When an electrical fire that started internally destroyed their home and everything in it, Jenn and Matt Fortin decided to rebuild stronger, safer, and more energy-efficient. “We determined pretty quickly that we did not want to build another log cabin because of how devastating that was,” says Matt. Instead, they decided to explore prefab options for their wooded property in the small town of Denmark, Maine, about an hour outside of Portland.

The couple, who were both born and raised in Maine, moved to the small town for Matt’s job as an engineer at a local manufacturing facility. The area gave them access to nature, allowing them to indulge their shared passion for hiking.

Matt had grown up in a high-performance home, so in addition to prefab, he was also interested in Passive House design. Jen, a nurse, saw the tragedy as an opportunity to look further down the road, especially since this would serve as her and Matt’s forever home. “We were in a situation we didn’t want to be in where we had to build a new house, so we decided to build for the future by going with just one level,” she says, acknowledging that in the years to come life would be easier without stairs to climb.

For their new design, the couple worked with Go Logic, a Maine architecture firm specializing in energy-efficient prefabs. On the same site where their house burned down, they erected a single-level, net-zero Passive House. So far, the update has been a revelation.

“It’s so comfortable,” says Jenn. “Inside, it’s 73 degrees in January, and the same in August. I mean, it’s great, but it’s a little bit weird!” She admits it’s taken some time to get used to adjusting her wardrobe. “I pulled out all my winter clothes last fall, and put them away again in the spring having never worn them.”

The home’s air-tight construction, emphasis on insulation (the walls’ overall R-value is 45 and the roof reaches 70, very good numbers for the area), and triple-glazed Kneer Sud windows keep the interior temperature balanced without using much energy. An energy recovery ventilator runs constantly to bring fresh air into the otherwise sealed home.

In fact, all the power required to run the residence—including heating, cooling, ventilation, appliances, lighting, and utilities—is covered by net-metered solar panels, a system connected to the city grid that credits Jen and Matt for any energy they don’t use. (The garage, however, ends up costing the couple around $600 yearly).

The up-front costs to achieve those energy savings were well worth its, says Matt, but the benefits of a Passive House go beyond the budget: “It’s the comfort—the temperature, air quality, and uniformity. It’s hard to appreciate until you actually live in one.”

Matt and Jenn used two of Go Logic’s existing prefab plans to fashion their new space, a 90-foot-long rectangle with a breezeway separating the main house from the garage/workshop. “They creatively took a floor plan from our 1,000-square-foot design and put it into the envelope of our 1,100-square-foot plan,” says Alan Gibson, principal of the firm. “We reworked the interior to look more like the smaller model, but the exterior stayed the same.”

Floor-to-ceiling windows welcome the forest surrounding into the home, and a large, open-plan living space with high ceilings provides an atmosphere of spaciousness while still feeling cozy. A primary bedroom, office, guest room/media room, and mudroom round out the plan. “The mudroom is great,” says Jenn. “Everyone should have one.”

“It’s hard to appreciate the comfort a Passive House provides until you actually live in one.”
—Matt Fortin, resident

sideboard and coffee table at Motive, a furniture store in Portland, Maine, that sells refinished vintage midcentury pieces. The chair is from a local store, Jordan Furniture, the speakers are by Audioengine, and the turntable is U-Turn Audio made in Boston." layout="bleed" credit="Sarah Szwajkos Photography" photoUserId=""/>

Because building a Passive House is more expensive—on average about 10 percent more, according to Gibson—the couple did have to make some sacrifices with the design. “We looked at having an angled porch that wrapped around somewhat to avoid the ‘strip mall’ look, but that was not in the budget,” says Jenn, adding that they also would have liked one more room. Going with all Ikea furniture in the bedroom meant they could afford the range hood in the kitchen, a duct-free model by Vent-A-Hood that doesn’t compromise the home’s envelope but does deal with spicy odors from Matt’s cooking.

While they relax with a fresh beer from Allagash, a Portland brewery , listen to Duran Duran on vinyl, and breath in purified, perfectly temperate air on even the most inhospitable winter days, they know they made the right choice with their second chance at a forever home.

More from Go Logic:

Jens Risom’s Legacy Lives On at His Son’s Block Island Prefab

This Nearly Net-Zero Prefab Home Is an Environmentalist’s Dream Come True

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A Passive House in Maine Is One Couple’s New Start After Losing Everything in a Fire