Richard Pedranti to build first passive house in Pike

MILFORD — Richard Pedranti Architect (RPA) of Milford broke ground last month on what will be the first Passive House in Pike County.

New to the United States but common in Europe, the passive house is today’s most energy-efficient building standard. This will be the firm’s second passive house residence in Northeast Pennsylvania.

“Passive House is a proven home-building approach that allows us to improve on our mission,” said Richard Pedranti, founder and president of RPA. “This sustainable building concept reduces energy consumption to almost zero, while it also creates unparalleled home comfort and virtually eliminates heating and cooling costs.”

Homeowners Tom and Lynn Keffer found RPA while searching the internet for area architects. Pedantri joined the Keffers on a tour of the area they had chosen for their project to develop housing plans that would respect the surrounding forest and community. Pedantri introduced them to the passive house concept, piquing their interest. They liked the design aesthetic along with the idea of comfortable living space that's easy on the environment, cost-effective to build, and inexpensive to maintain.

The Keffers' passive house is scheduled for occupancy by spring. The cost of construction is estimated to be up to 10 percent more per square foot than typical new home construction. But Pedantri says the Keffers can expect to see savings on monthly utilities dropping by 80 to 90 percent.