Iosif family builds a passive house on wooden structure near Pantelimon Lake

Ion Iosif is the exact representation of those who are now building passive houses in Romania on wooden structure. He is very well informed and documented, he has watched dozens of movies on the net about building methods, materials, and the experience of beneficiaries who have been living in such houses for years. He reads everything about passive wooden houses, absorbs information like a sponge, and if you want to sell him something, you have to convince him that it's worth it. Ask questions, listen carefully and remember everything you say. He talks like a pro about anything to do with the house, knows everything and follows the progress of the work on his new home every day. A real site foreman. About his experience and the passive timber frame house that Litarh is building in the commune of Pantelimon, near the lake, will be the subject of the new series of The way home the first episode of which you can see at the end of the article. For those who plan to build energy-efficient timber frame houses, it will certainly be an important source of information.

The decision to build a Passive House

The Iosif family now lives in Bucharest, in a 3-bedroom apartment in a block in the 23 August neighborhood. Together they decided it was time to invest in the future by building an energy-efficient house with very low maintenance costs. They realize that the option of building a passive house means higher costs than a normal house, but they know they will be recouped over time. They chose the commune of Pantelimon near Bucharest so as not to stray too far from the places they know well. The 23 August neighborhood, where Ion grew up, is practically on the opposite side of the lake. They like the area, the closeness to the lake, the neighborhoods and the forest area which is not far away.

It was Ion who wanted a passive house from the beginning. He is technically minded and has done a lot of research. The idea came from Buhnici house and with each movie he saw, he was more convinced it was the best choice. As he never wanted a classic concrete or brick house, he initially went for a metal structure. Discussions with the architect - Raluca Munteanu - were what led him to choose a wooden structure. He preferred timber frame structure, and after studying offers from several manufacturers, they decided to build with Litarh.

The house will be on two levels, ground floor and attic, with the office, living room and kitchen on the ground floor and three bedrooms and two bathrooms in the attic. They didn't want something very big, with lots of big rooms, but a house that would be easy to maintain and not become a burden over time. Space is used to the maximum, so the 236 m² spread over the two floors include storage space, a technical room and garage.

First stage - Foundation

The first episode shows the house plan and how the foundation was laid. It is well known that foundations for timber frame houses are usually simpler and cheaper to build due to the fact that a timberframe house is lighter. But in this case the foundation was a real challenge because of the terrain. The geodetic survey found layers of rubble deposited here after the 1977 earthquake and household rubbish under the one-meter layer of earth. This meant digging to remove the rubbish and making solid, compact ground to pour the foundations. Ion details all the steps in this first episode.

In the following episodes you will see how to erect the house, install the insulation, install the windows, and test the airtightness, installing underfloor heating, the realization of mechanical ventilation and other such topics that we will document as work progresses. We will be there at the end of the year when the Josephs plan to move into their new home.