The Builder’s Notes

If you live in California, you're probably well-versed in the concept of water conservation, especially in the Valley. Everyone knows a big swath of lawn to water and mow isn't a great reflection of a sustainable ethos. In fact, drought resistant and water-efficient landscaping is even mandatory in some jurisdictions like Menlo Park. What you may not know, is that passive homes take a commitment to environmental conservation up a big notch. Passive and extremely high-performance homebuilding considers the entire impact of the home on the landscape, including the reverse – the effect of the landscape...


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When you build a custom home to high-performance or passive home standards, one of the primary objectives is to lower the home’s heating and cooling costs. In traditional construction, heat loss through your walls, roof, and windows can drive up your heating bill. It might surprise you to learn that most heat loss is through the walls – about 35 percent! And, even though warm air rises, you're losing ten percent more heat through your walls than out your roof. The opposite holds true when temperatures outside are hot. A standard home will absorb heat through the walls at higher rates, even...


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From where you put your windows, to how you position your home on your lot, the right location is a significant consideration in high-efficiency homebuilding. To build a modern custom home at the highest end of energy conservation and comfort, a whole-house approach to design and systems function takes careful consideration and planning. Harnessing the sun, nature's most potent energy source, can be done in a way that is both incredibly cost-effective as well as aesthetically beautiful. By utilizing passive home building techniques, the sun becomes our ally in energy efficiency, environmental...


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Good custom home design is a perfect mix of needs, trends, and priorities. When you build a new home, you decide how you want to live, what you want to live with, and the price you’re willing to pay. Whether you’re into following closely or running away from, the hottest trends in home design, a custom homebuilder like Clarum Homes can bring your dream to life. One of the core benefits of building a new, modern home, is the high level of customization. We dived into what’s heating up in home design trends for 2018 and made some pleasant discoveries. Mainly, custom modern homes have...


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Arts & Crafts visionary William Morris said, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." Later, the founding father of "organic architecture” and a big fan of Morris, Frank Lloyd Wright, expanded on this idea, popularizing the now-familiar mantra "Form follows function.” To this day, modern home designs reflect Lloyd Wright's hallmark of ordered elegance. Why is modern home design so well suited to deliver high-performance efficiencies and superior design? Modern homes evoke timeless design complemented by cutting-edge technologies. Modern...


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When you build a custom home, one of the most important considerations is your family’s unique personality. Contemporary modern homes leave plenty of room for customization. At Clarum, we’ll work with you to design a custom home that not only fits your budget, but your lifestyle as well. The minimalistic and straightforward aesthetic of the modern home is easy to adapt to your family’s changing requirements. 1) Modern Homes Combine Beauty with Function A strong theme in modern home design is built-in functionality. Ample storage keeps things organized, and close at hand for busy families...


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There is a movement across the country toward building more sustainable, energy efficient and cost-effective homes. The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) leads a number of initiatives for homebuilders focusing on high-performance building techniques and materials. As an awareness of the value of high-performance building grows, we’re seeing these initiatives being adopted into local jurisdictions’ building codes. In California, a 2020 net zero energy goal pushes building codes closer to that goal at every price point – not just luxury homes. This awareness is driving...


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It may seem counter-intuitive, but better energy conservation efforts in residential construction have resulted in worsening indoor air quality in new homes. That’s because, in high-performance home construction, a tighter building envelope will keep the heat (or air conditioning) in – along with the environmental pollutants. More efficient furnaces and HVAC systems are still located in basements or other enclosed spaces. Stale air is continuously recycled throughout the home. In the winter, this effect is particularly aggravated. Your utility bill stays lower, but your indoor toxin exposure...


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Congratulations! You’ve already made a big step toward the health of your family, and the planet, by deciding to pursue sustainable, and environmentally friendly, construction methods and materials when building your new home. But there’s a catch. “Building green” is a trendy phrase right now. Unfortunately, it’s easy for less experienced (or ethical) builders to overlook, or not understand, the latest in high-performance and sustainable building processes or products. Choices made in design, materials, and construction techniques have a significant influence on the short and long-term...


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Your home can lead the way in environmental responsibility and stewardship – beautifully There’s no way to avoid the topic on everyone’s minds: climate change. In our current social and political environment, what to do about climate change can feel overwhelming. But the old adage remains the same, change begins at home. Or in Clarum’s case, with the home. For 23 years its been our mission to lead the way in building modern homes minimizing how construction impacts the environment. The result: beautiful and comfortable dwellings, respectful of the earth and its inhabitants. The EPA recommends...


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