ABSTRACT
Habitat for Humanity strives to increase the availability of affordable, durable, healthy housing a mission that PH is practically designed to fulfill. Because a PH can keep utility costs affordable and predictable over long term, a PH can be a keystone to delivering housing that is sustainable for all folks. With that goal in mind, the Washington, DC chapter of Habitat for Humanity hired Zavos Architecture and Design to design six new sustainable townhouses that would meet PH benchmarks in Washington's Ivy City neighborhood. While other Habitat chapters across the United States have embraced PH, Habitat DC has been a leader in extending the PH approach to a denser Habitat development, bringing more sustainable and efficient housing to more folks. In Washington, DC hot and wet summers give way to cold and wet winters, with a lot of freezing rain and even ice storms. Solar and internal heat gains will make up an estimated 62 percent of the heating load.
