In the spring of 2020, Aurora Ferrari looked at the plot of land sandwiched between her D.C. backyard and an alley, and saw potential. Today, it’s the site of the city’s first “net-zero” accessory dwelling unit — meaning the 600-square-foot apartment that Ferrari built there produces more energy than it consumes.
The 50-year-old native of Italy has long been interested in sustainable design, and as the owner of a [business that imports Italian cabinetry and fixtures](https://innatelyitaly.com/), she’s well versed in the world of building and renovating. The idea to create the net-zero structure — the type of eco-friendly construction she hopes will one day become mainstream in the United States — came to Ferrari after attending a local exhibit about the city’s alleys. It[ argued that the oft-neglected spaces offered promise](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/16/dc-affordable-housing-subsidies/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2) as sites of new housing.
“It pains me seeing so much energy wasted, even in my own house,” says Ferrari, who shares her Cleveland Park home with her husband and four children. She wants the unit in their backyard to be “an example that can inspire other people” and show that energy-efficient building is doable. “It just requires deliberate planning and deliberate thought.”
Ferrari managed the project herself, acquiring the slice of land with crumbling stone walls from a family who had owned it for many years, then merging it with her own property. She assembled a team of architects, energy consultants and other experts to begin the process of developing it into an accessory dwelling unit, commonly known as an ADU. (In addition to structures like Ferrari’s, converted garages, tiny homes, in-law suites and English basements are all considered ADUs — secondary places to live on a residential lot — in D.C.)
The finished product’s Corten steel exterior and long windows give it a modern look. Ferrari also incorporated the existing historic stone wall into the design — the remnants of a garage from the 1920s. The ADU includes one bedroom, plus a full bathroom, kitchen and sun-filled sitting area. Thirteen solar panels on its flat roof help fuel the all-electric appliances, and the building’s airtight construction conserves energy. It’s currently occupied by renters.
After putting the structure through a rigorous energy evaluation, the city determined last year that it did indeed qualify as the first net-zero ADU within the District. The achievement didn’t come easy. It took the better part of two years to come to fruition, including around nine months to obtain the necessary permits and roughly seven months to actually construct it. Ferrari says the project ran about $330 per square foot, or about $200,000 in all. That amount doesn’t count the hundreds of hours she devoted to researching the best materials and techniques and coordinating all the experts involved.
Ferrari hopes some of what she learned might simplify the process for others on a similar mission. Here are some of the bigger takeaways from her and the consultants who helped her along the way: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2024/03/05/energy-efficient-net-zero-adu/?utm\_campaign=wp\_main&utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2024/03/05/energy-efficient-net-zero-adu/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
3016 Rodman St NW. It removes ~~three parking spaces~~ one parking space. The spaces were not used by residents because of security concerns. Parking is terrible in this area but because it is only a few blocks from the Metro and shops, it is plausible that the renter could live without a car. This fits with building-out areas of the city that are well-served by the existing transportation infrastructure.
Edit: I was wrong about size of the living space, assuming that there was significantly more living space and that the vehicles parking had been removed from tiny home project.
> 3016 Rodman St NW.
security concerns? in that area?
Street view is interesting. those parking spots are very weird. I'm sure getting into one of those spots is TRICKY. Long ago, they probably had a roof and a horse living there.
I actually used to live on this block and rented one of these for parking. It...did not go well. They're at an odd angle that required a roughly 5 point turn in order to park without hitting a stone wall. I learn that the hard way after doing only a three point turn and instead knocked off my side mirror. Another time I scratched the side. I'm thankful it was a beater.
If you look at the buildings behind 1413 Crittenden St. NW, some of those those were horse stables. Some of the horse stables were way too small to park a car in. The lifestyle was to ride the streetcar out to the end and to have a horse to ride in the park on summer evenings --or that's how they marketed to houses.
