Breaking Ground On An Old Concept
Last week, as we broke ground on the passive solar home we are building in Wendell, it dawned on me that we’ve come full circle on concepts of energy efficient building design. When people ask us about the design of this home, I’m always a little surprised at the perception that this is somehow going to be an exotic looking home, or will be more expensive than a traditional home. If I were to line up 5 different plans, some passive solar some not, most would not be able to pick out the passive solar design. Furthermore, an energy efficient home doesn’t have to cost more, it simply requires some knowledge of building science, attention to detail and proper management of heat and moisture. In many cases, it simply requires that tradespeople do the things they are supposed to do to begin with, like a proper load calculation for the heating and cooling system. Passive solar designs have been around since people began building homes.
In fact, we’re really just building homes the way they should be built. Over the past few decades, our insatiable quest for profits through “efficiency” a.k.a. wringing every penny out of the cost of production/manufacturing and the “Walmart” effect – the disposable product – have driven builders to cut corners and standardize building plans at the expense of sound design and common sense in many cases (like the 6″ overhang). With the downturn in the economy and the realization that people are going to stay in their homes longer, our clients are starting to realize that quality construction is important. Gone are the days when “we will simply buy a bigger house in 5 years, so as long as the house lasts that long, we’ll be OK!” Add to that the increasing cost of energy and people more and more want to know what the cost of operating a home will be.
Details matter, anyone can build a home, not everyone can or cares to build a quality, energy efficient home. Some builders are still stuck in the old mindset. With the power of purchase squarely in the hands of the buyer, if you are in the market for a home, why would you buy anything less than a quality, energy efficient design?
Stay tuned for updates on our progress!
