Between climate change, government regulation, and increasing consumer awareness we’re nearing a tipping point, like with electric vehicles, where high-performance homes will be both expected and required.

The good news is that it’s not that hard to do. With good design and careful attention to detail, amazing results are attainable without a lot of exotic materials or techniques, and at modest additional cost. It does require high-quality builders, however, and coordinated teamwork throughout design and construction. Our area of service is geographically large, and availability varies, so need more great builders on our team.

In addition to referrals to our clients for bidding, we like to engage our builder partners during design to develop budgets and optimize constructability. We find this to be a win-win. Our clients are better served, and you’re both compensated for your efforts and granted early input on the details. This also helps to build a trusted relationship between you and the client. There’s more about our process here.

Our flagship projects target Passive House (Passivhaus) standards. To be a good fit for this, you’ll have an interest in sustainability in general, and a desire to innovate with us. We prefer builders who have experience in this type of project and/or who’ve completed a PHIUS “Builder” or a PHI “Tradesperson” training, but a genuine desire to learn and excel is most important. If you’d like to explore working with us, let us know.

Here's more about our collaborative approach to design and construction.

We believe in careful planning before design, and we utilize the services of knowledgeable agents and brokers to assist us. A step in our planning process is the “Budget Builder,” which helps our clients determine the value of their property as-is, and after construction or remodel. They also look at alternatives on the market for a “build vs. buy” decision. We rely on, and refer, professionals from our network to help with comps and value estimates. If you’d like to be added to our team as an expert resource for our clients, connect with us.

Another aspect of our planning process is available as a stand-alone service for real estate agents and their clients. The “Property Potential Analysis” (PPA) is a focused summary of development regulations and how they specifically apply to the property in question. It’s proven valuable to buyers evaluating prospective purchases, and to sellers who wish to highlight the opportunities for their property in more specific terms than “buyer to confirm possibilities with the appropriate agencies.” If a buyer chooses to work with us in the future, the PPA fees are credited toward our complete planning services. Here are more details about Property Potential Analysis. If you have a client who might be interested in this service, please contact us.

Here’s more about our overall approach to project planning.

While our primary focus is on the optimization of our own design projects, we do occasionally consult with other architects to help them meet Passive House (Passivhaus) standards. We’re most interested in projects that are “groundbreaking” for us, in terms location and/or typology. Do note that this level of performance has significant design implications - it is not a viable late stage “add on” to a fully developed design. That said, if you think we may be of assistance to you, feel free to inquire.

This is the wave of the future. Between the increasing effects of climate change, ambitious goals set by regulators, and the public’s growing awareness of and desire for a higher standard of living, it is only a matter of time before Passive House (Passivhaus) levels of building performance become mainstream in California, as they have in Europe and other parts of North America. While the benefits are impressive, we view our approach as “practical idealism,” rooted in decades of physics and building science research with a track record of tens of thousands of successful projects worldwide. If you’d like to be part of this societal transition, please let us know.