The Design . . .

The philosophy behind the plan is based on simple forms not only to enforce the modern aesthetic, but also for performance as well. The ratio of length to width was derived from basic principles of passive solar design, daylighting, and energy efficiency. The size and layout of the design comes from the way we live (and the way we wished we lived!) We designed the home to work for our every-day activities, while improving on all of the faults we find in our current home. There are no unnecessary spaces such as formal living rooms or formal dining rooms and the overall square footage (2,289 sf) was kept to be compact, efficient, and functional in order to reduce the materials and resources needed to build the home. The entire public area of the first floor is one open space - encompassing the two-story Great Room, and the Dining area, Laundry, and Powder Room. The openness of the plan makes it feel more spacious, while the narrowness allows for the entire space to be filled with natural light. The garage, halls, closets, and stair were added to the north side to buffer the living spaces from the winter winds, while keeping the most used spaces to the south.

The second floor enforces the idea of simplicity and efficiency. Two bedrooms and a third to be used as a playroom encompass most of the second floor. A simple shared bath serves the second floor. An additional loft-space will house the home office and sitting area overlooking the Great Room. Bedroom windows combined with the row of windows in the hall facilitate cross-ventilation. Ample storage space was a requirement for our growing family, and was incorporated into the sleeping areas.

The east elevation below shows the first view of the house as you approach from the driveway. The windows on this elevation are minimal and allow only for daylighting and ventilation in the bedrooms on the east end of the house. The simple forms and materials are evident immediately, and the dramatic features of the south side are hidden from view
The south elevation seen below is the most striking. From this elevation, you see the series of windows to enable passive solar gain throughout the Great Room, Dining Room, and Kitchen. This elevation also gives you the full effect of the various exterior materials. The solar hot water heating panels will be installed on the east end of the roof, while the solar electric (PV - photovoltaic) panels will eventually be installed on the western end of the roof. This entire south facing roof will collect rainwater and send it via downspouts and underground piping to the underground cistern. The water will then be piped back into the house to be used in the washing machine, for flushing toilets, and to out to hose bibs on the exterior of the house for use in washing cars and watering landscaping.