After living in a boat and a tree house over the years, Peter and Jan Hackett were yearning for something more permanent. Ready to retire and itching to move from Washington State back to Oregon, where they had raised their two kids, the Hacketts decided to build a new house from the ground up. After tackling a series of renovation projects in various homes over the years, the couple knew they could handle the build—especially with Peter’s decades of experience in construction. First they selected a parcel of high desert land near Bend, then the couple asked architect Brandon Dean, who had gone to college with their son and recently launched his own firm, dean_works, to design a fire-resistant, energy-efficient home that felt like a natural fit for the property. Eventually, Dean and the Hacketts landed on concrete for their material of choice. For our Money issue, the trio put together a #ConstructionDiary that shares exactly how they pulled off the project—including their six years sp...