"House Rules"

The experience of building a house is a very fluid one, requiring a continually evolving process of evaluation and decision-making. It is the skill in navigating this stream of choices that ultimately determines the quality of a finished project.

A builder's job is to deliver an elegant solution that is as cost-effective as it is beautiful, functional, and well-made. As I strive to master evermore nuanced relationships within the art of building, I regularly return to a self-imposed set of of principles or "House Rules":

Efficiency
-Is each building decision the simplest one that works?
-Is the house the smallest one that 'gets the job done'?
-Is the house low maintenance?

Energy
-Have I minimized the building's embodied energy?
-Will the house be as energy efficient as possible over time?

Ecology
-Is the house healthy for its occupants?
-Is the house healthy for the planet?

Esthetics
-Is it beautiful?
-Does it have soul?

The articles that follow reflect the application of these principles as experienced when creating the house I know best ... my own.


I offer then, an insight into not only what decisions were made and why as I lived through the project, but how these decisions have affected the occupants' (my family's) quality of life over time. Along the way I will also share my thoughts on current technologies and practices in the emerging Green Building field.