Incentives

Previously a sheet metal workshop and office, this building is getting a complete makeover and major addition. The future office development is expected to be the first non-residential Passive House building in California and the first in Palo Alto to harvest rainwater for toilet flushing.

Winning Best New Home of 2013 and labeled “Passive House Perfection” by Fine Homebuilding, this 1600-square foot farmhouse achieves the highest performance standards without sacrificing aesthetic standards. The owners “learned that good design and modern aesthetics were compatible with the kind of energy we were seeking and we couldn’t be more pleased.”

Designed to seamlessly blend with the stunning Sea Ranch cliffline, the Agnew Residence boasts elegance and environmental sensitivity. The project achieved LEED Platinum certification with an emphasis on a high-performance building envelope, condensing boiler for in-floor radiant hydronic heating, 100% high-efficiency lighting and appliances, sustainable materials, and low-impact landscaping.

The builder has completed a gut rehab of the original home on this lot and is now underway with a new second unit. Features include Advanced Framing (resource-efficient structural design), underslab insulation, elimination of thermal bridges at the slab edge, and superinsulation in the walls.