Your Family's Sanctuary, Built for a Lifetime
I design off-grid homes from the ground up — floor plans, energy systems, water, and thermal envelope. I've done it for my own family. Now I do it for yours.
A home designed around how your family actually lives
I believe a home should earn its place in your life — acoustically quiet, thermally stable, energy independent, and built to last. My approach comes from personal experience: I designed and built my own off-grid home, working through every system and tradeoff firsthand. That knowledge is what I bring to your project.
Acoustic Serenity
Thoughtfully designed HVAC and building envelope systems that eliminate mechanical noise and outside intrusion — because a quiet home is a calm home.
Thermal Permanence
Continuous air barriers, thermal bridge elimination, and insulation strategies sized for your climate — so your home holds temperature without working hard.
What I Design
Residential Home Design
Floor plans, elevations, wall sections, 3D renderings, and permit-ready drawing sets — designed around how your family actually moves through space, with aesthetics built to last decades, not trends.
Property Layout
Every site has a best answer for solar orientation, privacy, drainage, and indoor-outdoor connection. I find it and design for it.
Energy Efficiency
Passive solar orientation, airtight construction, and right-sized mechanical systems — a home that stays comfortable without working against the climate it sits in. I spent more time on air sealing in my own home than on any other system. The results speak for themselves.
Off-Grid Design
Solar array sizing, battery storage, water systems, and backup power — designed as a unified whole, not bolted on as an afterthought. I've lived off-grid full time since 2023. I live off-grid with a family of nine. I know what the numbers need to look like in January.
I spent 13 years making sure complex systems didn't fail.
In software, defects are cheapest to fix in the design phase. The further into development you get, the more expensive a fundamental problem becomes. Some can't be fixed at all without starting over.
Houses work exactly the same way. As a build progresses, less and less can be changed — and every change costs more. The framing stage is not the time to reconsider your wall assembly. The HVAC rough-in is not the time to rethink your air sealing strategy.
I ask a lot of questions early. I push you to make decisions before anything is built, when changing your mind costs nothing. My clients still face choices during the build — but far fewer of them, and none of the fundamental ones. That's what makes the build go smoothly.
Decisions made upfront cost nothing
Every decision you make before breaking ground is free. Every decision you make mid-framing costs time, money, and stress. I front-load the hard thinking so you don't have to.
I stay involved through the build
Most general contractors don't have experience building high-performance homes. I stay available to answer their questions, review critical details, and keep the framer and HVAC team on plan. You can work with a contractor you trust — as long as they'll follow the drawings.
I've navigated the permitting process
I went through full county permitting for an off-grid home in a jurisdiction that had never reviewed one. I know how to work with county employees, read ordinances, and get to approval — even when the path isn't clear.
Ready to build your sanctuary?
I take on a limited number of projects each year to ensure every client receives my full attention. I am currently accepting a limited number of projects for delivery in Fall 2026 — tell me about your land and what you're imagining.
Phone
435-562-5964
tyler@rencherdesign.com
Studio
Spring City, Utah
Message sent.
I'll be in touch within a day or two. Looking forward to hearing more about your project.
Something went wrong. Please try again or email me directly at tyler@rencherdesign.com.