Floating Volumes 

Breen came up with two intersecting geometric volumes that connect the building with the landscape to address the site constraints. The first-floor volume is a long, south-facing rectangle that reaches toward and anchors into the granite. A deep west-facing porch protects the house from the hot summer sun. The porch also bridges the stream and links the first level's open floor plan to the landscape with an ample outdoor living space that includes a massive fireplace encased in dramatic shou sugi ban (charred wood) siding.

The second-floor volume runs perpendicular to the main living space and cantilevers to create a covered north entry. The south side's balcony cantilevers towards the adjacent oak forest, so the master bedroom feels as though it's in a treehouse. To support the house, Good constructed the home on a steel pier and beam structure with a metal pan deck (like those used in the construction of parking garages), giving the house the appearance of floating in the landscape.

Local Products 

The couple built a mechanical room into the ground in a location central to the floor plan, which allows for a stacked plumbing design and effective mechanical duct runs and piping. Greywater from the laundry is piped into landscape mulch basins or wells to irrigate trees.

The couple selected tile from "companies located in California, and that's handmade by people who live here," Breen says. "We want to support manufacturers that have sustainable practices themselves and that provide local jobs and give back to their communities."

Walking the Talk 

"We've been concerned about the future of the planet for a long time," Breen says. "When I went to architecture school, I felt sustainability had to be at the forefront of any work in which I was going to be involved, given that buildings consume nearly 40% of the energy in the US. I've been studying climate science for 25 years. I had hoped that by this point in time that net-zero energy, low-carbon building practices would be the norm. Sadly, that hasn't happened."

As a consequence, she continues, "we are going to have to contend with extreme weather. However, we continue to strive to design and build homes that use minimal energy, are healthy for their occupants, and are beautiful and resilient."  

The Good Haus, finished in early 2019, illustrates how net-zero energy performance and conscientious modern design can result in a home that lives lightly on the land. "I'm really proud of our home's architecture and performance," Breen says. "It's so nice to never have an energy bill. And the home also allows me to bring in clients who've never experience a home that has consistent indoor temperatures and is comfortable all the time."

"I feel so privileged to have put our design philosophy into practice on our family project," she adds," and to have gotten to build my own home."