A Värm in Newbury, NH

As Janet researched options for constructing a healthy home, she learned that the conditions for mold in a finished home can be created when homes are stick-framed piece-by-piece on site, because the framing and other materials may be exposed to rain for extended periods. They explored options for having the components of the building shell built in a factory and assembled quickly on site, and ended up selecting Unity. As Janet said, “We looked into several modular and panelized home building companies, and were most impressed with the quality of Unity Homes, where tight building practices and safer building products were being used.“

Inspired by Sarah Susanka’s book The Not So Big House, the couple had originally wanted to work within a compact building footprint, but were challenged by their two sets of twin boys in their twenties, who had the potential to make a not-so-big home feel small. Janet opted for Unity’s semi-custom design path, which had the flexibility to meet the family’s needs.

The first floor of the home features an open layout with a modest living room and oversized kitchen. The island that anchors the kitchen has seating for six and allows for multiple cooks. The home includes one bedroom on the ground floor for aging in place, and two on the second floor, along with two “bunk rooms” – four bunks to a room – for visiting friends, and future grandchildren.

In siting the house, Janet worked with Revision Energy to accommodate the mountain views while maintaining efficient orientation for the solar panels. She’s planning to make the transition to driving electric cars, run on power generated by the home. The system will include two Tesla Powerwall batteries to provide power when the sun is not shining, and resiliency when the grid goes down. 

Because healthy indoor air was a top priority for the new home, Janet had whole-house filtration incorporated into the fresh air ventilation system. She and her family are thrilled with the results: “Our entire family enjoys the healthy environment we have created, and we are proud to have this sustainably built and energy efficient home.”