Category: passive home

If you're considering building a new custom home, there has never been a better time to take the benefits of passive home construction to heart. Climate change, rising energy costs and a greater awareness of our impact on the earth leads us to question our traditional methods of home construction. For those striving to reduce energy costs, and their carbon footprint, passive home construction is becoming increasingly attractive – and viable. The inventory of passive-certified homes is growing in the US [Fig 1], with certifications more than doubling in 2017 over the previous year. By the end of 2017...


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From where you put your windows, to how you position your home on your lot, the right location is a significant consideration in high-efficiency homebuilding. To build a modern custom home at the highest end of energy conservation and comfort, a whole-house approach to design and systems function takes careful consideration and planning. Harnessing the sun, nature's most potent energy source, can be done in a way that is both incredibly cost-effective as well as aesthetically beautiful. By utilizing passive home building techniques, the sun becomes our ally in energy efficiency, environmental...


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Good custom home design is a perfect mix of needs, trends, and priorities. When you build a new home, you decide how you want to live, what you want to live with, and the price you’re willing to pay. Whether you’re into following closely or running away from, the hottest trends in home design, a custom homebuilder like Clarum Homes can bring your dream to life. One of the core benefits of building a new, modern home, is the high level of customization. We dived into what’s heating up in home design trends for 2018 and made some pleasant discoveries. Mainly, custom modern homes have...


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In our last blog post, we discussed how LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification can bring your home to the next level. Between improved indoor air quality, greater energy efficiency, and even increased owner satisfaction, attaining this accreditation makes sense for eco-conscious consumers.     In part two of this LEED blog series, we’ll dive into what you should anticipate during the certification process and hear from the experts how to best navigate the process. The LEED certification process: What to expect While LEED certification involves...


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  Windows are a crucial component in the design of a house, and their aesthetic appeal can help support the overall style of the building. They allow daylight into the home and give us a visual connection to the outside world. We expect windows to let in fresh air and breezes when the weather is right. And – when the weather is unpleasant – we want our windows to be airtight with great thermal insulation. It should come as no surprise that windows play a huge role in the overall energy efficiency of your home. Windows help to moderate heat flow, making them a key contributor...


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One common landscaping concern for high performance homeowners is erosion—which can significantly affect your home, neighborhood, local natural habitats, and the water supply. What is erosion? Erosion is the natural process by which soil and rock are removed from one area and deposited into another—usually as a result of wind, rainfall, or water flow. While this process has brought us natural phenomena like the Grand Canyon, it is also to blame for stripping the land bare of nutrient-dense soil, creating excessive sediment in waterways, disrupting ecosystems, and other environmental problems. In...


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If you’re thinking about building a high-performance home, you’re probably wondering about its financial implications – both upfront and long-term. While it’s impossible to estimate the cost of any home without factoring in variables such as size and style, there are general patterns to note when planning (as well as other incentives to consider). It might be tempting to assume that high-performance is a much more expensive option – but remarkably, a high-performance home only costs 5-10% more than its conventionally-built equivalent. “People are often surprised to learn that,”...


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Sustainability from the ground up Building a sustainable home means choosing the right materials - since a home is only as sustainable as its construction and the components on which it runs. If you're familiar with Clarum Homes, you know we care deeply about sustainability. In fact, our core purpose is to transform the way you live by creating greater comfort, greater health, and greater environmental sustainability. Energy efficiency in every component Passive homes are, by definition, energy-efficient; to attain certification, a passive home must meet the efficiency criteria defined by the International...


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Last week, we talked about the benefits of airtightness in modern home design. Airtight construction is one of the most powerful strategies in passive design, resulting in a custom home that maintains a comfortable environment while consuming very little energy. The airtight trend is a profound improvement from conventional techniques, but as we pointed out last week, it also brings with it the need for whole-house ventilation. Which begs the question, “Are airtight homes stuffy?” We’d like to set the record straight: proper design and construction results in airtight homes that aren’t...


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Extreme home performance may feel like a new concept, but its rapid adoption in the US and abroad means there are increasing opportunities for custom home owners to gain efficiencies and maximize home performance. The truth is, a high-performance home can slash energy consumption by up to 90% over conventional construction. Clarum is at the forefront of this shift toward high-performance design and construction methodologies. We work with families to leverage Passive House home building practices for extreme performance opportunities in their custom home building projects. And one of the single...


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