Twin Pines House

To support a growing family, extended family visits, and working from home, this house had to do a lot. Siting it carefully within the landscape frames views away from the road and creates a protected zone in the rear yard. Designed as “Passive-ish”, the envelope increases occupant comfort and reduces the amount of energy needed to operate the home. Solar shingles on the roof help offset the electricity needs of the house. To reduce heating and cooling requirements of the ventilation air, the home uses earth tubes – pipes buried underground where the temperature of the earth is stable – to draw air into the building and use ground temperature to pre-condition it, reducing the amount of energy needed to make it comfortable. Beyond the energy efficiency of the house, this home is meant for multiple generations and multiple cultures. With space for art and a pogreb, or underground food storage vault, grandmother can make pickles while surrounded by beauty when she visits. Different zones upstairs are connected by a glassy bridge where carefully cut shades screen views out and create biophilic shadow patterns inside. Outside, pollinator and vegetable gardens feed humans and insects, and careful siting of the home, driveway, and outbuildings preserve an impressive pair of pine trees and other beautiful landscape elements.