The homeowners had searched for the perfect lot—one where they could be surrounded by nature while taking full advantage of passive solar design principles.

 The lot they chose was already home to trees and wildlife, so they worked with Ferrier to carefully design and site their new home in ways that would preserve natural habitat and enable them to live in greater harmony with their new animal neighbors.

 The homeowners’ desire for family members to visit and stay for quality time together inspired an open kitchen/living concept. On the verge of retirement, they also sought a home that would provide durability over time, promote good indoor air quality, and provide them with a sense of security in terms of reliable, affordable energy.

 To that end, we used passive solar design, advanced framing, and other strategies to increase the home’s energy efficiency. We also installed solar panels and a battery system. Instead of a traditional breaker box, we used a SPAN smart electrical panel that offers whole-home energy monitoring and circuit-level control via smartphone app.