In his video clips he features the homeowner of the first certified Passive House built in Germany 20 years ago. Other clips include featured projects, and an interview with the founder of the Passive House standard.

Below is a short write up by Hoxie highlighting his documentary. Btw, the film was selected for the 2011 Architecture and Design Film Festival.

Video: The Passive House Revolution By Charlie Hoxie

• January 9th, 2012
• By txchnologist

Below is a wonderful story about how smart energy use and great design came together for one 13 year old boy from New York?

[The American Museum of Natural History presented Aiden with The Young Naturalist Award for his research. Click here for the original article . Also of note: Aiden has since been granted a provisional patent for his work]

ARTICLE

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for they have no tongues.”?—Dr. Seuss (The Lorax)

People see winter as a cold and gloomy time in nature. The days are short. Snow blankets the ground. Lakes and ponds freeze, and animals scurry to burrows to wait for spring. The rainbow of red, yellow and orange autumn leaves has been blown away by the wind turning trees into black skeletons that stretch bony fingers of branches into the sky. It seems like nature has disappeared.

But when I went on a winter hiking trip in the Catskill Mountains in New York, I noticed something strange about the shape of the tree branches. I thought trees were a mess of tangled branches, but I saw a pattern in the way the tree branches grew. I took photos of the branches on different types of trees, and the pattern became clearer.

The branches seemed to have a spiral pattern that reached up into the sky. I had a hunch that the trees had a secret to tell about this shape. Investigating this secret led me on an expedition from the Catskill Mountains to the ancient Sanskrit poetry of India; from the 13th-century streets of Pisa, Italy, and a mysterious mathematical formula called the “divine number” to an 18th-century naturalist who saw this mathematical formula in nature; and, finally, to experimenting with the trees in my own backyard.

My investigation asked the question of whether there is a secret formula in tree design and whether the purpose of the spiral pattern is to collect sunlight better. After doing research, I put together test tools, experiments and design models to investigate how trees collect sunlight. At the end of my research project, I put the pieces of this natural puzzle together, and I discovered the answer. But the best part was that I discovered a new way to increase the efficiency of solar panels at collecting sunlight!

My investigation started with trying to understand the spiral pattern. I found the answer with a medieval mathematician and an 18th-century naturalist. In 1209 in Pisa, Leonardo of Pisano, also known as “Fibonacci,” used his skills to answer a math puzzle about how fast rabbits could reproduce in pairs over a period of time. While counting his newborn rabbits, Fibonacci came up with a numerical sequence. Fibonacci used patterns in ancient Sanskrit poetry from India to make a sequence of numbers starting with zero (0) and one (1). Fibonacci added the last two numbers in the series together, and the sum became the next number in the sequence. The number sequence started to look like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… . The number pattern had the formula Fn = Fn-1 + Fn-2 and became the Fibonacci sequence. But it seemed to have mystical powers! When the numbers in the sequence were put in ratios, the value of the ratio was the same as another number, ?, or “phi,” which has a value of 1.618. The number “phi” is nicknamed the “divine number” (Posamentier). Scientists and naturalists have discovered the Fibonacci sequence appearing in many forms in nature, such as the shape of nautilus shells, the seeds of sunflowers, falcon flight patterns and galaxies flying through space. What’s more mysterious is that the “divine” number equals your height divided by the height of your torso, and even weirder, the ratio of female bees to male bees in a typical hive! (Livio)

In 1754, a naturalist named Charles Bonnet observed that plants sprout branches and leaves in a pattern, called phyllotaxis. Bonnet saw that tree branches and leaves had a mathematical spiral pattern that could be shown as a fraction. The amazing thing is that the mathematical fractions were the same numbers as the Fibonacci sequence! On the oak tree, the Fibonacci fraction is 2/5, which means that the spiral takes five branches to spiral two times around the trunk to complete one pattern. Other trees with the Fibonacci leaf arrangement are the elm tree (1/2); the beech (1/3); the willow (3/8) and the almond tree (5/13) (Livio, Adler).

I now had my first piece of the puzzle but it did not answer the question, Why do trees have this pattern? I had the next mystery to solve. I designed experiments that attacked this question, but first I had to do field tests to understand the spiral pattern.

