Editors note: This home has been named 'Earthship' but is not an officialEarthshiptrademarked by Earthship Global.
From the USGBC :
Outstanding Single Family Home of the Year:Wallace Residence (Earthship Farmstead), Kaplan Thompson ArchitectsLocated in Stuart, Va., Earthship Farmstead is an earth-sheltered, LEED Platinum, energy-positive certified Passive House that also operates as a working water buffalo farm. Designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects and built by Structures Design/Build, this project met the client's ambitious goal to build a farmstead in the Virginia mountains that would be as self-sufficient as possible. The house will use 90 percent less energy for heating than a typical house, and it can be heated on the coldest night of the winter with the energy of two hairdryers.
As described byKaplan Thompson Architects:
Context
We were approached by our clients with a simple request, “We want a house where our sheep can graze on our roof”. No problem!
Our clients were looking to build a farmstead in the Virginia mountains that would be as self-sufficient as possible. Net-zero energy (or energy positive!), Passivhaus andLEED for Homes是既定的性能目标。我们以前在Net-Zero家庭方面的经验对我们这个项目很有帮助。
Response
We nestled the house in the hillside, bending the floor plan to carefully fit the contours of the field. The slope of the hill faced east, however, and we knew we would need to capture as much winter sun as we could to naturally heat the home, so we extended the living and dining room out onto the crown of the hill, raising a broad bank of carefully shaded windows to the south to scoop in the sun.
The clients were looking for a stylish, soft, natural modernism for their house, and we chose a palette of white cedar shingles, local fieldstone, and quiet metal accents to harmonize with the colors and tone of the surrounding mountains.
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© Brett Winter Lemon
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© Brett Winter Lemon
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© Brett Winter Lemon
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© Brett Winter Lemon
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© Brett Winter Lemon
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© Brett Winter Lemon
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© Brett Winter Lemon
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More specifics fromKaplan Thompson Architects:
Renewable Materials
Local, healthy and sustainable materials were specified throughout the project. As parents of young children, our clients were rightly nervous about modern industrialized building products, so we set strict limits onformaldehyde and VOCs. The building is also insulated withcellulose insulationand water-blown EPS foam (two of the most environmentally friendly insulating product on the market).
All flooring is local white oak, the cabinetry is Virginia black walnut, and American Clay Paint was used throughout the project.
Water Conservation
这处房产的井水供应充足，但抽水会消耗大量能源，所以所有的水泵和设备都经过仔细评估，以确保用水不会对能源系统造成过重的负担。
The landscape design carefully considered water use as well, including a largerainwater recovery systemwith a cistern that stores and reuses all water from the roof.
Sustainable Landscape
The house has been designed to sit within the natural landscape, with anextensive green roofand native plantings. The farm fields spread up to the house itself, carefully delineated with gentle low stone walls of local Catawba stone that contain a broad stone patio on the private side of the house.
Energy Efficient
The house is designed to meet the most rigorous energy standard in the world: the German被动式住宅建筑能源标准。
这种房子比一般的房子节省90%的能源用于供暖，并且可以在冬天最冷的夜晚用两台电吹风的能量供暖。
It is a tough, easy to maintain, comfortable and extremely cost effective house to live in (estimated $500 / year total to heat).
该建筑由R-30平板、R-30墙壁和R-40至R-60屋顶建造。The windows and doors are byMakrowin, with triple glazing and thermally broken frames.
The complete heating and cooling system is a tiny 1 1/2 ton heat pump system by Mitsubishi with fresh air continuously supplied to the living spaces through an Energy Recovery Ventilator byZehnder
Renewable Energy
There is a 12 kW photovoltaic array on the barn supplying all the energy the farm needs, making the house fully energy positive. This house acts like a miniature power plant, with 100% clean energy production.
Read abouttraditional Earthships (and why they aren't designed for cold climates) here
Acknowledgments
Received Passive House Certification in February 2013 and LEED Platinum Certification in November 2013.
© 2014Kaplan Thompson Architects
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I don't want to seem nosy, but I am considering a house like this for myself. I love the style, the simplicity and of course the overall efficiency. Is there a good resource to effectively price the total cost of such a home project? Thank you!