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Design & Planning Status Update

Design & Planning Status Update

Now that we're past the peak of the summer and the days are slowly getting shorter again,  it’s time to bring you up to date on the plan...

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How Smart is Too Smart?

How Smart is Too Smart?

Over the past year I've been struggling to determine how to properly outfit our home with an appropriate level of whole-house automation...

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The One Tonne Life

The One Tonne Life

Writing the post on Passive House certification and reviewing the required energy targets reminded me of the Swedish  One Tonne Life  projec...

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Less is More

Less is More

Cold, stark and uncomfortable or streamline, sleek and sexy? Regardless of how you view minimalist design, there's much more to this des...

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To Certify or Not to Certify? That is the Question.

To Certify or Not to Certify? That is the Question.

Certification. All the Way. At some point in time during your Passive House journey, you invariably need to decide whether to certif...

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The Road to Zoning Approval

The Road to Zoning Approval

We were warned ahead of time that the zoning permit process for the City of Long Branch was a lengthy one especially if any variance reli...

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Schematic Design Phase, Part III: Final Design Submitted to Zoning Board

Schematic Design Phase, Part III: Final Design Submitted to Zoning Board

After our meeting on the initial design studies at end of March 2017, the architects synthesized our feedback and further refined the chosen...

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Schematic Design Phase, Part II: Initial Design Concepts

Schematic Design Phase, Part II: Initial Design Concepts

A few short weeks after our site visit, the architects generated two possible design concepts consisting of perspective renderings and floor...

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Schematic Design Phase, Part I: Site Visit & Neighboring Homes

Schematic Design Phase, Part I: Site Visit & Neighboring Homes

After making the decision to purchase the land, we immediately went to work with  Ryall Sheridan Architects to complete the schematic desig...

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Flipping the Floor Plan

Flipping the Floor Plan

We knew from the start that we wanted to invert the traditional home configuration by moving the common areas on to the upper level and bed...

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Our Building Program

Our Building Program

In architecture speak, the program defines the scope of the project by outlining the building's goals, conditions, and objectives. The p...

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Property Research & Due Diligence, Part III: A Modern Home that Fits

Property Research & Due Diligence, Part III: A Modern Home that Fits

There's clearly some risk in purchasing the property base on the answers to the first two questions; however, the final question is equ...

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Property Research & Due Diligence, Part II: Zoning Approval

Property Research & Due Diligence, Part II: Zoning Approval

Now that we've address the physical aspects of the property, time to tackle our biggest question and concern prior to closing on the pro...

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Property Research & Due Diligence, Part I: Area Flooding

Property Research & Due Diligence, Part I: Area Flooding

Signing the sales agreement for the property was exciting. It was the first time I thought, "This is really happening, we're really...

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