Online coverage of the Fine Homebuilding House 2018 begins at the end of April. Previously called the ProHome, the Fine Homebuilding House series covers the best practices of design and construction by offering an in-depth look at the build process of a custom, high-performance house.

The 2018 project weds high design with high performance in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills. Follow along as our project partners, Mela Breen and David Good of Atmosphere Design Build, make this photo-realistic rendering reality.

Their net-zero energy, high-performance house will meet the goals of the California 2020 initiative and comply with the most progressive energy code in the country. To do this, they are building a very tight, well-insulated envelope. And while the house is high performance, their construction methods are straightforward. Mela and David’s article and blog coverage of the build, will show a wall assembly with interior and exterior insulation that reduces thermal bridging, limits air infiltration, and is vapor open. This arrangement of elements works in any orientation, so they’re able to replicate the same assembly on the roof and for the floor with only slight modification. This structure isn’t just about energy performance, though. Along the way, you’ll see how the house has been engineered to resist seismic forces and how the exterior details have been selected to resist the wildfires common to the region.

Mela and David will also be discussing their design approach to creating a stylish and comfortable modern house. Details include the creation of an outdoor living space to take advantage of the warm sunny months and their strategy to place a 2,400-sq.-ft. house lightly on a steeply sloped lot without distracting from the views of the surrounding landscape. If the countless articles, blog posts, and images coming out of the project aren’t enough to satisfy our instructional needs, be sure to keep an eye out for Fine Homebuilding video episodes teaching you the “what” and the “why” behind every phase of the project.

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Smart String Line

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100-ft. Tape Measure

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Plate Level

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