Ken Wilson’s Park Meadows residence received the 2026 Metropolis Planet Positive Award for single-family homes at a September ceremony in San Francisco.
Metropolis, an architecture and interior design magazine, recognizes projects focused on sustainability, health and well-being.
The home, designed by Wilson and built by PJ Builders, was completed in 2024, and honored for its innovative design this year.
Wilson said he believes it is the first fully electric, net-zero energy residence in Park City proper.
“I was always a little surprised that in an area like Park City, that there aren't more houses like mine that try to take on this idea of, you know, what if you could do a net-zero energy house that was, you know, designed around health and wellness,” Wilson said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour.”
Wilson has focused on sustainable design for nearly three decades. His firm designed the headquarters for the World Wildlife Fund, the Audubon Society and Greenpeace.
He also helped develop the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, a global green building rating system.
Wilson said his experience helped him build a house with heavy insulation, solar panels, triple-glazed windows and a ground-source heating system.
He said some of those features can increase upfront construction costs.
“A lot of things that you do in a net-zero house do cost a little more because it’s a higher quality,” he said.
But he said lower energy costs can help offset that investment over time.
“If you’re not paying energy bills for the next 30 years, you can apply that back to whatever you spent,” Wilson said.
Wilson said he hopes the project can serve as a model for other homeowners considering high-performance construction.
