Shady House

This environmentally friendly single-family house makes the most of its difficult site on the north side of Mount Guardian in upstate New York. The south facade opens to the winter sun while a large overhang and photovoltaic porch make the interior "light tight" in the summer. The plan is simple and open with few partitions. Rooms are defined by a concrete block wall that functions as a solar heat sink behind the glassy south face. A hot-burning masonry stove incorporated into this wall enhances its heating capacity.

If built, the prism form of the house would hold down costs and minimize complicated details that could compromise the superinsulated envelope. Trellises and overhangs would moderate the severe shape and blend it into the landscape.

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