Project Details
Project Description
There has been a trend toward empty nesters moving from the suburbs back to the urban amenities and proximity to amenities the suburbs do not offer. This house is in a historic neighborhood a short walk from a grocery store, grade school, a community center and the cultural vibrancy of downtown Lawrence, Kansas. The unassuming gable form of the 3 bed, 2.5 bath 1,850 sf house runs the length of a narrow corner lot and opens away from the traffic of 13th street to its north while promoting passive solar gain and day-lighting through large high performance triple pane windows along its south elevation. The standing seam roof, the half round gutters and the minimal trim detailing are all done to emphasize the visually rich texture of the Alaskan yellow cedar shingles siding and to maximize the impact of the universal building form and its minimal composition. The plan consists of a large, open living area that is anchored by a kitchen designed for serious cooking as well as entertainment. The ceiling extends all the way to the peak of the gable and the 18” deep walls open to a bios wale that runs the length of the south side of the house to capture storm water and supports a variety of native plants. The rest of the first floor is composed of smaller bedrooms and flexible use spaces, while upstairs there is a master bedroom suite that includes a balcony-like office with a view down into the living area. This house uses no energy to operate, requires minimal resources to maintain, uses materials that required minimal resources to harvest and it offers the owner the opportunity to use alternative modes of transportation and to be part of a long standing neighborhood and its amenities. The house is a Certified Passive House and LEED Platinum with a HERS rating of 0.