I built a test tool to measure the spiral pattern of different species of trees. I took a clear plastic tube and attached two circle protractors that could be rotated up and down the tube. When I put a test branch in the tube, I aligned the zero degree mark on one compass to match up with the first offshoot branch. I then moved and rotated the second compass up to the next branch spot. The second compass measured the angle between the two spots. I recorded the measurement and then moved up the branch step-by-step.

I collected samples of branches that fell to the ground from different trees, and I made measurements. My results confirmed that the Fibonacci sequence was behind the pattern.

But the question of why remained. I knew that branches and leaves collected sunlight for photosynthesis, so my next experiments investigated if the Fibonacci pattern helped. I needed a way to measure and compare the amount of sunlight collected by the pattern. I came up with the idea that I could copy the pattern of branches and leaves with solar panels and compare it with another pattern.

I designed and built my own test model, copying the Fibonacci pattern of an oak tree. I studied my results with the compass tool and figured out the branch angles. The pattern was about 137 degrees and the Fibonacci sequence was 2/5. Then I built a model using this pattern from PVC tubing. In place of leaves, I used PV solar panels hooked up in series that produced up to 1/2 volt, so the peak output of the model was 5 volts. The entire design copied the pattern of an oak tree as closely as possible.

I needed to compare the tree design pattern’s performance. I made a second model that was based on how man-made solar panel arrays are designed. The second model was a flat-panel array that was mounted at 45 degrees. It had the same type and number of PV solar panels as the tree design, and the same peak voltage. My idea was to track how much sunlight each model collected under the same conditions by watching how much voltage each model made.

I measured the performance of each model with a data logger. This recorded the voltage that each model made over a period of time. The data logger could download the measurements to a computer, and I could see the results in graphs.

I set the two models in the same location in my backyard facing the southern sky and measured their output over a couple of months. I moved the test location around to vary the conditions.

The sunlight conditions were also important. I started my measurements in October and tested my models through December. At that time of year the winter solstice was coming, and the Sun was moving into a lower declination in the sky. The amount of sunshine was shortening. So I was testing the Fibonacci pattern under the most difficult circumstances for collecting sunlight.

I compared my results on graphs, and they were interesting! The Fibonacci tree design performed better than the flat-panel model. The tree design made 20% more electricity and collected 2 1/2 more hours of sunlight during the day. But the most interesting results were in December, when the Sun was at its lowest point in the sky. The tree design made 50% more electricity, and the collection time of sunlight was up to 50% longer!

I had my first evidence that the Fibonacci pattern helped to collect more sunlight. But now I had to go back and figure out why it worked better. I also began to think that I might have found a new way to use nature to make solar panels work better.

I learned that making power from the Sun is not easy. The photovoltaic (“PV”) array is the way to do it. A photovoltaic array is a linked collection of multiple solar cells. Making electricity requires as much sunlight as possible. At high noon on a cloudless day at the equator, the power of the Sun is about 1 kilowatt per square meter at the Earth’s surface (Komp). Sounds easy to catch some rays, right? But the Sun doesn’t stand still. It moves through the sky, and the angle of its rays in regions outside the equator change with the seasons. This makes collecting sunlight tricky for PV arrays. Some PV arrays use tracking systems to keep the panels pointing at the Sun, but these are expensive and need maintenance. So most PV arrays use fixed mounts that face south (or north if you are below the equator).

Fixed mounts have other problems. When a PV array is shaded by another object, like a tree or a house, the solar panels get backed up with electrons like cars in a traffic jam, and the current drops. Dirt, rain, snow and changes in temperature can also hurt electricity production by as much as half! (Komp)

I began to see how nature beat this problem. Collecting sunlight is key to the survival of a tree. Leaves are the solar panels of trees, collecting sunlight for photosynthesis. Collecting the most sunlight is the difference between life and death. Trees in a forest are competing with other trees and plants for sunlight, and even each branch and leaf on a tree are competing with each other for sunlight. Evolution chose the Fibonacci pattern to help trees track the Sun moving in the sky and to collect the most sunlight even in the thickest forest.

I saw patterns that showed that the tree design avoided the problem of shade from other objects. Electricity dropped in the flat-panel array when shade fell on it. But the tree design kept making electricity under the same conditions. The Fibonacci pattern allowed some solar panels to collect sunlight even if others were in shade. Plus I observed that the Fibonacci pattern helped the branches and leaves on a tree to avoid shading each other.

