Summary: This modern, green home is designed as the homeowners vacation property to replace a seasonal residence that was originally built in 1958.  The new construction 2000 SF, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home features a roof deck, lake view, outdoor kitchen, and green roof.  The Energy Star-rated home also received a LEED for Homes GOLD certification from the US Green Building Council.

The Design Challenge:  The design challenge was to replace the original building with one that reflected the client’s modern sensibilities, embodied the client’s environmental philosophy, and provided modern-day amenities for the client’s planned retirement and full-time relocation to the property.  The following design solutions were developed:

Modern Design for a Retirement Retreat: The home’s modern exterior is composed of three forms delineated by both geometry and material. The first floor consists of the Red box, which features the kitchen, living room, breakfast nook, and the Orange Box, which features the first floor bedrooms and full bath.  The second floor Cedar Box houses the master suite and study.  The Cedar Box’s cantilevered placement over the orange box and its roofline optimally shade southern windows (read more about window shading below).  The relationship between the orange and red forms allows for a front entry that leads directly to the lake front deck. This well-traveled path is delineated in tile for additional durability while the rest of the living spaces feature bamboo flooring. The site’s autumnal color palette inspired the vibrant red and orange façade colors while the Cape Cod location influenced the shiplapped cedar siding.

Environment and Energy: The client’s environmental philosophy is reflected in the design’s commitment to energy efficiency.  The high performance building envelope consists of spray foam insulation and rigid insulation, which provide a tight wall free of thermal bridging.  Further, the home is designed for passive solar heating: the Cedar Box’s roof overhang shades southern glass from unwanted heat gains from the high summer sun, but admits warming rays from the lower winter sun.  The south-facing windows in the Red Box are shaded by mature deciduous trees that provide shade in the summer and sun in the winter when their leaves have fallen.

The home’s HVAC system provides exceptional performance with a high efficiency condensing boiler and radiant floor heating.  Indoor air quality is maintained with an allergen filtration system and a heat recovery ventilator, which provides fresh air but minimizes energy losses by exchanging heat between incoming and outgoing air streams.  Finally, the home’s photovoltaic panels offset one-third of the home’s electricity use. These efforts yield a score of 39 on Energy Star’s HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Index, which means the home uses 60% less energy than a code-built equivalent home.

Indoor/Outdoor Living: The client’s expressed love of sitting outdoors and bird watching provoked two outdoor living spaces—a covered porch on the first floor and a second floor roof deck.  The porch is an extension of the living room and dining room, both of which connect via large glass sliders.  The second floor roof deck features a roof garden built to provide green vegetation at eye level when seated, an outdoor kitchen and grill, and unobstructed views of the surrounding tree tops for bird watching.

Universal Design for Retirement Living: Though the client plans to use the master suite upon retirement, the home’s first floor bedrooms and ADA bathroom are well-suited for accessibility as the client ages.

Sustainable Materials: The home features many sustainable materials including bamboo flooring, recycled tile, quartz countertops, fiber-cement and cedar siding, FSC-certified decking, reclaimed decking, and low-VOC paints & adhesives.