Robert M. Cain, Architect has developed this LEED Platinum home with a butterfly roof located on a 1/3-acre infill site in Decatur, Georgia. Spread out over two levels, this 2,800 square foot dwelling features three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms.
The living room, dining, kitchen, and guest bedrooms are sheltered by a unique butterfly roof structured with steel beams spanned by exposed 1- 1/2” tongue-and-groove wood decking. The roof floats above continuous clerestory windows, enabling light to flood the interior. Light shelves around the clerestory sills bounce and diffuse natural light throughout the interior.
DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECT/INTERIOR DESIGN Robert M. Cain, Architect BUILDER Pinnacle Custom Builders LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT L.F. Saussy Landscape Architects
Interesting Fact: The RainShine house was the first modernist LEED Platinum house in the southeast US.
Above: A beautiful screened-in porch where the homeowners can relax and enjoy cool evenings. Exposure on three sides provides maximum ventilation for warm weather use.
This project is called “RainShine, named for its key design features. The butterfly roof captures rainwater and sunlight for solar panels and natural daylighting. The rain harvest system is located in the basement (RAIN), while the home is orientated for maximum southerly exposure to capture the natural light from the roof panels (SHINE). There are three cisterns in the basement that provides for landscape irrigation. All lighting is LED.
The butterfly design, with its inverted gable, simplifies rainwater collection, eliminates extensive gutter and downspout systems, and the associated maintenance common in conventional gabled or hip-roofed homes. The structure features large expanses of thermally broken glazing with solar shades and operable windows.
Spaces are defined by “thick walls” containing storage, bookshelves, niches, pass-throughs, closets, audio visual equipment, systems, etc. Except at certain utility areas, interior walls stop short of the ceilings and are topped by glazing, thus enhancing the floating roof effect.
Above: The modern staircase and steel beams counterbalance the warmth of the reclaimed hardwood floors. The material for the floors is heart pine from 1800s stables. The custom cabinet conceals the media.
What We Love: This energy-efficient home features a unique butterfly roof that floats above the home, serving as a vessel for rainwater harvesting and solar panels. Nichiha. The butterfly roof and clerestory windows provide an abundance of natural light throughout the seasons. This home is not only a model for energy efficiency, but it’s also beautifully designed.
Tell Us: What do you think of the overall aesthetics of this green design home? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments!
Note: Take a look at another fascinating LEED Plantinum home tour that we have featured here on One Kindesign: Impressive four-story home in San Francisco boasts LEED Platinum.
Above: Custom (formaldehyde-free) cabinets create a separation between the dining and kitchen area without closing the space off with walls. The playful hues add brightness to this open space.
Above: This vibrant and functional custom kitchen boasts concrete countertops made with recycled glass.
Above: The main bedroom features a custom-built reclaimed heart pine bed and custom-stained, 100% recycled content, Zero VOC MDF closets.
Above: These beautiful floor-to-ceiling custom doors and overhead fans provide the homeowner with an open-air sleeping experience on the private garden side of the home. A fabulous feature on a warm spring day. The living room also opens onto the shaded deck, allowing for dining al fresco!
Above: Floor-to-ceiling windows drench this loft area with natural light. This home office loft overlooks the living room, with a comfortable sofa offering the perfect cozy reading nook away from the bustle of downstairs. The steel structure for the butterfly roof allows an appealing, open, airy studio space.
Above: Large windows with custom hide-away blinds provide an abundance of natural light into this open and airy second floor bedroom. The playful modular rug is composed of recycled carpet.
Natural ventilation and geothermal heating and cooling systems aids in both comfort and energy efficiency. The exterior finish is Nichiha — high-performance fiber cement siding.
Above: Rain garden and all native plantings are in low-maintenance, drought-resistant landscaping.
PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Hultberg Photography
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