WDF/AMD

Due to the client’s wish that the project be developed around green and sustainable strategies, Method Design developed the initial dynamic massing and design concepts by integrating the site’s legal zoning constraints and programming requirements, with the necessary solar geometries for both passive and active systems.

Rather than treating sustainability as only an applied armature or product, the entire house operates passively through appropriate massing, orientation, and exposure to both sun and prevailing winds. To further refine the passive process of the building, strategic shading systems were developed to block out harsh summer sun exposure while allowing for the benefits of passive heating through the lower winter sun angles. Active sustainable systems, such as the use of the photovoltaic cells, were utilized on the roof of the solar wing of the house to further enhance overall performance and reduce external energy reliance.

The AIA Connecticut Awards Committee noted: “The jury liked the mastery of exterior details; in every corner, the building is pristine. The subtle use of two textures, the small scale details, and massing of the building are very strong. The central glazed wall between the two wings of the building is very successful. The jury liked the simplicity of the house best of all, it’s simple forms that relate well to each other. Its volumes and play with asymmetry work well, as does the eccentric roof on the tall pavilion that successfully shades the bedroom. It is a tidy, well thought-out project.”