SubscribeSign In
a
Project posted by Atmosphere Design Build

Meadow View

View 10 Photos
Location
Rough and Ready, California
Year
2018
Structure
House (Single Residence)
Style
Farmhouse
Exterior East —
Exterior East —
The Pretty Good House movement is growing. New meetups are cropping up around the country—including in Tennessee and California’s Sierra Nevadas. Pictured here, the Meadow View House by Atmosphere Design Build is highly efficient. It features mini splits for heating and cooling, exceeds the insulation requirements for its climate, implements photovoltaics, and filters fresh air without heat loss.
The Pretty Good House movement is growing. New meetups are cropping up around the country—including in Tennessee and California’s Sierra Nevadas. Pictured here, the Meadow View House by Atmosphere Design Build is highly efficient. It features mini splits for heating and cooling, exceeds the insulation requirements for its climate, implements photovoltaics, and filters fresh air without heat loss.
Entry porch
Entry porch
Kitchen — the kitchen is located in the center of the home to act as a central hub with utility spaces to the west and living spaces to the east.
Kitchen — the kitchen is located in the center of the home to act as a central hub with utility spaces to the west and living spaces to the east.
Kitchen — a simple material palette of alder wood cabinets and soapstone countertops are accented by an oiled steel backsplash and fired clay, farmhouse sink.
Kitchen — a simple material palette of alder wood cabinets and soapstone countertops are accented by an oiled steel backsplash and fired clay, farmhouse sink.
Kitchen
Kitchen
Living & Dining Room — ample windows provide early morning daylight while being shielded from the harsh afternoon sun.
Living & Dining Room — ample windows provide early morning daylight while being shielded from the harsh afternoon sun.
Stairs — without the need for a wood stove in this energy efficient home, the staircase was designed as a central, hearth-like element. A pantry fits under the upper section, the steel middle section cascades past a tall picture window and the bottom section spills out to provide informal seating near the kitchen and a nook for kids to play in.
Stairs — without the need for a wood stove in this energy efficient home, the staircase was designed as a central, hearth-like element. A pantry fits under the upper section, the steel middle section cascades past a tall picture window and the bottom section spills out to provide informal seating near the kitchen and a nook for kids to play in.
Exterior in summer dusk
Exterior in summer dusk

Details

Square Feet
1986
Bedrooms
3
Full Baths
1
Partial Baths
1

Credits

From Atmosphere Design Build

Designed by Atmosphere Design Build architect Jeff Adams for himself and his family, this energy-efficient house balances steep, panoramic views of meadow and oak woodland to the east, north, and west with appropriate southern orientation for passive solar design and daylighting.

Located within a stunning creek watershed that cuts through the rolling hill topography of the lower Sierra Foothills, the compact design artfully merges the contemporary sensibilities of the architect/husband with the more traditional tastes of his wife (who grew up in a farmhouse in upstate New York). As a regionally appropriate departure point, the design adopts the rural, vernacular form of a two-story, gable-roofed barn. This basic typology is then strategically cut away to frame views and define recessed doorways. A porch and wood-framed trellis wrap around the house on three sides to provide functional outdoor space and create additional shading to windows and doors.

The material palette of the home evokes a connection to nature: weathered steel and smooth troweled stucco protect the exterior from climate and fire; oak flooring, soapstone countertops, painted wood paneling, oiled steel and slate tile provide warmth and intimacy on the interior.

The energy performance of the home easily exceeds the Tier II baseline of California’s 2016 energy code (+30% above standard construction) by implementing the following tactics in the high performance building envelope: highest performance low-e glazing available combined with proper solar orientation; exterior rigid insulation to mitigate thermal bridging; advanced framing to minimize lumber and maximize insulation; ventilated attic with R-60 cellulose insulation; and a concrete slab for thermal mass, which is isolated from the walls and ground by an insulated perimeter. With these measures in place as well as rigorous air sealing at all building joints, the heating and cooling loads are greatly reduced allowing the entire home to be heated and cooled with two ductless mini-split heat pumps (one at each level). A balanced, heat-recovery ventilation system ensures constant fresh, filtered air throughout the home without any substantial heat loss. When installed, a photovoltaic solar array on a future carport will allow the project to achieve net-zero status.