Amaris Homes built this 3,734-square-foot custom home in Afton, Minnesota, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.

A sheltered patio provides a cool inviting outdoor retreat. The patio is surfaced with pavers to reduce the amount of impervious surfaces around the home.

The aerosol-spray-sealed metal ducting for the high-efficiency 9.8 HSPF/16 SEER air-source heat pump is located completely within the home’s conditioned space and lends a modern design element to the home’s great room.

The double-paned, argon-filled, vinyl-framed windows have nearly invisible low-emissivity coatings to let in light but block heat transfer.

All of the home’s plumbing fixtures meet the EPA’s WaterSense criteria for water savings.

The home’s slab-on-grade foundation is wrapped in a blanket of rigid foam extending completely under the slab and along the edges.

Closed-cell spray foam fills the rafter bays of the home’s vaulted ceilings and provides a 2-inch layer of air sealing and insulating protection under 12 inches of blown cellulose on the flat-ceilinged portions of the home.

The 2-by-6, 24-inch on-center walls of the home are filled with R-21 closed-cell spray foam then wrapped with 7⁄16-inch plywood and topped with R-5.5 rigid foam for a continuous layer of thermal protection. House wrap provides an air barrier and drainage plane under the engineered wood siding.

A ductless heat pump provides supplemental heating and cooling in the bonus space.

The utility room houses the home’s high-efficiency gas boiler, which supplies hot water for the floor heating system and faucets, as well as the home’s central air source heat pump and energy recovery ventilator fresh air system.