The challenge of this project was to fit a modern sustainable home on an infill lot within a traditional, tract-built suburban subdivision. All of the neighboring houses have a strong presence parallel with the street. Unfortunately, this orientation is about 45 degrees off of the ideal north/south solar orientation. The proposed solution orients portions of the house parallel to the street to offer that presence and respect for the neighborhood, while the main living area orients on the north/south axis to provide ample windows for daylighting and passive heating/cooling. The south-facing roofline also allows for the possibility of future solar panels along the backside of the house. The resultant intersection of the two axes makes for a dynamic design in the interior of the home, manifesting itself in elements such as the main staircase. These angles are also exploited on the exterior in the form of a material change to cedar rainscreen siding where one-story bays along the street axis break through the two-story solar-oriented volume.
Interior flexibility is generated through rolling custom bookcases which divide the vaulted living area and library/music room. The library can be an intimate space for reading, or with the bookcases slid away, the entire area can be opened to incorporate the piano into a large space for entertaining.