Origami-Loft House
This 3,300 square foot home blends artistry of light and space with sensitivity to site and context. The challenge was to reflect the owner’s desire for an energy-efficient, modern home that would respect a traditional neighborhood. A further challenge was to maximize the use of space on a small suburban lot. The design concept was to create an origami-like layout, using geometric folds to reveal separate rooms that overall shape an open space.
To achieve these goals, the home presents a demure facade to the street while the rear explodes into dramatic curves and cascading volumes. A sloped roof adds a more traditional silhouette. To maximize the use of space, the floorplan bisects the small, square-shaped site; it elongates the home on the east/west axis, incorporating passive solar techniques.
Daylighting
Natural light follows the owners as they occupy the house throughout the day. Morning spaces are all oriented towards the east; evening spaces, the west. Every room opens to the outdoors. Transom windows and interior glass partitions purposely scoop daylight into the home, including closets. Smart House technology was implemented using a Lutron lighting control system.
Spatial Fluidity
The owners wanted an open plan with a simple palette, allowing the same materials to flow throughout the home. Essential lighting, mid-century modern pieces and clean-lined furniture keep visual clutter to a minimum. At its height, the ceiling reaches to 24’ making the house feel larger then it is.
Sitescape
The owners envisioned an outdoor space that would allow them to enjoy the life cycles of the elements. The challenge was to blend the casualness of a true native Florida garden with the modern origami-inspired architecture. The crisp lines and bold hardscape textures and colors act as an interlude between the soft, seemingly unstructured flora and the sharp white building and walls. An edible garden, butterfly and larva attractants, and wildflower mixture allow the owners to experience the seasonal evolution of their landscape while recycled hardscape materials provide the access for observation.
Sustainability
As smart design proceeds in a sustainable fashion, the Origami-Loft House intermingles the design parti with environmentally-friendly strategies.
Energy-efficient mechanisms employed by the home include: photovoltaic arrays produce 21-26 kilowatt hours a day; a 40 gallon passive solar water heating system; solar-powered lap pool; insulated low-E windows; and the E-wall (Efficient-Wall) System. ENERGY STAR appliances, soy-based insulation, dual-flush toilets, and green products (tile, flooring, countertops, and cabinets) are also incorporated.
The landscape is certified Florida-friendly and uses Waterwise irrigation techniques. An eco-fountain separates the front porch from the street, both visually and through white noise, running solely on collected rainwater harvested from the roof and stored in a cistern. The fountain automatically shuts off during drought times.
The result has been certified a Florida Green Home by the Florida Green Building Coalition.
To achieve these goals, the home presents a demure facade to the street while the rear explodes into dramatic curves and cascading volumes. A sloped roof adds a more traditional silhouette. To maximize the use of space, the floorplan bisects the small, square-shaped site; it elongates the home on the east/west axis, incorporating passive solar techniques.
Daylighting
Natural light follows the owners as they occupy the house throughout the day. Morning spaces are all oriented towards the east; evening spaces, the west. Every room opens to the outdoors. Transom windows and interior glass partitions purposely scoop daylight into the home, including closets. Smart House technology was implemented using a Lutron lighting control system.
Spatial Fluidity
The owners wanted an open plan with a simple palette, allowing the same materials to flow throughout the home. Essential lighting, mid-century modern pieces and clean-lined furniture keep visual clutter to a minimum. At its height, the ceiling reaches to 24’ making the house feel larger then it is.
Sitescape
The owners envisioned an outdoor space that would allow them to enjoy the life cycles of the elements. The challenge was to blend the casualness of a true native Florida garden with the modern origami-inspired architecture. The crisp lines and bold hardscape textures and colors act as an interlude between the soft, seemingly unstructured flora and the sharp white building and walls. An edible garden, butterfly and larva attractants, and wildflower mixture allow the owners to experience the seasonal evolution of their landscape while recycled hardscape materials provide the access for observation.
Sustainability
As smart design proceeds in a sustainable fashion, the Origami-Loft House intermingles the design parti with environmentally-friendly strategies.
Energy-efficient mechanisms employed by the home include: photovoltaic arrays produce 21-26 kilowatt hours a day; a 40 gallon passive solar water heating system; solar-powered lap pool; insulated low-E windows; and the E-wall (Efficient-Wall) System. ENERGY STAR appliances, soy-based insulation, dual-flush toilets, and green products (tile, flooring, countertops, and cabinets) are also incorporated.
The landscape is certified Florida-friendly and uses Waterwise irrigation techniques. An eco-fountain separates the front porch from the street, both visually and through white noise, running solely on collected rainwater harvested from the roof and stored in a cistern. The fountain automatically shuts off during drought times.
The result has been certified a Florida Green Home by the Florida Green Building Coalition.
Project Year: 2012
Project Cost: $750,001 - $1,000,000
Country: United States
Zip Code: 34285
