Future home

Doesn't look like much does it?  Well, at this point it really isn't but hopefully it will be the site of our new home.  Come this spring, we hope to break ground on 'Casa de perro.'

'Casa de perro' will not be your typical house.  It is probably going to cause us some significant headaches to get it built, particularly in the area where we live.  It will certainly hit us harder in the pocketbook than a typical house but hopefully energy savings in the future will offset the up front capital outlay.  Lets face it, whether you believe in globe climate change (or whatever they are calling it this year) or not, I think we can all agree that energy costs will continue to increase in the future if for no other reason than government involvement.

I call it a passivhaus hybrid.  According to the passivhaus definition, lifted from their website, "A Passive House is a building, for which thermal comfort can be achieved solely by post-heating or post-cooling of the fresh air mass, which is required to achieve sufficient indoor air quality conditions – without the need for additional recirculation of air."  In my words, it is a really insulated house that doesn't require a lot of heating and cooling of the air to keep you comfortable and has just enough air exchanges to provide good air quality.  The reason I call it a hybrid is because it will also use some passive solar orientation to help heat it.

Right now I am itching to get started.  That will probably change once the bills and problems start but just look at our future view.