I've had the unusual opportunity to design and build a house for me and my partner. My goal was to create a beautiful, peaceful, passive solar, low-energy house for her and I at our farm in Northern Minnesota.

​

Keeping the form simple, and the finishes humble, we were able to make our dreams a reality by building the home in 2016/2017. Our builder allowed us to contribute as much sweat equity as we could, and Catherine and I spent many late nights staining, wiring, sheetrocking, painting, taping and caulking, trimming, and doing whatever fell within our skill set.

​

We've lived in the house now for three years, and it is meeting all of my performance expectations. It is also meeting all of my "spiritual" expectations. I love coming home, and nothing beats sitting on the screened porch in the rain.

 

If you'd like more information about the low-energy, passive solar house build, I wrote a blog for Green Building Advisor (GBA), which can be found here:

https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/a-low-energy-house-for-northern-minnesota

​