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Bellwether: Passive Plus

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Dining
Exterior
Interior
Property grounds
Interior

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

2 bedrooms2 bathrooms

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

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Hillsdale, NY
  • Catamount Aerial Adventure Park
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Catamount Ski Area
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Taconic State Park
    ‪6 min drive‬
  • Pittsfield, MA (PSF-Pittsfield Municipal)
    ‪45 min drive‬

Room options

About the area

Hillsdale

In Hillsdale .You'll be within half a mile (1 km) of Hillsdale Town Hall and 2 miles (3 km) of Community Library with a stay here. Catamount Aerial Adventure Park and Catamount Ski Area are also within 3 miles (5 km).

What's nearby

  • Hillsdale Town Hall - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Catamount Aerial Adventure Park - 4 min drive - 4.7 km
  • Catamount Ski Area - 5 min drive - 5.7 km
  • Taconic State Park - 6 min drive - 7.8 km
  • Copake Lake - 10 min drive - 12.9 km

Getting around

  • Hudson Station - 25 min drive
  • Hudson, NY (HCC-Columbia County) - 23 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Four Brothers Pizza Inn - ‬13 min walk
  • ‪Roe Jan Brewing Co. - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Copake Country Club - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Dad's Copake Diner - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Mosquito - ‬10 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Bellwether: Passive Plus

About this place
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 is 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).

Similar properties

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Parking on site

Bedrooms

  • 2 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Bidet
  • Hair dryer
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Outdoor areas

  • Garden
  • Porch/lanai

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • Welcoming dogs only
  • One pet total

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Smoking not allowed

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Safety features

  • No carbon monoxide detector or gas appliances (host has indicated there are no carbon monoxide detectors or gas appliances on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher

General

  • Garden

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Check-out instructions

The host requires you complete the following before checking out:
Gather used towels
Remove personal items and remove leftover food and drinks
Lock the doors and return the keys
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Rules

This entire property is smoke free.

Pets

  • Pets are welcome
  • Only dogs are allowed
  • Maximum 1 pets
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there are no carbon monoxide detectors or gas appliances on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a private host, not a professional engaged in trade or business. This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children. If you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room. Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited. For guests' safety, the property includes a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector in each accommodation.

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

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 1 out of 1 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 1 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 1 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 1 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 1 reviews

8.0/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Uldis S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Though we arrived early, we were quickly welcomed to this unique building and given a tour by the owner. All the amenities from a freezer for the ice cream and a compost tin for the watermelon. The house is surrounded by a small meadow of brown eyed susans, a screened in porch and plants galore. The general layout was comfortable with an open area for kitchen, dining room, and living room. Two bathrooms, one for each floor including bidets. Beds were comfortable with new sheets and quilts warmly lit with lamps. Evidently, there was a wee bit of miscommunication and so it was a little warm in the bedrooms. I'm so short, I had a little difficulty with the bed being quite high. The area was full of restaurants and loads of things to do and see.... everything perfect for a girls weekend or even better a two week vacation. Enjoy!me
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025