Spring Wind Farmhouse

This new home built on a sustainable and chemical-free farm outside of Northfield, MN was designed collaboratively on a modest budget with goals of energy efficiency and long-term durability.

With a simple and compact building form, the home takes full advantage of southern exposure for passive solar heat gain and is ready for an active solar array when the time comes. The home is insulated well above code with a hybrid wall system and a metal roof and is constructed from low-embodied-energy materials. Early on, clients committed to a ground-source heat-pump which impacted our energy analysis and envelope recommendations. Through energy-modeling software, we were able to evaluate various envelope improvements and provide the clients with a realistic cost-benefit analysis to guide their decision and keep the budget in check.