective, and high-performing installation. Photography by Stephen Conroy.
Interior and exterior walls were fabricated in a factory with controlled climate conditions for the careful execution of Passive House details.
The panelized walls were erected on site in a matter of days.
Exterior and Interior walls were off-site fabricated and craned into place on site in a matter of days. Photography by Stephen Conroy
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