Passive House on Georgetown Lake, MT
Designed in collaboration with Holzraum Systems Architects, the project combines prefabricated, highly insulated wall and roof panels with a continuous airtight envelope — dramatically reducing heating and cooling demand at a site that sees some of Montana's most demanding climate conditions.
Mechanical systems were selected and right-sized to match the low-energy load of the envelope: dual Arctic air-to-air source heat pumps sized to the PHPP energy model, and a Zehnder energy recovery ventilation system delivering continuous filtered fresh air while retaining conditioned air through heat exchange. Zola triple-pane windows complete the thermal boundary — thermally broken frames, no cold glass surfaces, no condensation, no radiant heat loss at the perimeter.
The result is a PHIUS-certified home that performs to a documented standard: energy modeled before construction begins, third-party blower door verified at completion, and designed to remain comfortable and resilient for generations — with a direct path to net zero through a modest renewable energy system.