The mission of the house is to create an extremely energy efficient and healthy house – with no aesthetic compromises. The house demonstrates that sustainable building does not need to come at a cost premium and can be built faster (in 10 months) than a comparable custom house in this area. The house is both a Passive House and LEED for Homes Platinum. The house integrates and simplifies with state-of-the-shelf systems: a heat pump serves all heating, cooling, and water heating, electric induction cooking, gravity-powered grey water system (no pumps), and simple controls. All systems were simplified to the extent possible to minimize ongoing maintenance without compromising in performance or functionality. The home, with its two electric car chargers, is expected to operate at Net Zero energy annually (net positive 1,300 kWh 2014 with one car charger).
