IdeaGarden Eco-Farmhouse

Tags:: Architecture; Technology; Architect

After Will Rosenzweig and Carla Fracchia bought this 100-year-old farmhouse in Healdsburg, California, they hired Arkin Tilt Architects and Earthtone Construction to make an eco-friendly example out of it. The house had good bones but it was "thermally challenged in both summer and winter," says architect Anni Tilt. Thanks to the addition of a new wrap of rigid insulation on the exterior, new windows throughout, a ventilated roof, and a new wing with shade overhangs, the house is transformed. "It now provides an entirely different level of comfort and performance—a quantum leap forward—which has transformed the way we use it," the owners report. Click through the slideshow to see how the architects and contractors turned the old and leaky structure into a model of energy-efficiency. All photos courtesy of Edward Caldwell (copyright 2011).

— Jaime Gillin

An exterior view of the renovated Healdsburg house, which the owners use as a weekend retreat. The dining room, located in the new white-painted wing, provides a counterpoint to the existing Victorian, with the entry reoriented between the two volumes.

+ Read Article

Comments
Related Content

Robert N. Kennedy, FAIA10.21.2011

After seeing the Portland House in this issue, I felt that you were finally Catching on that size and location have more to do with the ecology than all other thing put together. To refer to this as ecofriendly farmhouse is laughable. All the innovation and creativity in the world will not overcome the energy waste attributable to its rural location and its size.

RSS Feed

Add a Comment

Products

Lean Table Lamp

Pros: Minimal and restrained, this sand–cast iron design comes in pitch-black or glossy, fire-engine red. A small divot at the base accommodates the cord, ensuring that the lamp sits flat…
Eco

Pros Eco by Cosentino consists of 75 percent postindustrial or postconsumer materials, which nabbed them a Cradle to Cradle Silver and Greenguard certification. Its nonporous surface needs no…
Lean Table Lamp

Designed by Tom Dixon, this cast iron light is inspired by the materials and processes employed during the Industrial Revolution. It references the robust components used to build the bridges and…

Events

Eco Home

This exhibition hopes to address, without preaching, widespread and increasing concerns about ecology and the state of the planet and how this links to our homes and the way we use, decorate and…
2011 Green California Summit

The 2011 Green California Summit is coming to Sacramento on April 19-20, with pre-Summit sessions on April 18. 2011 also brings the first-ever CALGreen Academy, a special series of classes…
Green California Summit

The 2010 Green California Summit will take place in the state capital, at the Sacramento Convention Center. State and local governments in California have long set the standard for public sector…