Rowhome 2.0

Rowhome 2.0 is Innova Service Corp’s visionary market-rate development—a Passive House–inspired prototype built on spec to demonstrate high-performance urban living. Designed in close collaboration with BluPath, the three-story, four-bedroom rowhome features a full basement and a stunning walk-out roof deck offering panoramic 360-degree views of Philadelphia. This project showcases the potential of resilient, energy-efficient design in a compact, city-scale footprint.

Passive building principles and performance, combined with Innova’s five core values for this project, guided the design:

1. Extreme Energy Efficiency
2. Occupant Health
3. Low Extraction & Disposal Materials
4. Maintainability 
5. Repeatability

The home is fully electric, eliminating combustion appliances to advance indoor air quality and climate resilience. It features an induction cooktop, dedicated range exhaust with make-up air, and continuous HEPA-filtered fresh air delivered via a high-efficiency ERV system. Construction is entirely foam-free, relying on low-carbon, vapor-open wood fiber insulation to create a breathable, low-toxicity envelope that supports the project’s rigorous sustainability goals.

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Architect: BluPath Design

Structural Engineering: Amy Rivera, Rivera Structural Engineering

Passive House Consulting: Vaughan Piccolo, Innova Service Corp
QA/QC Rater: Innova Service Corp

Developer: Innova Service Corp 

General Contractor: Innova Service Corp

Air Sealing: Innova Service Corp

Mechanical Designer: Vaughan Piccolo, Innova Service Corp

BUILDING INFORMATION

Floor Area / Thermal Envelope = 3,332.6 sf

Volume = 23,195 cf

Maximum Airtightness per IRC 2018 = 5 ACH50 Enclosure

Design Airtightness per Phius 2021 = 428 CFM50 = .06 CFM50/sf Enclosure

Final Airtightness results = 267/4 CFM50 = .037 CFM50/SF = .69 ACH50

Slab = R-10.0 6” Foam glass Underslab

Basement Concrete Wall = R-17.8 5 ½” Cavity Insulation at Interior, Vapor Barrier on Concrete Wall

Wood Frame Wall = R-22.1 Exterior 1 1/2” Mineral Wool Board + 5 ½” Dense Pack Cellulose in Cavity, ZIP Sheathing Air Barrier

Roof = R-52.8 Continuous XPS Board + Wood Fiber Fill in Cavity, ZIP Sheathing Air Barrier

Windows & Doors = Alpen Windows w/ Triple Pane Glazing, ThermalBuck flange installation

Ventilation = Broan ERV, Broan Range Make Up Air System

Heating & Cooling = Mitsubishi Ducted Minisplit HVAC

Domestic Hot Water = Rheem Platinum HP HWH