Project Details
Project Description
Owner fell in love with a 775 acre, hilltop site for her hunting lodge-style dream house. The views are expansive and exquisite, but the site is remote and subject to frequent storms resulting in extended power outages. Every project has at its heart the people who created it from the owner's desires and vision to the architect, engineers and consultants, contractor and tradesmen who painstakingly made it real. Using our design/build process, everyone on the project was involved in intense collaboration from the outset. We were able to anticipate and understand the constraints of the project, avoid otherwise inevitable pitfalls, and build the house that uniquely reflects the owner’s personality and intentions. This process directly contributed to the success of the project. Objectives: • Green and zero-net energy. • Feel very spacious and light. • Strong connection between interior/exterior spaces. • Enjoy the outdoors while staying protected from the weather. Challenges • Remote site with frequent power outages. Needed self-sufficient energy systems. • House is big. Owner’s aesthetic requirements conflicted with building green/sustainably. • Combined control of the heating, cooling, lighting and power systems was highly complex and novel involving many subcontractors and consultants. Solutions Spaciousness achieved by high ceilings, recurring Gothic arch motif, stone, wood columns, suede-finished clay plaster walls, large windows and bi-fold glass doors. Integrating with the surrounds: • Deliberate placement of native boulders and stonework at the base of the walls, floors and fireplaces. • Outside living spaces feature extensive bi-fold doors. • Broad, unenclosed porches provide ample shelter from the elements. Other than three propane-fueled fireplaces and stove, the zero-net energy goal was met and achieved with a grid-intertied photovoltaic system with battery backup and a propane-fired generator. All space and water heating and cooling systems are non-carbon fueled. Integrated controls for all power systems is operated and monitored from the owner’s iPad.
