Choosing a Builder

House vector created by studiogstock - www.freepik.com

My great-uncle Doug tells a story about the family home where he and my grandfather and their many siblings lived, somewhere in the backwoods of New England back in the 1930s. It fell down a hill during a hard rain when there was a mudslide. They put it back up and continued as before.

I viewed this episode as entirely aspirational until I considered the implications of such an approach to home-building for indoor plumbing and winter survival. And now, with greater knowledge about pollution, climate change, and fire safety, my desire for this cabin to become the flowering of my family tree's famously corner-cutting craftsmanship has further dwindled.

That is to say, I'm looking for a builder who values the craft and can produce something that not only won't fall down a hill in the rain, but will use sustainable practices, reduce waste, and produce a simple cabin that is easy to heat and cool and supplies its own energy needs.

Given infinite budget, I could have a marvellous team of Swedes airlift a single-unit dwelling to nestle gently upon the land, the building's only impact being that slight indent upon the moss where it lightly rests.

*This is not a factual account of Swedish building practices but I've read a lot of brochures for passivhaus builders and I would say this generally captures the spirit of the thing.

Swedes aside, New England building practices have come a long way since Grandpa Wood's cabin, and there are some promising options in the area.

I am particularly interested in off-site prefabrication and modular construction. These methods lead to less waste, less chance of damage on the building site, lower build time, and more control over quality. The downside is that the cost is often higher than standard construction.

These are the options I'll start to look at over the next few weeks. I collected them from a few different sources, such as the Passive House Institute (US), personal recommendations, and in one case being referred by a builder who gently informed me that their million+ price range was probably out of my league (it is).

Brightbuilt, Portland, Maine

Ecocor, Searsmont, Maine

Garland Mill, Lancaster, New Hampshire

Seacoast Modulars, Greenland, New Hampshire

Unity Homes, Keene, New Hampshire

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