Rebecca F. Bundy, Design for Sustainable Living, LLC

Ketchum, Idaho: Passive Solar Design, 2007

The client wanted a minimalist, modern, passive solar home on a tight budget.  The lot is zoned for two townhouses, so the house was designed to allow for a future residence on the same lot.

 

This precluded orienting the house with the long side facing south, but the house is still organized along passive solar principles.  The open floor plan allows heat generated in the southern living and dining areas to be shared with the kitchen and entry hall.  The master suite above benefits from the solar gain.  Office, spare bedroom, entry and garage are located on the north end of the home.

 

The south wall is graced with three 10’x10’ Fleetwood metal sliding glass doors that open the wall to the patio and small garden to the south.

 

 

The stair is made of glulam treads bolted to glulam stringers and finished with a waterbased stain.  It is located in under a raised section of roof with high windows, equipped with motorized openers, and a Modern Fan Company ceiling fan.  When the windows are opened on summer evenings, the “tower” will act as a chimney, sucking cool air in through low windows and exhausting hot air up to the outside.  The ceiling fan can be adjusted to help suck air up and out or to push warm stratified air back down into the living spaces.

 

Cabinets and shelves were purchased at IKEA, a especially environmentally conscious company, and assembled on site by the client.

 

Rough-in was performed for  a future solar thermal hot water system on the roof.

 

The lower level, where winter snow abuts the building, is clad with an olive green stucco for ease of maintenance.  The upper level siding is full horizontal sheets of  Hardel plywood, stained with non-toxic Lifetime stain,  with galvanized metal horizontal flashing and vertical wood battens.  The fascias are clad in galvanized sheet metal.

 

The interior is finished very sleekly.  All lights are recessed.  The drywall finishes to the windows and the floor without extra trim.  Occasional bold splashes of color stand out against the mostly white interior.

Pella Energy Star windows are generally located high on the walls to allow in ample natural light and to provide views of the mountain ridges in the distance without compromising privacy.  The house is built quite close to its existing neighbor to the east and will be flanked by a future townhouse to the west.

 

Thermal mass is provided by a 4” thick concrete slab on grade floor on the lower level and a 2 1/2” thick finished concrete slab on the upper floor.  The slab was left its natural gray and finished with a waterbased sealant.

 

The house is framed using OVE framing techniques.  The roof is framed with trusses.