If you’re just looking for pictures, head over to the photo journal.

PLANNING

Before fully jumping into this project, we had to understand why we’re doing this. Once satisfied, we moved on to an initial site plan. With a house in mind, we then began to think about how we can build responsibly. Due to much research, this led to the idea of a Passive House, or a “Pretty Good House”.

A well insulated house begins to dictate how it should be constructed. First, we had to understand our climate zone and insulation targets. With targets in hand, we began to specify 3 crucial construction elements: Wall Design, Roof Design, and Basement Design. Next up, we’ll work on the transition details between those three elements.

Aside from that, we also hope to do a once over of every aspect of the home. That includes: Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, Home Automation, Server Room and Landscaping.

Finally, we took a look at what is required for LEED Certification, and we could possibly get LEED Platinum. Before setting that as a goal, we’ll have to look at the other building certifications, and truly consider what is worth our time and money.

DESIGN

Before going to far into design specifics, we worked on a floorplan that we knew we would love and that would work for our family. We iterated on this a lot. Then, we settled on the idea of a classic farm house on the outside along with a modern interior. We still have quite a bit to finalize: exterior siding; roof overhangs; front porch design; interior trim; interior finishes. We’ll use Sketchup and Vray to help with decisions.

MEASURING

With a site plan, floor plan and construction process, we can began to measure everything: simulated energy usage; air quality goals; water usage; EMF’s;

BUDGET

Planning & Design in hand, we can estimate our total cost.

PREPARATION

With final plans in hand, we hope to create a “field guide” that we can use as master reference for installation questions and notes.

EXECUTION

During the build, we’ll document the process with pictures and videos.