Curvaceous geometry shapes this super insulated modern earth-contact home-office set within the desert xeriscape landscape on the outskirts of Phoenix Arizona, USA. This detached Desert Office or Guest House is actually set below the xeriscape desert garden by 30", creating eye level garden views when seated at your desk. Hidden below, completely underground and naturally cooled by the masonry walls in full earth contact, sits a six car garage and storage space. There is a spiral stair connecting the two levels creating the sensation of climbing up and out through the landscaping as you rise up the spiral, passing by the curved glass windows set right at ground level. This property falls withing the City Of Scottsdale Natural Area Open Space (NAOS) area so special attention was required for this sensitive desert land project.

Photo: Durston Saylor
ニューヨークにある高級な小さなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (メタルサイディング) の写真

トロントにある高級な小さなモダンスタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (レンガサイディング、縦張り) の写真

Leonid Furmansky
オースティンにある高級な小さなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな家の外観の写真

Guest House
アトランタにある高級な小さなカントリー風のおしゃれな家の外観 (メタルサイディング、縦張り) の写真

サンフランシスコにある高級な小さな地中海スタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (漆喰サイディング、混合材屋根) の写真

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

The garage is tucked under the house, and an exterior entry at the lower floor leads to a playroom and guest suite that may be converted to an accessory dwelling unit. Cantilevering floor and roof covers rear deck.

A detail of the cypress screen on the street side elevation. This gives the house the privacy the owners craved. Photo by Keith Isaacs.
ローリーにある高級な小さなミッドセンチュリースタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (コンクリート繊維板サイディング、緑化屋根) の写真

シドニーにある高級な小さなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (レンガサイディング) の写真

ロサンゼルスにある高級な小さなモダンスタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (漆喰サイディング) の写真

At night, the battens on the facade glow, further emphasizing the triangular shapes inspired by the gabled roofs of the home and its neighbours.
メルボルンにある高級な小さなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (メタルサイディング) の写真

This view is the south side which has a deeply cantilevered roof covering a seating area on the expansive deck. Photo by Keith Isaacs.
ローリーにある高級な小さなミッドセンチュリースタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (コンクリートサイディング) の写真

Located on a lot along the Rocky River sits a 1,300 sf 24’ x 24’ two-story dwelling divided into a four square quadrant with the goal of creating a variety of interior and exterior experiences within a small footprint. The house’s nine column steel frame grid reinforces this and through simplicity of form, structure & material a space of tranquility is achieved. The opening of a two-story volume maximizes long views down the Rocky River where its mouth meets Lake Erie as internally the house reflects the passions and experiences of its owners. Photo: Sergiu Stoian

Henry's Home is a single-bedroom industrial house featuring a Glass Garage Door opening the Dining Room up to a Back Porch with panoramic views. When it comes to style, this small house packs a big punch.

フェニックスにある高級な小さなモダンスタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (メタルサイディング) の写真

New front facade
サンフランシスコにある高級な小さなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (漆喰サイディング、緑の外壁) の写真

メルボルンにある高級な小さなインダストリアルスタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (メタルサイディング) の写真

キャンベラにある高級な小さなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな家の外観 (レンガサイディング) の写真