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Residential

EHDA Grand Award: New England Vacation House

CUSTOM, LESS THAN 2,000 SQUARE FEET

1 MIN READ

By Jennifer Goodman

July 19, 2012

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Greg Premru Photography

Located in a wildflower meadow, the cedar-clad gable-roofed is s… Read More Located in a wildflower meadow, the cedar-clad gable-roofed is surrounded by native plantings and a drought-tolerant grass blend.

Greg Premru Photography

Minimal trim, simple polished concrete floors, and careful windo… Read More Minimal trim, simple polished concrete floors, and careful window placement provide a clean look to the interior.

Greg Premru Photography

The children’s sleeping and play area is accessed via ladder.

Greg Premru Photography

The iconic shape and playful red color of the exterior gables ar… Read More The iconic shape and playful red color of the exterior gables are carried through to the interior kitchen and living room walls.

Greg Premru Photography

The owners’ plan for a future 6.5 kW solar electric system on … Read More The owners’ plan for a future 6.5 kW solar electric system on the large south-facing roof would make the house net-zero energy.

Greg Premru Photography

Extra storage is tucked away in built-in bookshelves.

Greg Premru Photography

The small mud room with a built-in bench helps the family stay o… Read More The small mud room with a built-in bench helps the family stay organized and keeps the house free of clutter.

This vacation residence on the Rhode Island coast packs performance-enhancing features and an inviting contemporary aesthetic into a pared-down package. Architect Stephanie T. Horowitz designed the compact form to provide exceptional energy efficiency, keep costs low, and meet the client’s request for a small environmental footprint.

The smart, streamlined design loads plenty of storage and amenities into the 1,300-square-foot retreat, including two bedrooms plus a sleeping loft; two bathrooms; and an open kitchen, dining, and living area. The interplay of warm, comfortable interiors and high-performance features created a synergy the judges couldn’t resist. “There is a harmony here between design and performance,” they raved.

The jury was equally impressed with the combination of Passive House-inspired strategies that reduced the home’s heating requirements to one-tenth that of a similar new code-built home.

Project planners relied on exceptional insulation (R-44 walls, R-50 foundation, R-60 roof), extreme attention to thermal bridging and air sealing, and ultra-efficient windows. By siting the house for maximum solar gain (while optimizing a north-facing view), Horowitz and her team reduced the heating needs to a single 10-HSPF Mitsubishi air source heat pump.

For healthy indoor air in such a tightly built dwelling, Horowitz included a Zehnder ComfoAir 200 HRV, polished concrete floors, and zero-VOC Poggenpohl kitchen cabinets. Other sustainable products include recycled quartz countertops, a heat-pump water heater, a high-efficiency washer and condensing dryer, and WaterSense-certified plumbing fixtures and toilets.