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Wisconsin 2021

Ian Schwandt and his wife Sara are building their own custom, high-performance house with a budget of $100 per sq. ft.. Their goal is to build a home that fits the site’s rural landscape with its exterior finishes, but also hints at the modern look of NYC loft apartments. This Passive House standard home was designed with an upside-down floor plan that makes the most of the sloped site’s topography and allows the living areas to have the benefit of vaulted ceilings. Follow along as Ian builds this home from the ground up.

Design Inspiration Behind FHB House WI

Watch builder Ian Schwandt discuss his custom, high-performance home build in Iron Ridge, Wisconsin.

By Ian Schwandt

Builder Ian Schwandt and his wife Sara Lukasiewicz are building their own high-performance home in Iron Ridge, Wisconsin. The house that they’re building is a straight-forward rectangle with a gable roof, designed to help  keep the air-sealing details simpler, while also fitting the sites rural landscape.

They’ll be building double-stud walls with the ZIP System sheathing which will act as the primary air barrier on the outside of the wall and the roof and the interior non load bearing walls. Since they’ll be working with a small crew, it’s important to think through a smart sequencing processes as the build progresses.

While we’ll be documenting the build through video and blog posts, follow @ijswoodworking on Instagram for inside details.

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