Buildings are the largest contributors to global emissions. These emissions can be reduced by moving away from fossil fuels or investing in more efficient technologies for heating and cooling. However, this does not offset the carbon used to heat, cool or build a new building.

For the last 10 years I have become obsessed with high performance buildings and building materials. I think that it is the only appropriate thing to do when building a new house. The passive house is the current gold standard and uses 75% less energy than code. To me it seems ridiculous that this much energy is currently allowed to be left on the table while we are in the midst of a climate crisis.

From a sustainable design point of view building excite me, because the potential of true sustainability gains through design are huge. Compared with other the industries where the margins for improvement are so thin that the only true solution would be to reduce consumption which is not a design solution one can propose in a consultancy setting.

Below are snapshots of the building, some of the interior features I designed along with some construction details.