My conclusions suggest that the Fibonacci pattern in trees makes an evolutionary difference. This is probably why the Fibonacci pattern is found in deciduous trees living in higher latitudes. The Fibonacci pattern gives plants like the oak tree a competitive edge while collecting sunlight when the Sun moves through the sky.

My investigation has created more questions to answer. Why are there different Fibonacci patterns among trees? Is one pattern more efficient than another? More testing of other types of trees is needed. I am testing different Fibonacci patterns now. I am improving my tree design model to see if it could be a new way of making panel arrays. My most recent tries with a bigger test model were successful.

The tree design takes up less room than flat-panel arrays and works in spots that don’t have a full southern view. It collects more sunlight in winter. Shade and bad weather like snow don’t hurt it because the panels are not flat. It even looks nicer because it looks like a tree. A design like this may work better in urban areas where space and direct sunlight can be hard to find.

But the best part of what I learned was that even in the darkest days of winter, nature is still trying to tell us its secrets!

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adler, I., D. Barabe, and R.V. Jean. “A History of the Study of Phyllotaxis.” Annals of Botany 80 (1997): 231-244.
Atela, P., C. Golé, and S. Hotton. “A Dynamical System for Plant Pattern Formation: A Rigorous Analysis.” Journal of Nonlinear Science 12.6 (2002): 641-676.
Brockman, C. Frank. Trees of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Guides from St. Martin’s Press, 2001.
Geisel, Theodor Seuss (Dr. Seuss). The Lorax. New York: Random House Publishers, 1971.
Jean, Roger V. Phyllotaxis: A Systematic Study in Plant Morphogenesis. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Komp, Richard J. Practical Photovoltaics: Electricity from Solar Cells. 3rd. ed. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Aatec Publications, 2001.
Livio, Mario. The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, The World’s Most Astonishing Number. New York: Broadway Books, 2002.
Posamentier, A., and I. Lehman. The (Fabulous) Fibonacci Numbers. New York: Prometheus Books, 2007.

Subject: Insulations levels in a passive solar house

Question:
I’m interested in building a passive solar house using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) walls, R-60 ceiling. What’s appropriate for under-slab in total R value?

Answer:
I’ll quickly point out that a passive solar house of the 70′s and 80′s is quite different from a home built to the Passive House Standard [click here for more info on that subject].

Now, back to your question, the answers that I may offer will vary, depending on your goals for the project. If the goal of the project is to meet the Passive
House (PH) standard of efficiency, I recommend that you have a qualified
Passive House Consultant enter the project plans into the appropriate
energy-modeling software.  This is the only way one can ascertain appropriate R-values for the various components within a project.

The super power of the PH approach is that the designer and the builder will know exactly what each specification needs to be, and why.  Cost/benefit
tradeoffs become easy to model, and in the end it can be said with a high
level of confidence how much heat will need to be delivered by the home’s
mechanical system, whether or not the home will overheat in the summer, etc.
There is no prescriptive path that will achieve the PH standard, because
every home represents a differing set of climate conditions, design elements, and site conditions.

Please note there is are very real benefits to hitting the PH standard of
efficiency:  the home can be heated with a source that is equivalent to a
hair dryer, and saving money by not installing typical or higher cost
mechanical systems will free up funds that are better spent on the home’s
thermal envelope.  In a PH, the energy savings will pay for thermal upgrades
in a just a few years.  After the point of breaking even financially, energy
savings will accrue to tens of thousands of dollars over time.  Actually, in some homes, the homebuyer can save money up front when ‘going Passive’ vs. other methods of construction. The trick is to work with qualified designers and builders and to perform Passive House Energy Modeling as part of the process.

Database of Certified Passive House Consultants in the US:
www.passivehouse.us/consultants.php

We particularly enjoy these types of questions, read on for the questions and answers.

[From the client]

“I hope this is not too premature.  We have been looking at kitchen
appliances and plumbing fixtures.  We are starting to figure out what
we want and don’t want and are narrowing our choices down.  Some
technical questions have come up that depending on the answers could
direct us in different directions.”

Q. We prefer cooking with gas and know that gas produces moisture.  How would this affect the air environment of a passive house?

