Every project starts with a family and a piece of land.
I take on a small number of projects each year to ensure every client receives my full attention. Each project documented here tells a complete story — the land, the family, the constraints, the decisions, and the result. My own home is the first entry, and the most honest one I'll ever write.
The Rencher Residence
My family's full-time home. Designed entirely by me, built on 40 acres outside Spring City, Utah with no existing utilities — no power line, no water, no sewer. My wife and I with our 7 children live here every day. Two of my children were born in this house.
Location
Spring City, Utah
Sanpete Valley
Land
40 acres
No utilities at purchase
Occupants
9 full-time
2 born in the home
Completed
2023
Full permit, county AHJ
The Rencher residence immediately after occupancy permit issued.
The Challenge
The land had no legal road access when we purchased it — the county maintained the road but held no easement. We had to acquire half the road surface from our neighbor before we could do anything else. That was before we broke ground.
The property sits at an elevation with cold winters, significant wind, and a building department that wasn't familiar with off-grid systems. My wife wanted normal appliances, comfortable indoor temperatures year-round, and large windows. Getting that on solar and battery storage requires doing the analysis correctly — not optimistically.
The Design Focus
Air sealing above all else
Continuous air barriers at every penetration, rim joist, top plate, and window opening — no gaps, no shortcuts. In winter, the floor and ceiling temperatures in this house are nearly identical. That's what getting the invisible work right looks like.
Off-grid system sized for January
Solar array and battery storage sized for winter load — not average annual production. A system that works in July but fails in January isn't a system. Nine people depend on this one every day.
Full permitting through an unfamiliar process
The county was not familiar with off-grid electrical systems. We went through the full permitting process from the beginning — educating the reviewers, responding to questions, and reaching approval without shortcuts.
"I don't have the option of shipping a new version. My family lives there. That's why I treat every decision as if it's permanent — because it is."
Home Systems at a Glance
Solar
Full array sized for winter load profile in combination with generator power. Grid-independent since completion.
Battery
Bank sized to run for days — not one summer night.
Water
Full water system design. Municipal connection was never an option — the system had to work independently.
HVAC
Standard forced-air with load-calculated sizing. Thermal envelope does the heavy lifting — equipment runs quietly in the background.
Two projects currently in design and build.
These projects will be documented here as they complete. I take on a limited number of engagements at a time — the work gets the attention it deserves, or I don't take it on.
Photography in progress
North Sanpete County Residence
A high-performance home design for a family relocating from the Wasatch Front to rural Sanpete County. The project involves a full High-Performance drawing package — air sealing details, load-calculated HVAC, detailed electrical and cabinet plans — plus plan submittal through the county AHJ.
Service
High-Performance
Status
Design phase
Completion
2026
Photography in progress
Off-Grid Family Residence
A full off-grid design engagement for a family purchasing rural land without utility access. The project includes High-Performance drafting plus a standalone Off-Grid System Design — load profile analysis, solar array sizing for winter-worst-case, battery bank and generator integration, and water system design.
Service
High-Perf + Off-Grid
Status
Drawing phase
Completion
2026
I don't list projects I haven't completed, and I don't pad a portfolio with work that doesn't represent what I actually do. These two entries will be documented in full when construction wraps and photography is available. Until then, my own home is the most complete case study I can offer — and the most honest one, because I live with every decision it contains.
A small portfolio is a deliberate choice.
Some design practices take on as many projects as they can staff. I take on as many projects as I can give my full attention — which is a meaningfully smaller number. Each project I work on gets the same thinking I gave my own home: thorough discovery, careful design, and availability through the build.
If you've worked with a designer who handed you a set of drawings and disappeared, you already know what the alternative looks like. I stay involved. The framer and HVAC subcontractors are the two trades most likely to deviate from the plan — and the two trades I watch most closely.
Currently accepting Fall 2026 starts
I have capacity for a limited number of new projects this year. If your timeline aligns, the first conversation is free.
Drawing work is available remotely
I work with clients across Utah and beyond by video call. Discovery, design, and drawing delivery are all fully remote-capable. Project management and site visits are limited to North Sanpete County.
The first conversation is always free
A 30–45 minute conversation to see whether we're a good fit — for both of us. No obligation, no sales pitch.
Ready to talk about your project?
Tell me about your land, your family, and what you're imagining. The first conversation is free.
Begin Your Project