Haute Haus

On the second floor deck, Turett went for comfort and style, adding multiple pieces from West Elm’s outdoor Portside collection and a classic Adirondack Rocker by Loll Designs from Design Within Reach. OPPOSITE: An aluminum standing seam roof—which forms a barrier to the elements—sits over an inviting grey cedar shiplap and cement panel exterior.

Architect Wayne Turett, principal of Turett Collaborative, applies a passion for the Passive House movement to his own home in Greenport, New York.

Photography: Liz Glasgow Studios Architecture: Turett Collaborative By: Nicole Haddad

The open-plan living area’s bright and airy feel exemplifies the beauty of a natural color palette set against ample views of nature. A motorized dampered exhaust duct in the kitchen prevents loss of heat and keeps the envelope of the home sealed to Passive House standards.

IN 2014, ARCHITECT WAYNE TURETT took a commitment to sustainability and energy-efficient design to heart and purchased property in Greenport, New York. With the ambitious, underlying idea to one day create a contemporary Passive House for his own family, Turett let ideas percolate before making any design decisions. The actual build began in 2017 and ended in 2018, with Turett having to act as his own construction manager to achieve the strict standards for passive energy efficiency that a Passive House calls for.

Today, the approximately 2,400-square-feet, three-bedroom, three-bath, all-electric modern abode features an attractive, grey cedar shiplap and cement panel exterior that perfectly melds into the landscape of Long Island’s North Fork. The difference, Turett explains, lies in how it was built. “I was always interested in design efficiency,” he says. “I remember the period in the 70s when the U.S. and Canada experienced a soaring energy crisis, it really grabbed my attention. The Passive House movement’s origins can be traced back to then, as architects began to become more conscious and energy efficient.” Design elements such as orienting homes for maximum sun in the winter and shade in the summer, eliminating thermal bridges, and most importantly, focusing on proper insulation, became commonplace. By the 80s, when the energy crisis had abated, the movement had essentially died in the United States. Germany picked it up and gave it the name PassiveHaus (Passive House in the U.S.), quantifying it and creating a more clear yet rigorous path to achieving energy-efficient passive cooling and heating systems that optimize comfort.

“Living sustainably does in no manner equal giving up on style,” says Turett. A statement that’s obvious in what the architect describes as his “upside down home,” where all the bedrooms are located on the ground floor and the second floor is home to the main living spaces—kitchen, dining room, living room, and deck. Turett intentionally

designed the home this way, to not only take advantage of the gorgeous water views but to allow for the expansive cathedral ceilings that instill an open and airy feel into the space. In the interiors, Turett kept a clean and fresh vibe, using a beautiful white shade from Benjamin Moore on the walls and striking, heart pine wood flooring with a white Woca oil finish throughout. Upstairs, in the dining area, Brett Miller of Jack Rabbit Studio built the Turett Collaborative-designed spruce wood dining table and bench, above which hangs a linear pendant light. Nearby, a Valcucine kitchen island from Dom Interiors adds interest while the living room’s seaside feel is enhanced by artwork by Dena Zemsky. Floor-to-ceiling windows let the outside in while also tightly sealing the home to create the extra tight air barrier required—triple-glazed Bildau & Bussmann windows from Eco Supply do the trick. A gorgeous deck with gray Adirondack Rockers and outdoor furniture allows for moments of relaxation and convivial entertaining.

Downstairs, where all of the bedrooms are situated, a stunning staircase in the entryway

offers an intriguing focal point. “Staircases in our projects tend to be really sculptural,” says Turett of what he terms the ‘upside down stair.’ “We try to make them as interesting as possible.” In this case, the winding staircase not only outlines the form of the stairs but offers views of the outdoors both on the way up and on the way down through two strategically placed windows. Underneath the stairs, a simple vignette is outfitted with an eye-catching maple console, a Noguchi pendant light, and a photograph by Cory Silken. In the bedrooms, Turett went with soothing, neutral palettes accented with pops of color. The bathrooms incorporate organic, clean-lined shapes that recall nature, with the master bath featuring a zen-like rock-covered trough and a luxurious Duravit bathtub looking out towards nature.

The utter charm of the home, which is just a step or two away from certification as a Passive House, belies all the hard work Turett has put in to showcase what is essentially a living model of the movement. The undiscerning eye will miss incredible construction feats such as how intensely Turett worked to completely seal down the envelope of the house to rigid standards and to insulate both the inside and outside of the air barrier to ensure a much higher R value—or resistance to heat flow—than required. In addition, Turett heats and cools the home with a variable refrigerant flow heat pump system aided by an energy recovery ventilation, or ERV, which infuses the home with superior air quality and allows it to operate with very little energy for heating or cooling. While homeowners might be hesitant to invest a bit more in the short term, according to the Passive House Institute, these dwellings allow for energy savings of over 75 percent compared to average new builds—more than making up the difference over time. With his Greenport home, Turett effectively dispells the notion that sustainability is cost prohibitive, and he showcases just how chic sustainable design can be. DT

OPPOSITE TOP: The kitchen’s clean-lined appeal is enhanced by geometric forms, most notably in the eye-catching kitchen island. OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Everything in the home has a connection to the outdoors—in the master bath, a spa-like Duravit bath with views towards the backyard and dock inspires relaxation. THIS PAGE: The architectural nature of the staircase and the enticing simplicity of the entryway vignette form a captivating scene.