Case Study A New Norris House

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Case Study: A New Norris House
Background
The New Norris House was conceived through the original Norris House which was started in 1933 by the Tennessee Valley Authority. It originated in one of the first planned communities in the United States. The TVA constructed a model community in Norris, Tennessee as a part of the Norris Dam construction project. That was where the Norris House originated. The house was the foundation for affordable and efficient housing through the incorporation of new technologies during those times. The TVA tested new materials as well as new technologies within the realm of municipal electricity, water, and sanitation. The New Norris House is a modern days take on the idea of what the original Norris House sought to accomplish during its time. The New Norris House takes on the challenge of creating an affordable and sustainable building approach towards housing. Ideally, they took on the small scale of the family scale residence. Through similar guidelines that the original project went through, the New Norris House uses footpaths and roads to connect to schools, services, and a central common. It also incorporates the greenbelt that still exists for appeal and to preserve some of the natural aspects of the site. “The process required that the team confront and resolve not only technological or scientific challenges; but also legal, social, and aesthetic issues that currently restrict green construction.”
Heating
The minimization of the load occurs through the site orientation of the building and the R-values of the materials used. Although the site is constrained by the historic pattern of the street and houses that are currently there, the building is still able maintain interior temperatures in the ...

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... the sun isn’t as high up in the sky. Large open spaces and a covered loft promote stack ventilation which also further increase the comfort zone. A mud room/hallway doubles as an airlock during extreme temperature months. The addition of active systems suffices for the rest of the heating load. On the roof positioned is a solar hot water panel which has access to solar gain. A small tankless electric water heater boosts stored hot water temperatures when needed. The ultimate goal is to simply reduce energy use by half of what the average household uses. The equipment chosen is an Eemax Electric Tankless Hot Water Heater. A solar hot water panel mounted on the dormer heats water through glycol exchange. A tankless electric hot water heater 1) boosts the solarheated stored water if it is below desired temps and 2) provides back up water heating during cloudy periods.

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