Project: Net Zero Farmhouse
Architecture: Architect Arielle Schechter
General Contractor: NewPhire Building
Location: Rougemont, North Carolina, United States
Area: 1900 ft2
Year: 2023
Photo Credits: Tzu Chen Photography
The client is a transplant from Northern California who decided to move east and settle in central North Carolina on the USA east coast.
The client found a large piece of previously farmed land bordered by a creek, perfect for starting the farmstead. The client’s brief was for a two bedroom house with the public spaces separating the bedrooms to allow for maximum privacy. The primary bedroom faces out toward the view. The second bedroom faces north so it can double as a glare free office space, in addition to being a guest room. The public rooms all face south for optimal light. Deep overhangs protect the windows from solar heat gain in the hot summers of North Carolina. There are two special outdoor spaces: one is a screen porch facing the wide expanse of grassy fields and the other is a small breakfast deck off the kitchen.
Eventually there will also be a barn for the client’s beautiful horse, Duke.
This is a real modern Net Zero Farmhouse – a house with a cool roof and triple glazed passive house windows, along with passive house detailing to achieve the most energy efficient house possible.
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We sited the drive to hug the edge of the property lines to leave as much of the site interior untouched as possible.
Originally, the site was covered with scrub, but native grasses are now coming in naturally adding to the beauty of the property.
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This design idea behind this farmhouse was inspired by the feeling of farm groupings of little outbuildings, native to rural North Carolina. We are interpreted this in a modern way with shed roofs, a small courtyard for the future dog or cat, and large banks of energy efficient windows.
