Iverson Kaplan Residence

Situated in a heavily wooded area in Princeton, New Jersey, Iverson Kaplan Residence involved an addition to a late-modern home with vernacular influences. The existing 5000 square foot house was turned inward, with little relationship to its natural surroundings. The project involved the design and construction of a 4000 square foot addition that would allow nature and the existing structure to interact. Limited by the foliage of the surrounding forest, oblique sunlight was introduced through the horizontal glazing. A system of operable skylights set above a hot air reservoir works in conjunction with an internal light-diffusing layer both to distribute light and to induce ventilation through buoyant air movement.

The residence embraces sustainability through whole building design. It incorporates building orientation energy efficiency sustainable material choices, and a passive ventilation system. The materials used in the house have all been subjected to a comprehensive evaluation that includes embodied energy (all the energy required for material extraction, movement, production, and fabrication0, operating energy (the energy to operate and maintain the structure), and service duration.

In this project, maple wood was specially selected for its density and durability, which lent well to the design and final look of the home. In addition, the wood was harvested regionally and it’s an indigenous species of the area. The inclusion of resin panels in the design was again to provide a durable and stable light source through light diffusing panels. Approximately 40 percent of the materials used to construct the panels were recycled and processed in an ecologically controlled manufacturing facility

The steel windows installed have more than double the lifecycle of wood or aluminum and are low embodied energy (low-e). This particular style is made from highly recycled material, and environmentally responsible feature, important to both the architect and owner. The choice of bluestone and jet mist granite was due to the stones density and durability in addition to being regionally quarried and fabricated. The laminated, low-e glass provides large panes and no seal breakage, reducing the infiltration and thermal loss through metal.