A. Cooking with gas works just fine in a PH.  The act of passing the fresh incoming air across the heat exchanger within our Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system tends to reduce the relative humidity level in the home.  There is a small pipe at the bottom of the HRV that delivers condensation water to a drain.

In some climates, this drying effect is actually a problem, and in those cases we would choose an Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) system instead of an HRV.  ERV’s manage humidity in addition to performing the heat exchange function of an HRV.  However, in the pacific northwest, the ambient humidity and the action of the HRV act together to keep the indoor relative humidity at a level that is recommended for humans.  Because enough air to completely fill the house is brought into the home through the HRV every three hours or so, cooking with gas has little impact.

Q.  Cooking with either gas or electric produces lots of heat as well. In a passive house how comfortable will the kitchen be in the summer?

A. In a regular house, when it comes to dealing with cooking heat during the summer months, you can open windows and doors as needed.  That’s what you will do in a passive house as well.  Additionally, you can turn the HRV up to the high setting, using a booster switch that will be installed in your kitchen.  This will bring fresh air into the entire house as needed.

If it is too hot outside to gain some relief by opening windows or running the HRV, you will be no worse off than you would be in any house.  But living in a PH reduces the effect of high outdoor temperatures during those hot afternoons.  In the summer, you can open things up at night and close them up during the day.  Because the home is super-insulated, chances are that your home will be cooler than the house next door is on a summer afternoon.  There will be days when you are enjoying your indoor temps and you don’t want to cook indoors and warm things up.  But in a PH, you will have a better chance of avoiding having this be the case.

Q.  Today we were introduced to the idea of induction cooking stove tops as a way to reduce the problems of moisture and heat. Do you have any thoughts on this?  We are both not drawn to that style of cooking, but thought maybe we should consider it.

A. Some of our PH owners selected the induction cooktops.  They are pretty neat!  If you are attracted to the low energy use, fast cooking times, and the fact that the surface of the cooktop does not really get hot, an induction cooktop may be for you.

Some of our PH owners cook with gas. They have reported no issues specific to this approach.  So, don’t avoid gas cooking if that’s what your prefer.

Q.  When we were at Albert Lee in Tacoma we discussed the concept of recirculating vent hoods like you showed us in the two houses we viewed with you.  The salesman there gave us the low down on them and seem to be not as efficient at removing the heat, moisture, smells, grease as a regular vent hood that exhausts to the outside.  We have concerns about this technology and would like to understand better how the heat exchanger is going to take care of the recirculated air from such a vent hood?

A. I think it’s generally true that a recirculating range hood will not be as effective as one that is vented to the outside of the home.  But when you have an HRV in your home, this is not a problem.  The range hood is there to collect heavy steam and the grease that is in the air right above the cooktop.  The HRV deals with everything else – minor cooking smells, moderate increase in humidity, etc.

It’s important to remember that the HRV is is moving a lot of fresh air into the entire home, and that this approach works well.  Here is an analogy: If you have a pool in the yard that is full of water that is never cleaned, you will be really picky about keeping impurities out of the water.  But if the pool has a stream running into and out of it all the time, the flow of water from the stream will keep the water in the pool clean, even if impurities are introduced occasionally.  I hope this analogy applies for you!

Q.  Like wise we are still concerned about the amount of moisture released by showers and cooking and how this will be evacuated from the house.

A. We will install booster switches in the kitchen and the bathrooms that you can use to turn the ventilation system up to the high setting.

Summary:

Current ventilation code requires fans that are rated to remove 50 cubic feet per minute be installed in bathrooms.  In actual practice, most fans in bathrooms today don’t move the amount of air that they are rated for.  But we turn on those fans and they do the job if they are not too crummy!  The typical owner of a regular home never knows how much air is being moved by the exhaust fan.

When you buy a PH from The Artisans Group, after the home is completed, Randy and an experienced Engineer will show up to test the ventilation system.  We spend two hours, and use specialized equipment, to measure air flow at various flow settings on the HRV (low, medium, high, etc.)  We check the air flow at every single ventilation register in the home, and take the time to adjust the system until it is offering air flow rates that are consistent with our design goals for the home. After you are in the home, if something goes awry, or you don’t see the results that you want when you are cooking or showering, we will want to know about it!  We will come back and adjust things until everything is groovy.

