This unlikely candidate for the Passive House standard of efficiency began as a 1960’s house with uninsulated concrete slab. The home now uses the amount of energy it takes to run a hair dryer to heat the entire house. 

Washed in clean white, with a welcoming front porch and metal standing seam roof, this intuitive redesign centers on a bright, open-air courtyard that suits morning coffee for one and cocktails for a crowd. Inside, a tapering axis removes private rooms from view and rolling doors both optimize the space and separate uses. 

A 16-foot wide, sliding glass door fills the kitchen with light and maintains absolute silence, a testament to the extreme performance of super-insulation. Solar water panels, triple pane windows and energy-recovering ventilation further boost the comfort and energy efficiency, yielding a sensible beauty certain to inspire. 

This home was the first Certified Passive House in California and the first Certified Passive House retrofit in North America.