A Passivhaus-driven approach guided each decision. Openings are placed not by composition but by use and orientation. Windows are cut toward snow-laden limbs, filtered light, and long mountain views. Along the rear, subtle shifts in the façade create pockets of privacy and places to look out, giving the house a varied relationship with its immediate forest and the distant range beyond.

The client came to this project with a desire to live lightly in retirement, seeking a home that matched their carbon-conscious values. That intention set the course for a building shaped by performance and restraint—from thermal continuity to airtight detailing—allowing high-impact climate solutions to become the quiet structure beneath the architecture itself. The result is a house that sits with the trees, consumes little, and holds warmth through the coldest stretches of the year, offering a way of living aligned with the rhythms of its place.