The house is about to take one of two key next steps, as I prepare to meet with a general contractor on the primary design. Either it will feel like it's in the realm of the affordable, or the new backup design will come to the fore. Design prime is seriously green from a performance standpoint, but it's 2500 gsf including the basement. But: It feels like the right size for us! The design variation is 2000 gsf total and has more conventional construction (R-35 walls versus 55, U factor 0.23 windows versus 0.17, etc.), but is it too much of a compromise? Big decisions loom.
Rough section perspective through the dining room wing.