Sixth Street Passive House

Collaborators

What Makes this home Green?

This project, in collaboration with [bundle] design studio, has been in the works for several years, beginning with extensive site preparation in 2024 and the construction phase kicking off in December 2025. Our clients wanted to build a new single-family home with a DADU on a lot they purchased in Fairhaven, with the intention of building it to Passive House Institute U.S. (Phius) standards.

There was a home on the site, built c. 1900, that was moved by Whatcom House Movers just a few blocks away. The design team then worked around the significant trees to create a feasible building plan. This cleared the path for True Bearing Built’s client’s to build their dream house from the ground up. The priority has always been to build a sustainable, high-performance home, and though they don’t wish pursue final certification at this time, the benchmarks for quality already established by Phius align neatly with their goals and ours.

Some key strategies we’ll use to reach our performance goals are triple-pane VETTA windows, a Zehnder energy-recovery ventilation system, a well-sealed building envelope, and robust insulation throughout. The home and DADU will also be solar-ready.

By moving the existing home and making space for an additional single-family home and DADU, we’ve done a small part to increase density in this neighborhood without fundamentally altering its character, and without adding demolition waste to a landfill. And most importantly, the new structures will be built to last and perform to the highest standards for generations to come.

Constructed Date: December 2025 – Current

Primary Residence: 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms

Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit: 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom 

Area: The primary residence (a single-family home) is 3,754 sq ft, and the DADU is 748 sq ft

Features