2023 Recap
December 24, 2023
2023 Recap
Firstly, the EarthCraft crew needs to deliver an overdue thank you to all of you who have supported us throughout the past year; from passive Instagram followers to active members and CO-BUILDERS of our latest straw bale residence. As a service-oriented company that relies on the community we serve; from local suppliers/vendors who source our materials and components, to the contractors who install them, again, thank you. From wheat farmers who cultivate our straw bales to our volunteer community that stacks them, we can only be as great as the community we serve, and we have not yet even approached the horizon of that capability. Given this momentum, I am anxious to see what next year holds for EarthCraft Construction Inc.
We completed a large High Performance Farmhouse build in Middleton. This brought a 3 year long Design/Build project to a close. Sitting on 18 acres, this custom build will serve as this young family’s forever home, as well as a “Conscious Farm” prototype. This family desires to incorporate a model of conscious holistic living, not only within their own daily lifestyle as a family, but also as a small farmstead. This large 6500 sqft residence features LP offset for the 60” Thermador range, on-demand water heaters, and dryer. The entire rest of the home is net-zero with active panels on the roof (ROI to be realized within just 16 years). Aerosolized caulking under a pressurized envelope was used to bring this high-performance build to an ACH of less than 0.6, adhering to the strictest air control measures in the world.
As with all things in life, as one thing closes another is brought forward: The Lowman Cabin Project. Tucked against a steep south facing slope overlooking the Payette River, Mark “Ron” Hixson of Boise Straw Bale Design LLC, designed another timeless custom residence. Built with over 65% of the wood sourced from within 150 miles of the site and milled locally, we have reduced the carbon footprint of this project by orders of magnitude over our competitors, while keeping our money within the local economy. This is a two year build process, with this year seeing the completion of all utilities, excavation, foundation, and framing. We will complete the build fully in summer ’24.
Our Danskin Range Straw Bale Residence, NW of Mountain Home, also came alive this year. The clients criteria for this build was a single story home, mated to the surrounding environment, with little deference given to frivolity and excess. Once again our mentor and design guru, Ron Hixson, matched our customers criteria with the surrounding environment. What came forth will likely be a flag-ship 3 bed 2 bath as a passive solar collecting healthy home, within the EarthCraft arsenal. Given the organic wheat straw, natural wood, and low VOC coatings, this build is being showcased for its healthy indoor environmental qualities as well as its energy efficiency. This home will maintain itself for $30/month in utilities.
And finally, we have our Boise Foothills Addition/Renovation. Built in ’63 and in need of attention, we executed a design which maximizes what the house currently offers in terms of layout and flow, thereby increasing build efficiency and reducing cost. Improvements include but not limited to:
a large southern facing living room oriented toward passive solar collection
a sweeping view of downtown Boise and the Treasure Valley
a completely thermally broken exterior insulation package under fire-resistant cladding
Southern facing “off-kitchen” greenhouse
all new insulation, electrical, plumbing and windows
all new elevated composite decks
4 brand new rooms one of which will be a music studio.
This renovation is an excellent example of how EarthCraft instantly increases equity in our clients properties’, while congruently maintaining a commitment to environmental stewardship.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you or someone you know is interested in learning more about what EarthCraft can offer. My door is always open.
I hope you all have a fantastic closing to the year 2023 and I trust you will make 2024 even better for yourselves and those around you.
Until next time, your humble and gracious Green-Design/Builder signing off,
Jon Clark
