3406 Benjamin St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

Description

German Engineered Carbon Neutral - A rare opportunity to own one of the most significant high-performance homes ever offered in Minnesota. Designed and built by an architect - as his personal residence, Good Energy Haus is a certified Passive House Plus residence — a climate-neutral urban home inspired by the rigorous German Passivhaus standard and engineered for a buyer who values architecture, sustainability, energy independence, and exceptional design.
This is not simply a modern home with “green features.” This is a fully realized performance-driven residence created for someone deeply invested in low-carbon living, superior indoor environmental quality, aging in place, and the future of resilient housing. It is cool and sophisticated.
Certified Passive House Plus, the home uses approximately 90% less energy for heating and significantly less overall energy than a conventional home while producing renewable energy onsite through a 12kW solar array. The result is a climate-neutral, all-electric home with dramatically reduced operating costs and exceptional year-round comfort, utility billing has effectively functioned as a “zero-sum game.”
The building envelope is engineered to a level rarely seen in residential construction, testing at approximately 0.22 ACH50 airtightness — roughly 13 times tighter than Minnesota code requirements. Super insulated double-stud walls, dense-pack cellulose insulation, thermal bridge-free detailing, and Passive House-certified triple-pane German windows work together to create an interior environment that is quiet, healthy, and extraordinarily stable.
Natural light pours through high-performance tilt-turn windows with automated exterior shading systems designed to optimize passive solar gain and seasonal comfort. This perfectly placed southern exposure maximizes the indoor experience. The minimalist architecture balances warmth and precision with cork flooring, custom casework, and carefully curated modern detailing throughout, including zero entry and barrier free living.
The entire home is fossil-fuel free and powered by advanced cold-climate mechanical systems, including Mitsubishi heat pumps, Zehnder whole-house energy recovery ventilation, intelligent humidity control, wastewater heat recovery, induction cooking, smart home automation, and integrated energy monitoring systems. Fresh filtered air is continuously supplied throughout the home, supporting low CO2 levels, reduced VOCs, humidity control, and enhanced indoor air quality.
Thoughtfully designed for durability and resiliency, the home also incorporates rain gardens, reinforced shelter space, insulated slab construction, smart exterior shading controls, and highly efficient all-electric systems throughout. Every component was intentionally selected to support long-term performance, comfort, and sustainability.
For the buyer seeking architecture with purpose — a home that reflects environmental values without compromising luxury, design, or livability — Good Energy Haus represents an extraordinarily rare offering in the American housing market.