The Gross family built for the long haul — a home in Hamilton, Michigan designed to serve them for decades, with zero-step entrances and single-level living planned for aging in place from the first sketch. R-Value Homes and designer Eric Hughes wrapped that longevity in serious building science.
Insulated concrete form construction and careful detailing brought the home to a HERS Index of 11, needing just under 3,000 kWh of electricity a year — comfortably covered by its 5.92 kW solar array. A single air-source heat pump system handles heating, cooling, and hot water, while continuous heat-recovery ventilation delivers 45 CFM of fresh air around the clock. Battery backup keeps essentials running through outages.
The home certified under GreenStar with three badges: Zero Energy Ready, Electrified Living, and Peak Load Shaver.
At a glance
- HERS 11 — under 3,000 kWh/year, covered by 5.92 kW of solar
- Air-source heat pump for heating, cooling, and hot water; continuous HRV at 45 CFM
- Zero-step entrances and aging-in-place design with ICF resilience and battery backup
Built by R-Value Homes (Jake Vierzen) · Design by Eric Hughes, Image Design
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This project followed the same published checklist available to everyone. See where your home stands, or register with the GreenHome Institute.