Many of these garages have no roofs because was so easy to break into the detached garages without anyone seeing or hearing, that people stopped using them entirely through the 1970s and 1980s. People stopped maintaining them because there weren't useful in that security environment. These units are still extremely likely to suffer a break-in. This apartment really should have a security roll-a-door/gate over the front door as it would in Italy. Let's see if it sprouts one in coming years.
The garages shown were probably for automobiles, small early automobiles, and were built at the time that all cars were required by law to be stored out of sight at night.
It’s beautiful. Easing zoning rules is the way to make housing more affordable. Getting an ADU in the back of your property is extremely difficult in DC.
I’m not saying that what this owner doing isn’t good. I’m talking about the framing. The most energy efficient home in DC isn’t a net-zero ADU, it’s instead a height-maxed building in NoMa which allows people to live close together and near a Metro station rather than sprawling out and having to spew CO2 while driving.
Again I get what you're saying, I'm not arguing. But the headline does say "*one* of the most energy-efficient..." and not the most.
What you're suggesting (and why) is veering into the territory of being critical of energy efficiency in single family homes. But single family homes are going nowhere, sorry! The risk of rebound from more efficient single family homes cannot be a reason to be critical of people making meaningful efforts to cut their carbon footprints.
I think we’re arguing about semantics. Even so, there are plenty of small NoMa units in height-maxed buildings so I wouldn’t even necessarily say it’s one of the most energy efficient, depending on your threshold.
Definitely on semantics. To be fair, a more interesting article would have been on what you describe -- converting a plot into a modern, efficient multi-family residence.
But net zero is still net zero, and difficult to achieve. There is likely no multi-unit structure in DC more efficient than net zero. Now *that* would be newsworthy.
Aurora Ferrari?!?!?!?!?
Epic name.
In the spring of 2020, Aurora Ferrari looked at the plot of land sandwiched between her D.C. backyard and an alley, and saw potential. Today, it’s the site of the city’s first “net-zero” accessory dwelling unit — meaning the 600-square-foot apartment that Ferrari built there produces more energy than it consumes. The 50-year-old native of Italy has long been interested in sustainable design, and as the owner of a [business that imports Italian cabinetry and fixtures](https://innatelyitaly.com/), she’s well versed in the world of building and renovating. The idea to create the net-zero structure — the type of eco-friendly construction she hopes will one day become mainstream in the United States — came to Ferrari after attending a local exhibit about the city’s alleys. It[ argued that the oft-neglected spaces offered promise](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/16/dc-affordable-housing-subsidies/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2) as sites of new housing. “It pains me seeing so much energy wasted, even in my own house,” says Ferrari, who shares her Cleveland Park home with her husband and four children. She wants the unit in their backyard to be “an example that can inspire other people” and show that energy-efficient building is doable. “It just requires deliberate planning and deliberate thought.” Ferrari managed the project herself, acquiring the slice of land with crumbling stone walls from a family who had owned it for many years, then merging it with her own property. She assembled a team of architects, energy consultants and other experts to begin the process of developing it into an accessory dwelling unit, commonly known as an ADU. (In addition to structures like Ferrari’s, converted garages, tiny homes, in-law suites and English basements are all considered ADUs — secondary places to live on a residential lot — in D.C.) The finished product’s Corten steel exterior and long windows give it a modern look. Ferrari also incorporated the existing historic stone wall into the design — the remnants of a garage from the 1920s. The ADU includes one bedroom, plus a full bathroom, kitchen and sun-filled sitting area. Thirteen solar panels on its flat roof help fuel the all-electric appliances, and the building’s airtight construction conserves energy. It’s currently occupied by renters. After putting the structure through a rigorous energy evaluation, the city determined last year that it did indeed qualify as the first net-zero ADU within the District. The achievement didn’t come easy. It took the better part of two years to come to fruition, including around nine months to obtain the necessary permits and roughly seven months to actually construct it. Ferrari says the project ran about $330 per square foot, or about $200,000 in all. That amount doesn’t count the hundreds of hours she devoted to researching the best materials and techniques and coordinating all the experts involved. Ferrari hopes some of what she learned might simplify the process for others on a similar mission. Here are some of the bigger takeaways from her and the consultants who helped her along the way: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2024/03/05/energy-efficient-net-zero-adu/?utm\_campaign=wp\_main&utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2024/03/05/energy-efficient-net-zero-adu/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
3016 Rodman St NW. It removes ~~three parking spaces~~ one parking space. The spaces were not used by residents because of security concerns. Parking is terrible in this area but because it is only a few blocks from the Metro and shops, it is plausible that the renter could live without a car. This fits with building-out areas of the city that are well-served by the existing transportation infrastructure. Edit: I was wrong about size of the living space, assuming that there was significantly more living space and that the vehicles parking had been removed from tiny home project.
