The site for this single family residence is located amidst the ridges and hollows of Burnt Mountain and Castle Rock in Albemarle County, Virginia. Having purchased the land over a decade ago, our clients dreamed of building a small, environmentally friendly residence to which they might retire. They were inspired by the scale and materials of their current 1920’s Bungalow and by images of elegant Arts and Crafts style wooden houses.
After walking the site with the owners, the house found its resting place at the back of a small field. The topography is sloped from west to east, to the south down to pond, and to the north along an intermittent stream.
Conceptually, the design acknowledges a point of arrival and departure. Coming from out of town, the owners make their way up through the field to the house, are welcomed under a covered porch and enter a foyer designed to accommodate a moment of transition. Once acclimated, the owners can sit quietly in respite, or follow the trail which races quickly up a fingered slope of Castle Rock.
The house is laid out with the entry and kitchen facing east to catch the morning sun and to welcome approaching guests. There is a single large space in the middle of the house for living and dining. A screened porch to the south provides solar shading and passive cooling during the hot humid months of Virginia and views of the hollow.
A variety of small mammals, deer, and even the occasional bear meander down from Castle Rock through this hollow to the pond below.
The master bedroom, bathroom and laundry are located on the entry floor which is designed for accessibility. There are three bedrooms and a full bathroom located in the raised eaves of a 14:12 pitched roofline. Two of these bedrooms have walk out access to roof decks. The house provides 2275 square feet of total finished and conditioned space for daily living.
Thanks to a combined effort by the Owners, Artisan Construction, Albemarle Heating and Air, and Jessica Primm Landscape Architect, this project was certified at the GOLD level in the LEED for Homes program in April of 2009. The design includes numerous sustainable design features and materials, a few of which include:
- Southern orientation for passive solar and daylighting
- Cross / Passive ventilation strategies
- FSC certified framing lumber
- Bio-Based spray foam insulation
- High performance windows that exceed Energy Star
- SEER 19 high performance heat pump
- Energy Star rated appliances and lighting
- Locally harvested wood from Appalachian Sustainable Development
- Cistern for collecting 100% of roof runoff for irrigation
- Roof mounted solar hot water system
- Low VOC paints and finishes throughout
- Solid Wheatcore interior doors by Humabuilt
To read blogs and see videos of this project under construction, please visit the PERSPECTIVE page.
