The House
The nuts and bolts of the design and technology (insulation, windows, doors, ventilation, solar-powered electricity (PV) generation, etc.) deserve their own page.
The Name
We named our home the Sweet Tree Passive House. Our new home is a Passivhaus– (Passive House-) compliant home, designed to take advantage of the sun and efficient, high-quality building practices for maximum comfort and energy savings. We have been making maple syrup from the maple trees (species acer) on the property since we bought it nearly 4 years ago, and Native Americans called the maple “sweet tree” long before our ancestors arrived. We also have some other sweet tasting trees on the property, including several apples and a peach tree; we hope to plant more in the future.
Us
Our story? We (Kathryn and Chris) met, and had many ideas and dreams to share. Our journey included renovating a historic brick house, living in Europe, and seeing the mix of ancient and modern technologies and social concepts. We studied techniques to live lightly on the planet, and met a team which is helped us bring our ideas to fruition.
During our 20-plus years of marriage, we’ve always talked about homes, and our ideas for a more optimal house. Prior to meeting each other, even as children, home design was a topic of interest to us.
Sweet Tree Passive House 