This Net Zero farmhouse was designed by Joan Heaton Architects in collaboration with Silver Maple Construction, located in Cornwall, Vermont. Designed to be fully accessible, this three-story farmhouse offers four bedrooms and four and one-half bathrooms. The house and garage are simple gable forms; an entry porch and screened-in porch with shed roofs anchor the house to the land. The volumes are connected in the tradition of Vermont vernacular architecture. Sited to face due south, the house makes use of both passive and active solar and achieves the goal of net zero with roof mounted, grid-tied, solar panels.
According to the Zero Energy Project, zero energy homes are “regular grid-tied homes that are so air-tight, well insulated, and energy efficient that they produce as much renewable energy as they consume over the course of a year, leaving the occupants with a net zero energy bill, and a carbon-free home. A zero energy home is not just a “green home” or a home with solar panels. A zero energy home combines advanced design and superior building systems with energy efficiency and on-site solar panels to produce a better home. Zero energy homes are ultra-comfortable, healthy, quiet, sustainable homes that are affordable to live in.”
What We Love: This Net Zero farmhouse offers a fabulous example of how a sustainably designed home can be comfortable and livable. Inside, an open and airy floor plan with clean lines and simple yet beautiful details. White walls serve as a backdrop for the homeowners collection of art. The surrounding countryside adds a magnificent element to the overall design of this fantastic home… Readers, would you like in a Net Zero home? Tell us your thoughts in the Comments below!
Note: Have a look at a couple of past home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of Joan Heaton Architects: Small and cozy modern barn house getaway in Vermont and Carriage barn converted into breathtaking guesthouse in Vermont.
Above: A close-up detail shows a reeded glass pocketing door, separating the kitchen from the entry/mud room area of the home. Another pocket door (in the background) separates the coat, shoe and outerwear storage closet from the rest of the entryway.
Above: A central staircase provides access to all three levels of this farmhouse. Alongside the staircase is an elevator, which also offers access to all three levels.
Above: Landscaping, including board-formed concrete retaining walls, integrates the house into the sloping site. Raycroft-Meyer Landscape Architects were responsible for the landscape design of this farmhouse.
Photos: Ryan Bent Photography
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