I’ve followed the “green movement” for quite some time and find the practical pragmatism of building an extremely energy efficient home very appealing.

I stumbled upon the Passive House concept which at its core stresses substantially reducing energy requirements through ultra-insulating walls, floors, and roofs as well as super-sealing a house so that all incoming and outgoing air exchanged through the shell can be controlled.

This all sounded like exactly what I was looking to achieve! I traveled to Newry. Maine to talk with a builder and tour a home.

I was struck by how unbelievably comfortable the Passive Home was. The floors were warm, the interior was bright, and you could feel the silence and stillness in the air. The house I toured was built for approximately $120 a square foot and was the first Passive House built in the area. Later in the day, I talked with the builder, showed him my rough plans, and learned he is currently building Passive Houses for about $200-300 a square. A far cry from the $120 I was hoping.

Back to the drawing board!