DRAWING BOARD – January 2015

The owners of this mountaintop property in Bridgton hired Kevin Browne Architecture to design a home that is simple, contemporary, energy-efficient, low maintenance, and designed with a minimal carbon footprint and budget in mind. The property’s south-facing view includes an incredible vista down to Hancock Pond and beyond to the mountains. This 2,200-square-foot home will incorporate many passive solar techniques. The long axis will be positioned east-west to maximize the home’s solar orientation. The south side of the home will include the maximum amount of windows, with significantly lesser amounts on the east, west, and north sides. Two-thirds of the home will be a slab-on-grade with the stained concrete slab being the finished floor as well as a thermal mass that is heated by the sunlight filling the main living area through the south-facing windows. The south-facing windows will have appropriately designed overhangs that allow sunlight to penetrate deep into the main living spaces but shade those spaces in the height of the summer months. Solar panels covering the south-facing roofs will be used to run the high-efficiency heat pumps that heat and cool the home. In addition to the R-5 triple-glazed windows, the rest of the building envelope was paid close attention to, with the budget in mind. The walls will be R-30, the roof will be R-50, and under the slab will be R-20. When the project is complete, the homeowners will have a house sized right for simple living with minimal maintenance and minimal use of fossilfuels.