[editors note] We received an email from a reader who made some noteworthy observations regarding the efficiency ratings of gas vs. induction cooking~40% to 85-95% respectfully. Also worth mentioning is gas is not a renewable resource. Good points!

That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

With help from the United States Energy Information Administration, we’ve calculated projections related to the cost of heating our latest Passive House project, Le Jardin located in West Olympia:

The cost of electricity used to heat this home is only $85 per year!

How is it possible to lower your heating bill this much? It’s pretty simple, really. Here is a list of how we do it:

1. Super Insulate your home. How much insulation is needed will vary with the exact climate where you are building.  We don’t want to buy and install insulation that is unnecessary.  But if the home is designed with a focus on insulating to the correct level to achieve really meaningful savings on your energy bill, investing in extra insulation will pay off very quickly.

2. Build with really good Doors and Windows. There are new and better windows coming onto the market all the time.  However, most windows that simply meet code are still poor performers, energy-wise.  These windows also tend to block the heat of the sun as they become better at insulating against heat loss.  The trick for homes in the Pacific Northwest is to select windows that have really high insulating values AND a high capacity to let the sun’s heat come through.  It sounds contrary, but modern window technology offers this magic mix – you just need to know what to ask for.

3. Use excellent Air Sealing techniques during construction of your home. Most homes that exist today are leaky!  New homes that meet current energy codes will be tighter.  But to really make an impact on your energy bill, you want a home that is built air-tight.  This level of air sealing is not expensive or difficult to achieve during the construction of a home.  But it does require exacting focus on the part of the home’s designers and builders.  Simply squirting caulk and spray foam into a typical home during construction will not get the job done!

4. Install a highly efficient ventilation system. Most homeowners pay their energy bills so they can heat their home, only to turn around and dump the air they just paid to heat outside each time they turn on an exhaust fan in the bathroom or kitchen.  Of course we need fresh and healthy air in our homes, but the money-saving move here is to ventilate your home with a small system that uses the warmth found in the stale air that is being exhausted, to heat the fresh air that is coming in.  Heat Recovery Ventilation systems or HRV’s have been around for a while, and the better systems will retain over 85% of the heat energy from stale air as it is exhausted from your home.  The best part of this approach is that homes which use good HRV’s have consistent temperatures throughout the whole house and always have excellent indoor air quality – quiet, constant circulation of clean air through good filters means that your entire home will be super comfortable and always feel fresh.

5. Most important:  use the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) software when designing your home. If you simply target the above 1 through 4 without careful planning first, you can create a home that is unnecessarily expensive, and it may be uncomfortable to live in. We are trained to use the world’s best energy modeling software, the PHPP, in all of our work.  What this means to you is that we can do cost/benefit analyses to drive the cost of building your home down, while ensuring that your energy use will be fantastically low!  Best of all, we know your finished home will be unusually comfortable, even before we build it!

Performing these five steps will add up to very impressive savings! There will be no cash spent on large heating systems; and geothermal heat pumps or whole-house radiant floors are overkill with our homes. Exotic, complicated, and maintenance-heavy mechanical systems do not need to be purchased or installed to create an energy-efficient home.

Simple and effective, and comfortable for $1.63 per week. Nice!

References:

www.eia.gov

www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls

www.passivehouse.us/

Article reposted below.

Tessa Smith and Randy Foster, owners of The Artisans Group (photo ©BE)

Women making marks in construction

Companies growing despite unique challenges of the industry

August 22, 2011

Holly Smith Peterson

Business Examiner

Builder Tessa Smith was walking toward one of her project sites when a worker on the roof whistled at her in admiration.

Surprised, she looked up at him. And then she laughed.

“I asked him, ‘Do you know who I am?’” she said. “He shook his head. So, I said, ‘I suggest you find out.’”

That’s because Smith isn’t just a builder. At 24, she’s a talented young designer and one of only 200 certified Passive House consultants in the United States.

As the co-owner of the Artisans Group construction firm in Olympia, she also was in charge of the project.

“My dad taught drafting at a local community college, so I was always on construction sites,” she said. “It’s definitely in the blood.”

Such blatant sexism, she said, is one of the challenges she occasionally encounters as a woman running construction projects. But she’s willing to brush aside such treatment for a bigger cause: advancing sustainable building in the South Sound.

