The Tulsa Passive House

The Tulsa Passive House was the first passive house designed in Oklahoma. It was designed for a lakeside lot that dropped over thirty feet to the shore of a small reservoir located in southeast Tulsa. The program was challenging for a passive house since it had to meet HOA design guidelines in an upscale gated community, which included minimum story heights and a minimum 9/12 roof slope. The design solution was to create a kind of “decorated shed” that fit into the neighborhood aesthetic, surrounding a simple thermal envelope form, which is important from a passive building design standpoint. The design blends Western mountain and Prairie House, two architectural styles that the client desired. The front of the house presents a more private face and opens up to generous outdoor spaces on the lakeside.