Sustainability in a Historic Village

THE DRAWING BOARD – SEPTEMBER 2008

Located on a town green with a mountain view, this addition to an 1840s farmhouse combines seasonal living quarters with studios for art and architecture. Situated in a National Historic Preservation District, the home combines the simplicity of New England design with a high level of sustainability.
Embracing the proportions of a barn, the new structure is framed with heavily insulated double walls and triple-glazed windows. The hot water heating system combines a wood pellet stove and a highly efficient gas boiler. The south-facing roof has been designed for a solar domestic hot water panel system and the future installation of photovoltaic panels. Rainwater from all the roofs is captured in two underground cisterns and used for irrigation. Landscaping makes use of low-impact, native plantings such as the garden of blueberries, vegetables, and flowers that backs up to the south wall just outside the barn door to the architect’s studio.