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An exposed beam runs the length of the vaulted ceiling, and clerestory windows illuminate the minimalist kitchen, which features wire-brushed white oak and limestone countertops.

New windows frame desert views and allow light to stream into the open-plan living, dining, and kitchen areas. Custom millwork offers streamlined storage at the window.

All paints and oils used throughout the home have low VOCs, and there are rainwater storage tanks and a solar system outside.

All paints and oils used throughout the home have low VOCs, and there are rainwater storage tanks and a solar system outside. Double-glazed windows were used throughout the home.

Architect Robert Swinburne deploys a collaborative building approach and hyperlocal materials to craft a Passive House–certified home that celebrates the land it’s built on.

The Vermont land where this 1,300-square-foot home, designed by Robert Swinburne, sits was previously used for harvesting maple sap to make syrup, so it was entirely free of underbrush and only the best trees remained when the new owner bought it to build a home. "It felt like a park,

While Swinburne and the builder focused on local materials for sustainability purposes, using timber harvest from the site and milled locally also cut down on costs.

The interior is kept clean and pure, making it easy for the owner to live in, and creating a contrast with the "rough and shaggy

The project exemplifies Swinburne’s architectural philosophy, which follows Vermont’s history of back-to-the-landers coming together and using materials provided by the landscape to build homes.

Because the home is a passive house, the wood stove is "totally extraneous

The preserved grove of Redwoods is just past the house. “They loved the house that was there so much that, it was important to create something that wasn't trying to replace it, but would function for them in a different way,” says Boyer. Thus, this cabin reconnects the couple to the land, and gives them “that place of refuge” they need in nature.

A long, linear window brings light into the Heath Ceramics tile-covered shower, which is curbless, so as to accommodate aging-in-place.

A plastered fireplace column acts as a divider between the living spaces and the single bedroom.