“I don’t just have the issue of being a woman,” Smith said. “I’m a really young woman. So, sometimes subcontractors who aren’t clued in want to think of me as just a designer — which is traditionally the more female role in the industry. But I’m also as involved in the construction side of things as my business partner.”

Smith knows that although she’s a rarity in her industry, the gender gap is closing quickly.

National trends show, as stated in the “2011 State of Women-Owned Business Report” by American Express, that there are about 8.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States. That number has increased 50 percent in the past four years. In addition, 29 percent of companies are now female-run, generating $1.3 trillion and supporting 7.7 million jobs.

The study also found that construction and mining were the top two fields in which the combined growth of businesses and revenue for women-owned firms outpaced the industry growth level. Since 2003, there’s also been a 41 percent rise in women-owned construction businesses, a rate that trails only those in administrative and waste services (47 percent) and education (54 percent).

In the South Sound, the number of women in the construction industry is rising in all sectors, according to the Association of General Contractors in Seattle.

“I can say that women are still the minority in construction,” said Jerry VanderWood, AGC’s Washington communications director, “but I think there’s been a definite uptick, particularly in the younger generation.”

Still, as Smith has encountered, there are many hurdles for women in construction to leap, even in this region.

Patti Candiotta, owner of Pease Construction in Lakewood, also has faced some unique situations.

“It’s often a challenge for women in construction to be taken seriously,” she said. “We have to work harder in some situations at gaining trust.”

Although she’s been in the business for 28 years, Candiotta said that she sometimes still feels that she has to prove herself.

“Because I’ve built up a very good reputation, it’s not so much of an issue as it was in the beginning,” she said. “But that’s why it’s important for any woman in this business to have a good support system. And also to be a part of trade associations to stay abreast of situations going on, and for networking.”

Cynthia Densmore, co-owner of Oregon-based Cascade Tower & Rigging, has worked on construction projects throughout the South Sound, including the University of Washington Tacoma library.  She entered the field through her husband’s company and is now in charge of the finances and contracting.

“I came into this only as a wife, but I’ve become more aware of women in this business over the years,” Densmore said. “There’s a lot of opportunity, and it’s an exciting place to be. It’s a very dynamic industry that comes with a sense of accomplishment, because at the end of the day you’ve built something.”

For women interested in working in construction, she recommends looking into apprenticeships or programs through Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

“It’s a great way to become invested in the trade and to actually learn local business,” Densmore said. “And a lot of people get into construction through the military, which has training in all branches — ‘hard hats to helmets,’ as they say.”

While VanderWood said that the majority of women in construction in the South Sound are either part of a family business, like Densmore, or working in areas like safety or finance, he agreed that more opportunities are available in all sectors.

“My observation in talking with other folks in the AGC, and being at gatherings where people are talking about what they do, is that while women are still definitely in the minority, those numbers are growing,” he said. “Ten years ago, in a meeting of 20 people, there may have been just one or two women. Now, there might be eight or 10. I would suspect that official statistics would bear that out as well.”

And there are benefits to being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Smith said.

“I’m often seen as a novelty,” she said. “And that’s not a bad thing. A lot of clients prefer a young, fresh perspective and someone who’s very familiar with current issues and techniques. Also, when it comes to homes, the woman is often the person driving the major decisions, so a more feminine approach is more compatible — and definitely more appreciated.”

Writer Holly Smith Peterson can be reached at hpeterson@BusinessExaminer.com.

Hey why not? Customer service is serious business around here and for good reason, without them there is no business.

We’re grateful there are folks out there searching to lower their carbon footprint and build green and…who let us know we’re doing a good job!

“I have nothing but good things to say about Artisans Group.  The entire staff has been with me every step of the way from the initial design discussions to the final product!  They have been available by phone, email, and in person whenever I have had questions.”

“We are very excited about our passive house built by the Artisans Group! After interviewing many home builders, we chose Artisans Group because of Randy and Tessa’s knowledge, team spirit, and commitment to building quality, energy-saving homes.”

“Our experience of working with the Artisans Group was remarkably smooth. The outcome exceeded our expectations. We feel we got what we paid for – a well-built home using much less energy than the average home, that will be comfortable to live in for many years, with no headaches during the building process.”

“They seem just as excited as I am about the project and its realization!  I feel very fortunate to have found this company to build my house AND I have a new group of friends as well!”

