House-of-a-Hill 

As the architect of this Net Zero-ready home, we chose to embed the structure within the hill – to be a part of it – rather than to sit atop it, leaving nearly 20 feet to the height limit. Despite being part of the hill on three sides, the home is flooded with natural light which arrives diffused through custom perforated screens and periscope windows. 

The home’s hillside embedment maximizes thermal mass cooling and features a stairwell/tower that doubles as a thermal chimney, guiding warm air upward until it is evacuated at the top. 

The house is naturally ventilated, being further cooled by custom perforated, corrugated screens optimized to block the harshest midday light while letting in views in the morning and evening. 

The roof is shaped to capture rainwater in a single downspout, so water is guided and retained through a bio-filtration system.  With a readiness to receive a 6-kilowatt photovoltaic array and using alternatives to natural gas, the home is Net Zero Energy-ready.  The garden is planted with drought-tolerant planting/xeriscaping.