THE DRAWING BOARD-May 2009

A super-insulated orchard cottage centered on the kitchen

Situated in the far corner of a young heirloom fruit orchard, this Provençal stucco home was originally designed to be a tiny guest cottage where the owner could live and work during the construction of an eventual main house. The client liked the design and unobstructed views of the orchard so much that he scrapped the larger house altogether and had the architect modify the guest cottage to become a smaller and more intelligent use of space. The result is an exceptionally energy-efficient and environmentally responsible design, utilizing a third less space without sacrificing livability.

The cottage was planned for a food lover, with the design centered on a great kitchen accompanied by an adjacent glass greenhouse right out the kitchen door. There are no doors separating the large open bedroom from the living room below, allowing an unobstructed flow between both levels of the house. This maximizes air and heat flow throughout the cottage and allows a HEPA energy recovery ventilator to do its job keeping the air as clean and fresh as possible. The super-insulated design is airtight and virtually soundproof with 16-inch-thick walls, triple-glazed windows, and a substantial steel-reinforced insulation system.

Architect: Studio Hamlet/Russell Hamlet
Builder: WS Builders/Wayne Simoneau
Cabinetry: Pine Ridge Carpentry/Christian Andrus
Windows: Fibertec—Triple Glaze Low E
Skylights: AIA Industries—Double Glaze Heat Mirror
Roofing: Stratton and Sons—Berridge Tee-Panel Standing Seam
Exterior: Chateau CoolStone—Provençal Fine Grain Stucco
Envelope: ABS Maine—Logix ICFs & ThermaSteel Framing Panels
Greenhouse: Cross Country—Cape Cod Double-Glazed

Location: Union, ME
Square Footage: Cottage—1,300 + Basement
Garage/Guest Apartment—900
Greenhouse—370
Construction: Spring 2010
Completion slated for: Fall 2010