There's clearly some risk in purchasing the property base on the answers to the first two questions; however, the final question is equally important if not more important that the others in our decision making process.
Can We Build the House We Want?
In any home design, there are always compromises and tradeoffs, but in the end, the house still needs to function as required and it needs to be a home we love. We never wanted a big house but the lot IS tiny and we needed to make sure everything fits especially given the thickness of the walls required by the Passive House standard.
As it turned out, we both loved the initial design. It was far from perfect but it met enough of the program requirements that we knew we could move forward and find an architect.
Design Mockup
As a design enthusiast and architect wannabe, I decided to put pen to paper and drew up my own design before engaging the professionals to make sure it wasn't a total waste of time. I sat down with my husband and detailed out the program for the house, then downloaded SketchUp and drew up my own design based on the approved setbacks and lot coverage. |
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| Northwest View of My Initial Design | Southwest View of My Initial Design |
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| Southeast View of My Initial Design | Northeast View of My Initial Design |
Finding an Architect
With our program, initial design mockup, property survey and zoning documents in hand, we set off to find an architecture firm to work with. We spoke to a handful of firms that had experience with new modern design and construction but not necessarily passive house design. We received proposals from 4 different firms and it ultimately came down to the following differentiating criteria:
- Experience building certified passive houses,
- Experience presenting to city planning and zoning boards,
- Level of interest and enthusiasm for our little project, and
- Their accessibility and our ability to collaborate together
Base on that, we selected Ryall Sheridan Architects in March 2017 and we couldn't have been happier with our decision.
Decision to Move Forward
After completing our due diligence, we obviously decided to buy the land. We knew there were going to be additional challenges and costs associated with building on this specific plot and the timeline for the build would be greatly extended, but our decision to build here was "because of the lot and it's size, not despite of it" as my husband so eloquently stated. We loved the location and it was important that we practiced what we preached. This truly is an opportunity for us to used our home to showcase how you can build a small compact home which is resilient and energy efficient but also comfortable, beautifully designed and gracious in living.
<3 cant wait !!!!!
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