The Tadpole, aka The Jewel Box

Project: The Micropolis “Tadpole” -- aka, “The Jewel Box”
Owner: Mike Wolfe
Architect: Arielle Condoret Schechter, AIA, Chapel Hill, NC | acsarchitect.com
Builder: Kevin Murphy, Newphire Building, Chapel Hill, NC

Among architect Arielle Condoret Schechter’s portfolio of customizable Micropolis® House plans, the Tadpole plan offered everything that Mike Wolfe, a former member of the U.S. Army's Special Ops forces, wanted for his new home.

At only 900 square feet, the plan would make a modest impact on the forested site he chose between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough (a section of family-owned property). And like all of Schechter’s Micropolis® houses, the Tadpole was designed to be net zero -- to generate as much energy as it uses.

Spatially, the little house that Wolfe renamed "The Jewel Box" includes a U-shaped, super-efficient kitchen, which is open to the dining/living core. It also features the owner's bedroom; another bedroom-turned-study; an elegant little bathroom; and three means of extending the interior living space outdoors: a roof terrace, a south-facing lanai, and a screened porch.

Another element seen in all Schechter’s Micropolis® houses: The Tadpole is decidedly modern, which makes its architectural vocabulary an ideal backdrop for the former soldier's collection of iconic modern furniture. Wolfe acquired his passion for modern architecture and furniture design, he said, while he was stationed throughout Europe and the Middle East, where he stayed in fine accommodations thanks to the Army's attitude towards members of its most elite forces. His keen observations of the built environment around him contributed to his modernist sensibility.

After Schechter and Wolfe discussed his wants and needs for his future home, he decided to purchase the plans for the Tadpole and build it as designed with few, if any, customizations. Then he hired green home builder Kevin Murphy of Newphire Building in Chapel Hill to construct the house, knowing that Murphy built many of the modern, net-zero houses this architect designed throughout the Triangle region.

To achieve net zero functionality on this site, Schechter had to connect the house to a solar array she constructed in a nearby field. All other “green” features are essential elements of the original plan.

She also assisted Wolfe with interior color choices. Inspired by his concept of the house as a "jewel box," she suggested jewel tones for the interior: sapphire for his bedroom, emerald for the bath, and amber for his study.

“Mike Wolfe is a man of the world -- just a very cool guy,” Schechter said. “His passion for design and his commitment to environmental sustainability are the true gems in the crown of this ‘Jewell Box.’ "

"We really did make a great team,” Wolfe added, “and achieved a fabulous result together.”