The home
(2,900 sq. ft.) is designed so that our primary living areas (great
room, dining area, kitchen, media room, master bedroom and bath, plus
associated storage areas) are located on the main floor. Once you
enter the house, you are in our cathedral-ceiled great room...and
once you see the view, it's likely you'll not want to move to any
other room! Even when the walls first went up, they framed a fabulous
view. Check out the plans.
The second story has two additional bedrooms, bath and storage space plus a grand work area featuring an unparalleled view of the surrounding countryside. Guess where our Macintosh computer will be?
This shot shows the
house before the siding was put on. The silver appearance is the
result of the 2" layer of 'ozone-friendly' polyisocyanurate rigid
board added as extra insulation. Standard 2x6 framing was used. When
all the layers are added up, from interior plaster to the outer
siding, the exterior walls are 10 1/4 inches thick.
A vapor barrier sealed the interior, with blue board and plaster completing the interior finish. All window and door jams were filled with expanding foam insulation. Windows and sliding glass doors are R-8 Hurd Solar Glass--one of the highest R-values in the industry.
Winter
View
Winter is a fascinating time in our house. The colder it is, the clearer the sky, the more 'energy harvesting' we do. Yes, we use the wood stove in the evenings for psychological comfort--not necessary, but the extra few degrees keep the house warm throughout the night. This photograph was taken by architect Steven Strong. Rob Erb, his project manager, was at the controls of a rented Cessna. This hawk's eye view of our house was taken shortly after noon. The solar thermal panels are on the left half of the roof while the photovoltaic panels cover the right half of the roof.
The final coat of stain along with the white trim finished off the exterior. We've now had three summers perched over the marsh...wonderful family gatherings powered and enhanced by the Sun.