Credit: Jim Tetro/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Reading for work today, I came across some words to live by while building our house:

“…and make sure you have two year’s worth of self-reliance, resilience, teamwork and community spirit to make it all happen.”

Jack Byrne of Middlebury College is describing his students’ experience designing and building a house for the Solar Decathlon. I post his story on my client’s website and reflect on my reaction: (1) I am twice the age of those students but I share the excitement of a project that stretches my limits and is actually good for people and the planet; (2) like them, I am both giddy and geeky when I talk about our Passive House; (3) I need a boost of their energy and spirit.  As we start to build this house, I will start to build community.