HOW WE WORK
HIGH PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE
Triple pane windows: exceptionally tight and insulating
Airtight envelopes: passive house standard 0.6 ACH 50 pascals
Ventilation Systems: either a heat recovery or energy recovery system (HRV/ERV)
Generous eaves and other critical water management elements such as rain screens, kickout flashings, and a sensible height above grade.
Resilient materials that can be recycled at the end of their life, require minimum upkeep, have low embodied energy, or are made from recycled materials.
Local materials: we have relationships with local mills and believe in keeping business as local as possible. Local materials include but are not limited to rough sawn spruce or hemlock framing, native white cedar decking and trim, pine for timber frames and trim, and hardwood for flooring and cabinets. We also have access to locally quarried granite for countertops, tile work, or landscaping.
A NOTE ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN
We advise our clients to build homes with their present and future needs in mind. For example, this might mean designing a home that can accommodate single story living for easier mobility later in life. Some additional features we encourage clients to consider incorporating into their homes are doors wide enough for a wheelchair, minimal or no thresholds, and a low curb or curbless shower that has solid blocking in the walls for grab bars.
We build homes for the generations to come. Now more than ever, high-quality information is widely available from a range of sources about best building practices for long lasting, highly efficient, and resilient homes. Learn more about how we make use of contemporary building science here.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Cold Climate Housing Research Center
Get Your House Right by Marianne Cusato and Ben Pentreath
A Pattern Language by Alexander, Ishikawa, Silverstein, Jacobsen, King and Angel
Field Guide To American Architecture by Virginia and Lee McAlister
The New Net Zero by William Maclay