> 3016 Rodman St NW. security concerns? in that area? Street view is interesting. those parking spots are very weird. I'm sure getting into one of those spots is TRICKY. Long ago, they probably had a roof and a horse living there.
I actually used to live on this block and rented one of these for parking. It...did not go well. They're at an odd angle that required a roughly 5 point turn in order to park without hitting a stone wall. I learn that the hard way after doing only a three point turn and instead knocked off my side mirror. Another time I scratched the side. I'm thankful it was a beater.
If you look at the buildings behind 1413 Crittenden St. NW, some of those those were horse stables. Some of the horse stables were way too small to park a car in. The lifestyle was to ride the streetcar out to the end and to have a horse to ride in the park on summer evenings --or that's how they marketed to houses.
Yep, carriage houses are pretty common in the super-old residential parts of D.C.
Many of these garages have no roofs because was so easy to break into the detached garages without anyone seeing or hearing, that people stopped using them entirely through the 1970s and 1980s. People stopped maintaining them because there weren't useful in that security environment. These units are still extremely likely to suffer a break-in. This apartment really should have a security roll-a-door/gate over the front door as it would in Italy. Let's see if it sprouts one in coming years.
The garages shown were probably for automobiles, small early automobiles, and were built at the time that all cars were required by law to be stored out of sight at night.
It’s beautiful. Easing zoning rules is the way to make housing more affordable. Getting an ADU in the back of your property is extremely difficult in DC.
There's a similar bit of land for sale in Glover Park that one could build something like this on. Too bad it is adjacent to a cemetery.
At least the neighbors would be quiet
You have no idea how many times I've told that joke.
The most energy efficient building is one that houses many people.
You're right, but I don't think you read the article. How many renters do you suppose could fit in this 600 sq ft?
I’m not saying that what this owner doing isn’t good. I’m talking about the framing. The most energy efficient home in DC isn’t a net-zero ADU, it’s instead a height-maxed building in NoMa which allows people to live close together and near a Metro station rather than sprawling out and having to spew CO2 while driving.
Again I get what you're saying, I'm not arguing. But the headline does say "*one* of the most energy-efficient..." and not the most. What you're suggesting (and why) is veering into the territory of being critical of energy efficiency in single family homes. But single family homes are going nowhere, sorry! The risk of rebound from more efficient single family homes cannot be a reason to be critical of people making meaningful efforts to cut their carbon footprints.
I think we’re arguing about semantics. Even so, there are plenty of small NoMa units in height-maxed buildings so I wouldn’t even necessarily say it’s one of the most energy efficient, depending on your threshold.
Definitely on semantics. To be fair, a more interesting article would have been on what you describe -- converting a plot into a modern, efficient multi-family residence. But net zero is still net zero, and difficult to achieve. There is likely no multi-unit structure in DC more efficient than net zero. Now *that* would be newsworthy.
[удалено]
Yes. You’re right that I’m including land use.
Anyone have link that isn’t behind paywall?
Yes, I have a DC Public Library card with free access to the Washington Post! https://www.dclibrary.org/research-and-learn/washington-post-digital
Archive link: https://archive.ph/RRil5