littleHOUSE
Big Flats, NY
Winner of 2021 New York State AIA Design Award and 2018 Rochester AIA Honor Award
We designed a modest, site-attuned dwelling to Passive House standards as an extension of the family’s homesteading commitment.
Siting - The home occupies a small clearing pressed against a deep forest, sited to provide space for animals, vegetables, orchards and agriculture. We positioned the dwelling to accomplish several goals:
Perched by the forest edge, to encourage casual childhood adventures.
Sheltered by the wooded slope to be shielded from winds.
Angled to collect and store winter solar rays.
Oriented for a welcoming, protected entry.
Earth-bermed to enhance insulation, direct run-off, and silence road noise.
Program - We started with a simple plan-diagram for the home - Two squares are bisected by the line of entry, then refined by need:
To the north is the sleeping tower. Its basic form and minimal openings respond to its prosaic functions.
To the south is a single living space, lifting up to a south-facing window positioned to regulate solar gain and to selectively frame a neighborless vista.
Optimization - To keep size to a minimum, many elements do double duty:
The entry hall is also the main circulation spine and the mudroom.
The wheeled dining table can be tucked under the kitchen island for daily meals or pulled out to accommodate eight or more.
The first floor bathroom is divided by a door into a front guest toilet with an integral sink/tank; and a master bath beyond containing the shower and master sink.
The master closet is also the laundry room
The upstairs landing accommodates a kids’ reading nook.
The children can slide a single door in their bedrooms to reveal either a clothes closet or desk.
Envelope Investment - We employ extreme insulation, thermal mass, best practices for construction, and synchronized air-exchange. A wall-mounted air-source heat pump is the only heat source other than a small wood stove. A cord of firewood was the only fuel burned in littleHOUSE’s first winter.
Through all these measures, we aim to meet a family’s vision of independence, lifelong stewardship, and closeness to nature.
Contractor/Builder: Ironwood Builders
Photography: Tim Wilkes Photography
Size: 1,200 sf