The design of this house was driven by the ethics of our client: to create a green solar home on a property where she could pursue sustainable farming practices. With solar panels in mind, the roof was designed for southern exposure and the incline to optimize the maximum potential for energy production. The solar panels produce 100% of the home’s energy needs. Beyond the functional requirements, the roof form took on a dominant role in the building concept: it folds up, around and down to shelter the house to the north and open up to views to the south. The roof shapes the interior spaces from the first level to the third floor as one continuous evolving fluid form. A modern interpretation of the traditional “widow’s walk”, a third floor yoga room has windows on all sides and serves as a solar chimney, exhausting out hot air. The standing seam metal roof allow for easy clipping of the solar panels. Other materials include stained shiplap wood siding, Eagle windows, and Hardipanel siding.

The walls running east to west are clad in Hardipanel and the walls north to south in wood creating a strong visually dynamic play of form and color. The Hardipanel walls (blue) run from exterior to interior, creating a series of thresholds that demarcate the public and private realms of the house.

From the interior, the arrangement of spaces takes advantage of the height and a second floor balcony overlooks the living/dining rooms.

Designed around an open living concept, the communal spaces, kitchen, dining and living room share one large space below the tilted roof atop which the solar panels sit. A Tulikivi stove is the focus of the living room a series of meals evolve over the course of the day and with friends as the stove heats up to enjoy pizza, bread, roasted chicken over wine and beneath the sheltering roof.

The solar panels serve 100% of the homes needs. Excess energy is sold back to the local service provider. The Owner also accrues credits for those cloudy days when the panels are not producing energy.