“Great job and we will definitely (and are already) recommend your company to others.  There is hardly a day that goes by that someone, usually walking their dogs through the neighborhood, doesn’t comment on the wonderful looks of our home!”

“The idea of a passive house was new to us and we chose it because of its overall view of environmental sustainability – one that would reduce energy use by design, rather than one dependent on technology. Thank you Tessa and Randy for introducing this idea to us!”

“We were impressed by the home The Artisans Group designed for us. Its simplicity belies the many requirements we had (we wondered how they would accommodate them all) and included pleasant surprises that creatively solved some of our issues.”

“The complexity involved in all the details of building a house is huge; we were impressed by the complete professionalism with which Artisans Group carried out their job.”

“The quality, creativity, expertise and service have been second to none. We had tried to build a home a year ago with another builder, but our needs weren’t being met. The Artisans Group was empathetic about our prior experience and since working with them we have been extremely happy!”

“You can’t greenwash this. You have to be a terrific builder to do this…”

” The windows never feel cold, nor do the concrete floors, even though they don’t have in-floor heating… I’m so impressed with the outcome, I would never have imagined it would work so well!”

“Whether you are building a custom built or a spec house, the people at the Artisans Group are high touch, highly competent professionals.”

“The numbers speak for themselves… I can’t see why anyone would build any other way than a Passive House… it just wouldn’t make sense! Thanks Artisans Group!”

“From the beginning, The Artisans Group very clearly organized our huge project by providing information and a chronology of decisions we would have to make.”

“Most importantly, the company’s system of having the same production manager and site supervisor involved throughout the project (six months in our case) always made us feel that our home was in the hands of people who truly cared.”

“These people are just plain fun, talented and easy to work with!”

“Quality is what first comes to mind when I think of The Artisans group. Quality shows in the materials, guidance, workmanship, timeliness and especially the people.  We are so pleased with our house AND we actually missed them all when they were finished!

“The project was a pleasure for me from start to finish.”

“I love our house.  I love it when I am weeding in the back-40 and looking back toward the house, patio and water feature.  I love it when we drive in the driveway.  I love it when I am washing the dishes. I love the office nook and use it for hours some days…”

“Everything has been absolutely fantastic!”

“My association with Artisans Group has been very satisfying. You produce a quality product and ALL of your employees are friendly, helpful, and talented. You can be sure that I will recommend you whenever I have the opportunity.”

“The things I can say regarding The Artisans Group is number one, you have a great team!“

“The Artisans Group care for detail; the subtle things that are so important in the final look and feel of the home were outstanding! The integrity of you and your team doing your best at what you all do was evident throughout the project.  After living in our home now for over 3 months, we have nothing to complain about…nothing!”

*These quotes are direct quotes from our clients, however, purposefully left anonymous. We’d be happy to connect you up with past clients as you are doing your homework.

Olympia Master Builders Annual Tour of Homes

Save the date: August 20 & 21 and 27 & 28

UPDATE: TOUR GUIDES AVAILABLE TODAY AUGUST 18TH!

Look for insert in the Olympian newspaper, or swing by Olympia Master Builders (1211 State Ave, Olympia, Wa) to pick up a copy.

We’re excited to report we’ll have two of our new Passive Houses on the tour this year! Look for the North Project, and the Jewel Box.

And because we appreciate all the fine folks who come from far and wide to visit us on the Tour, we will have a drawing for a brand new ipod NANO! Enter to win at either of our tour sites.

.We look forward to seeing you there!!

Another amazing example of the design flexibility of the unparalleled energy efficient building standard, Passive House!

Green building at it’s most charming, this modern farmhouse, lightly French inspired, is a study in whimsy, drama, and eclecticism.  Designed for a family of three, lots of entertaining of guests, and plenty of space for private time, hobbies and storage, this 2000 sf home, boasts an interior living tree that defines the entry from the great space, and ample floor to ceiling glass with views to a beautiful prairie field.  A cooks kitchen, grand dining area, double main floor offices, and screened porch are all just excellent examples of this homes unique and flexible approach to living.

The exterior is richly detailed, but modern in its material choice, making this transitional design accessible but still edgy.  Designed to have the living spaces face the South, viewed initially from the drive on the South, the drive swings around and then is finally approached from the North, this design is a great example that a high performance Passive House can be designed for any site, and in any style.  Bon apetite’