What a joy it is to work with a family dedicated to ensuring their build incorporates the healthiest of natural materials throughout:

• wool insulation in the attic

• plaster on the walls

• an earthen floor in the ADU space above the garage

• raw, unlacquered brass plumbing fixtures + a soapstone kitchen sink

• heated floors and an earthen stove that heats your home with one fire a day (being able to avoid forced air heat creates a much healthier living environment that is not drying)

In this passive home, sunlight is key, with the main heat gain walls facing SE, large windows and broad swaths of sun lighting up the common spaces. Every decision made to ensure the health of the indoor air quality for the long term.

This project was a labor of love, with the client also self-contracting for the first time ever (he has since gone on to create his own construction company called Eco Craft Builders).

The architect on this project worked tirelessly to design countless floor plan options before we landed on the one that felt right to the clients. As a part of the design team from the start, we were able to incorporate positive Feng Shui in so many areas:

• Bedrooms where beds are able to be ‘in command’ (from the bed you can see the door and you are not in the path of the door)—one key factor in a room that supports healthy sleep and thriving relationships.

• A front entrance that begs to be used (this is where all of the energy comes into your life), with a landing pad for guest items and connection to the main living spaces without being a part of them.

• Natural elements and literal connections to the outside that help us feel connected to nature and activate the happiness center of our brain in ways that paint and solid colors will not.