Pangea BiotectureBuildings · RenovationRetrofit · Remodel · AddSheet R-500

The greenest building is the one already built.

Existing buildings can and should be retrofitted toward independence. Every off-grid system we install in new work can be added to a conventional building, with automated conventional backups, alongside kitchens, baths, remodels and additions.

Section PH-400: sun, mass and insulation An animated section through a passive solar building oriented with its glazing to the south. By day, low winter sun passes through the south solar glazing and lands on a thermal-mass floor and a mass wall at the back of the room, which slowly warm up. At night the sky goes dark and the warm mass releases its heat into the room, while an unbroken layer of insulation in the walls, roof and under the floor holds the heat in. A roof overhang shades the glass from the high summer sun. NIGHT · MASS GIVES BACK THE HEAT insulation holds it in LOW WINTER SUN HIGH SUMMER SUN DAY · LOW SUN CHARGES THE MASS glazing faces south 01SOLAR GLAZINGfaces south 02THERMAL MASS · FLOOR + WALL 03INSULATIONwalls · roof · under the floor 04OVERHANG SHADES SUMMER SUN SN SECTION PH-400 · SOUTH ← → NORTH · NOT TO SCALE
Section PH-400. Face the solar glazing south. By day the low winter sun lands on the thermal mass in the floor and back wall; at night the mass gives that heat back, and an unbroken layer of insulation in the walls, roof and under the floor holds it in. The overhang keeps the high summer sun off the glass.
01Systems retrofit

Add independence, one system at a time.

Some or all of these can replace conventional utilities in a building that’s already standing, making it more secure, healthier and a better investment.

  1. 01

    Catch water

    Rain and snowmelt caught, stored in cisterns and filtered to drinking quality. Each drop used four times.

    P-300
  2. 02

    Electricity

    Sun and wind stored in batteries and delivered through a prepackaged power system.

    E-200
  3. 03

    Wastewater

    Greywater treated inside the building in planters; toilet water treated outside. The wetlands idea, brought indoors.

    W-400
  4. 04

    Heating + cooling

    Comfort from the sun and the earth, all year, with no fossil fuels.

    M-500
02Sequence

Audit before you upgrade.

Retrofitting is often more cost-effective than building new, and buildings use about 40% of U.S. energy, most of it for heating and cooling. The order of work matters.

  1. 01Check the building

    Structure, seismic needs, and hazardous materials like asbestos, PCBs and lead paint. Can the work be phased around the people living there?

  2. 02Energy + water audit

    Leaks, dirty filters, stuck dampers, bad wiring and misused controls often cost more than old equipment. Tune what’s there before replacing it.

  3. 03Read the bills

    Two years of consumption, not cost, shows the trend.

  4. 04Test the envelope

    Blower-door airtightness testing, then fix leaky windows, gaps at vents and pipes, and moisture intrusion. New mechanical systems in a leaky shell underperform.

  5. 05Upgrade toward passive

    Insulation outside or in, high-performance windows, shading, draught-proofing, then renewables sized to the smaller load.

  6. 06Measure

    Meter power, water and gas so the building keeps performing as designed.

03Interiors

Kitchens, baths, remodels, additions.

We guide design and material choices to your budget and handle everything from demolition to the finishing touches, with green practices throughout.

  1. 01Kitchens

    Counters in granite, quartz, soapstone or laminate; wood and ceramic floors; tile backsplashes; quality cabinetry.

  2. 02Bathrooms

    Hall, primary or powder room: curbless showers, frameless glass, comfort-height toilets, and fixtures relocated where the plan needs it.

  3. 03Remodeling

    From finishing a basement to adding bedrooms or an office in the attic.

  4. 04Additions

    A kitchen or bath expansion up to a full second story.

04 · Contact

Start with what's standing.

Tell us about the building and what you want it to do. We retrofit, remodel and add on across the country.

Start a project
Call575-218-5583Emailinfo@pangeabuild.comMailPO Box 495, Taos, NM 87571