Sustaninable Home Design Portfolio

This portfolio features a selection of sustainable residential designs developed using straw bale construction, insulated concrete forms (ICF), Faswall systems, and high-performance conventional building methods.

Each project is designed with a strong emphasis on constructability, energy efficiency, and clarity in documentation. The work shown includes both fully custom homes and plan-based designs adapted for specific sites, climates, and owner-builder needs. These projects reflect a design approach rooted in durability, simplicity, and long-term performance.

The Wild Horse

The Wild Horse
Spencer Butte Residence

Spencer Butte Residence
Straw Bale Cabin at the University of Utah

Straw Bale Cabin at the University of Utah
The Gold Hill Residence

The Gold Hill Residence
The Seay Residence

The Seay Residence
Casa Des Colores

Casa Des Colores
The Applegate Cottage (Fallbrook, CA)

The Applegate Cottage (Fallbrook, CA)
The Walsenburg Residence

The Walsenburg Residence
Rise Up Bakery

Rise Up Bakery
The Tolman Creek

The Tolman Creek
The Applegate Cottage (Whidbey Island)

The Applegate Cottage (Whidbey Island)
The Columbia

The Columbia
The Mount Ashland

The Mount Ashland
The Richman Residence

The Richman Residence

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View fullsize Introducing The Willamette. At 1916 square feet, this 3 bedroom plus office and 2 full bathroom straw bale home is super efficient and straightforward. High vaulted entry with upper clerestory windows light up the open living room, kitchen with eat
View fullsize Rise Up! Bakery. This was a fun one. One of my first designs, and my first with my good friend and builder, John Difruscia, and his awesome crew. This octagonal bakery was designed and built back in 2008. And with time comes change. The bakery
View fullsize Got to spend a couple days at a baling workshop for one of my "Sierra Verde" designs led by @andrewmorrison1000 and the folks at @strawbale_com. They had around 50 people helping out to get this building baled and plastered in just a week.
View fullsize Check out my newest design to be built in Beaver, Utah. The clients wanted natural light, large windows, and a wrap around porch to take in all of the views. This is a 1645 square foot home with two separate bedroom suites and an open loft above t
View fullsize Just got some progress photos from one of my clients in central Texas that fell in love with one of my homes in my Portfolio, (The Seay Residence) on my website and asked if they could buy the plans for the home. They are really moving quick on it
View fullsize The Gold Hill Residence PART 2 - Gold Hill, OR. This stunning house is nearing completion. So, my client approached me in early 2019 with an idea to take apart a 100 plus year old structure in Wisconsin, haul it out to Oregon, re-erect it, and build
View fullsize The Gold Hill Residence PART 1 - Gold Hill, OR. This stunning house is nearing completion. So, my client approached me in early 2019 with an idea to take apart a 100 plus year old structure in Wisconsin, haul it out to Oregon, re-erect it, and build
View fullsize The Desert Sunset. I get a lot of folks wanting a wrap around porch. Porches, among other things, provide protection. Protection from the rain, from the hot sun, and are a great place to hang outside your house and observe the world around you.. Th
View fullsize The Mulino House - This is the latest custom design I am working on just south of Portland OR. It is much larger than my typical jobs. It is a 3500 sq.ft. 3 Bedroom 2.5 bath as well as an attached 2 bedroom 2 bath ADU, with a Faswall foundation and
View fullsize I am really excited to share my new design, The Shenandoah. This compact design has a 1000 square foot first floor, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, and 500 square foot second floor with a spacious master suite and loft family room. High clerestory wind
View fullsize Progress photos from one of my designs in central Texas. These resourceful folks found a design on my website that they couldn't be without. They are plugging along and have finished framing all the walls and roof. Next up, installing the bales.
View fullsize Check out one of my new designs. I call it the Sonoran Mesa. I designed this home for a wonderful woman in southern Arizona. It was inspired by Frank Loyd Wright and Taliesin West, his architecture school in Scottsdale, Arizona. I was fortunate t
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View fullsize Another successful workshop for one of my designs by @andrewmorrison1000. This one was in Covington, Kentucky. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, plus a 4th bedroom/office upstairs, a family room downstairs and a large laundry room/mud room. A partial wrap aroun
View fullsize Love it when a straw bale workshop for one of my designs is in my town! My good friend @andrewmorrison1000 and new friends @timbo_scursso and @dainella.n of Strawbale.com taught this one and I was fortunate enough to hang out and help for a day, plu
View fullsize Applegate Cottage. Here are a few framing shots from some clients in Mancos, CO that are building the Applegate Cottage. These guys are great. They don't have a whole lot of experience with construction, but they do have my plans, and the help of