Building Science Overview

Science Matters

Physical science supports the design and construction of Kala high performance homes. All too often, science is an afterthought in building design, and specialists are called in when building failure has occurred. We can do much better. With the proper building science, we can design and construct houses that will:


  • Consume small amounts of energy
  • Have the most comfortable interior environments
  • Be durable to last hundreds of years
  • Use materials with low environmental impact
  • Be architecturally beautiful



A Kala Home is designed to the highest standards

Whether it's LEED, DOE Net Zero Ready or Passive House, Kala builds to the highest certification standards. From an energy consumption standpoint, we aim for aggressive Passive House standards. How we meet these requirements depends on your building site, budget and architectural design.


According to U.S. Government Energy Information Administration, the average home in the US consumes 145 kwh/m2/year to heat and cool their residents. Our homes are meticulously modeled and constructed to consume as much as 90% less heating and cooling energy than the average American home. How do we do it? Here are some important design considerations that impact energy consumption. 



Superior building envelope

The Kala House begins with a super-insulated, air tight, exterior building envelope that is free of thermal bridges, cold interior surfaces, and drafts. A thick insulation layer is critical for keeping the heat inside during the winter, and the heat outside during the summer. Air tightness is also essential for the success of the design. We spend money to heat, cool and filter our interior air. There is no use in allowing all that conditioned air to escape to the exterior! We like our buildings wrapped with a thick, airtight blanket to keep our utility costs low and our interior comfort levels high.



Balanced ventilation

Our motto at Kala is, ‘Build it Tight, Ventilate Right.’ Because we construct our building envelope so tight, we must bring in fresh clean air through a controlled ventilation system. This system is called an energy recovery ventilator, or a heat recovery ventilator, often referred to as an ERV or HRV.


Kala ventilation systems exhaust air from the bathrooms and kitchens. This is where most of the interior odors and moisture build up, and must be removed. Fresh, clean, filtered air is supplied to the bedrooms and living spaces, where occupants spend most of their time. Fresh air is consistently delivered, where you need it, all the time. By using an ERV or HVR, up to 90% of the sensible energy in the exhaust air can be captured by the incoming fresh air – Very smart!



Efficient mechanical systems

In a Kala House, long gone are the days of over-sized mechanical systems used to heat and cool our buildings. We size our mechanical equipment based on the heating and cooling loads of the building. The heating and cooling loads are so small in a Kala House, up to 90% less compared to built-to-code construction! With such tiny loads, we can use very simple and efficient mechanical equipment to achieve superior comfort levels.


Heat pumps are the most efficient way to heat and cool our buildings. Geothermal is a heat pump, but a very expensive heat pump, and often too large for a single Kala House. Instead, an air-to-air heat pump is what most Kala Houses use to heat and cool. No more burning gas in your house! 



Passive elements

We cannot forget about our biggest energy source on earth, the sun. With proper design from the very beginning, we can heat and even energize our homes with the power of the sun. In many cases, southern windows can generate more energy for our heating needs than a photovoltaic array can generate electricity. Did we mention that the sun’s energy is free? Love the sun.



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