Bellwether on Main: Comfort, Resilience, Passive House; an AAC building

About this place

Note: This is a duplex; I will be switching from renting the west building to the east on or about 12/2/2025. The layout is slightly different yet the comfort is identical. Only one bedroom shown is available on 11/14 and for a few days afterwards; I moved a mattress, but the new mattress I ordered didn't arrive. I can provide another room if you are flexible.

Experience the extraordinary comfort of a certified Passive House in the heart of Hillsdale's historic hamlet. The property, which looks out on the Taconic Mountains, is nestled between the Berkshires and the Hudson Valley. Ten miles from Great Barrington MA and sixteen miles to Hudson, NY. The shops and restaurants in Hillsdale are in walking distance.

Similar to Dan's previous Woodstock Passive House, this is built with autoclaved aerated concrete. AAC, developed in Sweden in the 1920s, is a mainstay of construction worldwide. Dan's work has been in the press as buildings ready for climate change.
Search “AAC Passive House” for multiple articles.
The space
Two guest rooms have queen beds and share a full bathroom; there is also a first floor bathroom with a shower. Enjoy the kitchen, open space living and dining rooms, screened porch (temporarily with bags of mortar at one end), and front porch. Toilets have bidet seats. Induction and convection range; energy recovery ventilation for pollen-free indoor air. All electric home; fossil fuel free. A home that looks historic and is surrounded by nineteenth century buildings yet is a home of the future.
Guest access
All spaces except the primary suite and office; owner vacates during rental periods.
During your stay
Dan (builder and owner) lives in an adjoining home, so is readily available. We can interact if you'd like; some come especially to learn about how this home was built. Yet it is ideal for anyone who'd like to experience a peaceful, healthy indoor environment.
Other things to note
This property provides exceptional comfort, ideal for any guest. It is also an ideal experience for architects, engineers, builders, and code officials, plus anyone considering building a home or larger scale commercial property. This creates an energy efficient, healthy indoor environment, free of common toxins. Or just come for a peaceful stay in a town near many NY and MA cultural, historic, and scenic amenities (Tanglewood, Jacobs Pillow, Catamount Ski Resort, and many more).