A home built in Beaverdam Valley, built by Rare Earth Builders, strikes the elusive balance between work and play. It produces on site all the power it needs to operate and in the future will produce much of the food — meat, eggs, vegetables and fruits — its occupants will need to thrive. It also sports a brass fire pole and a hidden room for a children’s getaway.

The 2,000 square foot home of Val Lamberti and Mark Bondurant, completed in July 2012, is an efficient home and employs some of the latest building and energy technologies to make it a very green home. It will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3 and 10.

The metal standing seam roof supports a 4.8-kilowatt solar array and will also be used to gather rainwater for irrigation. A ground-based high efficiency ...