Sustainable Craftsman Cottage

• dladmin
• December 11, 2013

A mechanical engineer in his 80’s got a kick out of going to lumber yards and responding to the clerk’s question, “Can I help you?”, with “Yes, I’m building a house.” He knew it would be his last, and his best applied experience: barrier free, highly efficient, and a comfortable place to share with his wife for their retirement.

Use of colour coordinated shingles and fascia increase the heavy sense of shelter, while stone and stucco present a hand-crafted appearance accented by the timberframed porch. The front façade organizes functions according to their importance, the entrance-center and prominent, the living room proceeds to the foreground, while the garage recedes to the background. The chimney provides a vertical counterbalance to the horizontal spaces.

This residence is a demonstration of sustainable design principles and “State of the Shelf” environmental materials, assemblies and systems, integrated into a Craftsman style home.

Major Functional Features:

• Open plan living, dining and kitchen Master bed and bath
• Office/Bedroom with bath
• Entry/Two Piece Powder room
• Laundry
• Insulated 1-1/2 car garage
• Barrier free

Major Building Features:

• Building Envelope
• Structural insulated panel roof (R-48) and walls (R-29)
• Exterior Insulating finish system (R-4 added to wall rating above)
• Eastern pine timberframe roof trusses
• Low E, Argon filled insulating glass windows
• Manufactured limestone veneer
• Low infiltration=1.13 air-changes per hour (R-2000 standard = 1.5)

Energy Systems:

• Hi-efficiency 95% efficient, natural gas, combined heating and domestic hot water condensing boiler
  Glycol hydronic radiant floor heating
• 1-1/2 ton condenser with fan coil serving displacement diffusers air-conditioning
• Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) exhaust and outdoor air intake system
• Digital control of heating, cooling, exhaust, and ventilation systems and supplementing bedrooms with passive solar and fireplace heating while removing cool air from major window areas
• Ventilating wood fireplace with outdoor combustion air intake
• Clothes and dishwasher gray water domestic hot water pre-heat energy recovery
• Low flow fixtures and dual flush toilets
• Velux “Sun Tunnel” skylight daylighting
• Compact fluorescent lighting
• Energy Star electric appliances
• 7 KW natural gas electrical generator
• Drought resistant perennials

Kitchen

Half Timber Cottage

Living Room

Dining Room