design
designing a sustainable home
Buildings are one of the largest consumers of energy and resources. Owners, architects, and contractors are becoming more knowledgeable about sustainable practices, and expectations for green building are increasing. People are becoming more interested in sustainable life choices.
We have been committed to in-town living for a long time. When we looked for property in Carol’s hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, location was key. We found a small lot on the near west side of the city, located about a mile from the University of Wisconsin campus. The lot was nestled in an established neighborhood situated nicely among city parks, restaurants, bars, and a golf course. We bought the lot in 2001 and planned to build a home.
the design process
In 2007, we spent the summer in Madison—just to make sure we really wanted to make the move. We had a wonderful time and began the planning process for the house.
We were committed to designing a house that was “green.” We planned to spend a long time here and it seemed like the sensible thing to do. We visited the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative offices to research local green building strategies. They developed a program, Green Built Home, to guide sustainable building practices. The organization helped us in defining our site development and provided a list of general contractors associated with the organization.
Along the way, we realized that the house could earn a high rating from the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes program, which also offered structure to help us through the process.
modern design
Our lot is situated on a quiet street. Most of the houses are post-World War II Cape Cod-style homes, with a few modern 1960’s homes mixed in. We felt it was important to maintain the scale and utilize familiar materials from the neighborhood. Equally important to us was to create a space that was about us. We both love modern design. We modeled the design so the scale and the way the house fit into the neighborhood would be comoftable. By using similar materials, proportions, and volumes from the adjacent houses, we were able to create a house that was harmonious with the surrounding neighborhood.
archicad 3D modeling
We used a modeling program called ArchiCAD to view the project inside and out, including how it sits in the neighborhood.
The building form developed from the south-facing orientation and was inspired by the concept of a box camera. The roof gently slopes from south to north, creating a controlled light box. Fixed sun louvers outside the front windows control the light. The louvers were designed to allow the sun to penetrate deep into the space between October and February while shading the windows between May and August.
interior
The house is relatively small – about 1700 square feet above the basement. The living spaces are an open-plan. The stairs visually and physically connect all three floors in a straight-run configuration. Thinking sustainably, we also planned for a future elevator. There is a shaft with all the necessary structure and electricity, so we can easily install an elevator if we need one. For now, they serve as storage spaces.
The upper level has a study opening onto the living room and a master bedroom suite. In Wisconsin, you have to place the footings deep underground to get below the frost line, so a basement makes sense. We decided to create a full basement and have taken advantage of that space for living, too.
The house is zoned with service elements on the west side and living spaces on the east side. This allowed all the plumbing to be located in one area of the house.
exterior
The primary exterior materials are 6” tongue and groove cedar siding and a metal roof. The cedar siding provides a scale similar to other houses along the street. The dark color makes the house appear smaller.
We used permeable pavers and native plants to soak up as much water as possible. Solar panels on the roofs of the house and garage help produce energy to power the house.