The goal set by the owners, a couple with farm family backgrounds, for a vacation and ultimately retirement home on 30 acres in the Mount Washington Valley was a high performance, low maintenance, Greek Revival inspired farmstead. The program included an open plan living/dining/kitchen area, first floor master suite, open and screen porches, mudroom, second floor guest bedrooms, and a barn to house farm equipment, recreational vehicles and a bocce court.

The building envelope is super insulated and tightly sealed to minimize energy loss. Traditional details, using non-traditional synthetic and composite products, were developed to clad the exterior and an array of solar panels was added to the south facing barn roof.

Energy efficient heating and cooling systems, along with balanced ventilation using an energy recovery ventilator (ERV), were integrated with the interiors. The second floor hallway is partitioned off from the stair to reduce heating and cooling loads when the guest rooms aren’t occupied. All LED lighting and Energy Star appliances reduced the electrical load. The home achieved a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating of -30; a rating of 0 means the house generates as much energy as it uses. The electric meter has been running backward since the project was completed!